
- BGG rank
- BGG #857
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Torres
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 1999

1988
Rules assistance for Forum Romanum
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Forum Romanum is a board game released in 1988 for 2–6 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Wolfgang Kramer and its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence.
Long out of print, this is a popular placement game by Wolfgang Kramer, published in the Franckh Kosmos long box series. Actually very simple, players take turns to put their colored pieces in different rooms. Whenever a row, column, diagonal or room is full, it is scored, with the majority holder getting the value of the length, and any minority holders losing points. All lines or rooms are marked off when scored and when you run out of pieces to place, you must move a piece, which means you can suddenly lose a potential score you were building. ______________________ The game is part of the Franckh-Kosmos/ 'Edition Perlhuhn' (1988) and 'Spiele-Galerie'(1994) series.
Forum Romanum supports 2–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Forum Romanum is 45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Forum Romanum for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Forum Romanum has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Forum Romanum belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Area Majority / Influence. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Forum Romanum are: Wolfgang Kramer. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Forum Romanum as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.