Circus Maximus

About this board game

Circus Maximus is a 1979 board game for 2–10 players, offering approximately 120 minutes of ancient Roman chariot racing and gladiatorial combat.

This is really two games in one. In Chariot Race, players assemble their racing team by choosing horses, a driver, and a chariot car, with each selection providing special characteristics. Eight teams then compete over three laps to determine the winner.

Once the race begins, competitors can do more than simply drive for speed. The track becomes a violent contest where players may hamper rivals in several ways:

• Whip the rider
• Ram chariots with scythed wheels
• Smash into horses
• Run over crashed opponents

The second game, Gladiator, moves the action onto bloodstained sands. Players choose their weapons while simultaneously maneuvering, striking, and waiting for the fatal opening that places an opponent inside their guard.

Circus Maximus also supports a campaign game played across multiple races. Players manage their teams from race to race and can increase their income by betting on contests, adding a longer-term layer to the brutal spectacle.

With its combination of preparation, direct interference, racing danger, and gladiatorial skill, Circus Maximus brings the grandeur and decadence of ancient Rome to the tabletop.