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- BGG #2,444
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Successors (Fourth Edition)
- 2–5 players
- 300 min
- Complexity 4.2/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,953
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Justinian
1999
Rules assistance for Justinian
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 240 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Justinian
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Justinian is a board game released in 1999 for 2 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Richard H. Berg and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence.
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About the game
Justinian is a strategic level board-wargame game set in the early 6th century, after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the burgeoning of the Byzantine Eastern Roman Empire. The Byzantine Emperor, Justinian I, has started his reconquest of the Western Roman Empire, and the game attempts to simulate his endeavor for players to emulate. One player takes on Justinian's role, the other coordinates the Barbarian faction (basically the non-Byzantines); the designer also said the game can be played solitaire. The two factions' design are asymmetrical. Each turn, the Byzantine has to manage its finances, gaining income by taxing its controlled provinces and spending the money to raise and maintain its armies. Then the Barbarian and Byzantine factions alternate with each other to take actions (one at a time). They can raise more armies, move the troops, or do nothing. Whereas the extent of the Byzantine faction's orders are certainties, most of the Barbarian faction's are random; i.e. dice rolls sometimes determine how many armies join the Barbarians and whether these armies join the Byzantines instead. Both sides conquer territories by moving their armies into the lands. If two armies meet, combat occurs, which is resolved by dice rolls and cross checking the results with tables. The game features mutinies, naval actions, and random events. The latter throws up revolts, removal of generals and plagues. The game ends after 10 turns or after a second plague has erupted. The Byzantine faction has to control a certain majority of the empire by that time to win. The game also ends if the reconquest was accomplished much earlier. If the Byzantine faction is unable to win when the game ends, the Barbarian faction is the winner. JUSTINIAN is a game covering the reconquest of the Roman Empire by Justinian I, Emperor of Eastern Rome (Byzantium). Justinian’s reign represents Byzantium’s high water mark; his conquest of lands is exceeded in Roman history only by that of Augustus and Trajan. Players. The game may be played by two players, or solitaire.[...] —description from the rulebook
Designers
Publishers
- GMT Games
Questions and answers
Justinian supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Justinian is 240 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 Justinian for ages 12 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.
Justinian has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Justinian belongs to these categories: Wargame, Medieval, and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and 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 Justinian are: Richard H. Berg. 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 Justinian 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.