
- BGG rating
- 10.0
Rome & Carthage: Bonus Cards
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- 2012

1954
Rules assistance for Rome & Carthage
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.
Rome & Carthage is a board game released in 1954 for 2–4 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Jean-René Vernes and its main mechanics are Point to Point Movement and Simultaneous Action Selection.
Rome & Carthage is a wargame set around the Mediterranean Sea. Each player controls one of four empires based in the cities Rome, Carthage, Constantinople, and Alexandria, and your goal is to occupy the other capitals and destroy your opponents' pieces on both land and sea. Each player controls different armies consisting of footmen, cavalry, elephants and galleys, each of which has different movement rules. In combat, each player plays two cards from his hand, with cards coming from a standard 52-card deck. Different units have different powers; the elephant, for example, doubles a player's highest card while the cavalry doubles his lowest one. Certain combinations of cards allow for special actions, such as seeing what your opponent plays before laying down your own cards.
Rome & Carthage supports 2–4 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 Rome & Carthage is 60 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 Rome & Carthage 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.
Rome & Carthage has a complexity rating of 2.1 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.
Rome & Carthage belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and Ancient. Its main mechanics are Point to Point Movement and Simultaneous Action Selection. 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 Rome & Carthage are: Jean-René Vernes. 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 Rome & Carthage 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.