The Romans

About this board game

The Romans is a 1–4 player game with an approximately 150-minute play time, tracing Rome’s rise from a small Italian Kingdom through the Republic and into the full-blown Empire.

This is a game of both conquest and political development. Players begin with four Senators, while five buildings enter play over the course of the game. Senators can be placed in these buildings to gain promotions, recruit legions, collect revenue, build cities, fortifications, and fleets, and earn victory points.

• Place Senators in the capital to pursue political and developmental advantages.
• Flip Senators into Generals and deploy them with armies on your map board.
• Expand through the Kingdom, Republic, and Empire while responding to enemies.
• Seek victory through multiple scoring opportunities and routes.

Enemies create challenges throughout the game, while the later barbarian invasions drive deep into the Empire with Rome itself as their target. Players must therefore balance the struggle for influence in the capital with the need to develop and defend their territories.

Decisions are supported by speedy play and, at times, simultaneous action. Dice rolls bring uncertainty, but the impact of fortune is mitigated by the sharing of many rolls. Players who fall behind can also benefit from three recovery mechanisms, helping keep the game tightly balanced until its dramatic climax.

As the third quantum game from the Ragnar Brothers, The Romans offers a distinctive take on the rise of Roman power. It also builds on the auto-player mechanisms featured in the designers’ recent solo rules, providing an additional way to experience its historical arc.