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The Romans
2019
Rules assistance for The Romans
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 90–150 min
- 14+
- Complexity 3.1/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for The Romans
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Romans is a board game released in 2019 for 1–4 players, 90–150 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Gary Dicken, Steve Kendall, and Phil Kendall and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Area Majority / Influence, and Worker Placement.
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About the game
The Romans traces the history of the Roman Empire from its inception as a small Italian Kingdom, through its development and expansion as a Republic and thence to the full blown Empire that dominated the classical world. Enemies mount challenges throughout the game and ultimately the barbarian invasions drive deep into the Empire with Rome itself as their target. But this is not just a game of conquest. Senators grapple for power in the buildings of the capital and players will score victory points by developments through the game. Players start with four Senators and their number increases through the game as five buildings come into play. These Senators can be placed in the various buildings to gain promotions, recruit legions, take revenue and build cities, fortifications and fleets, gain victory points, and a whole lot more. Alternatively, the Senators flip to become Generals which the player then deploy with armies on their own map board to expand the Kingdom, Republic and Empire. Players make a range of decisions as there are multiple scoring opportunities and routes to victory. Game play is speedy and at time simultaneous. The fortune of dice rolling is mitigated by the sharing of many rolls and players who fall behind in the game will benefit from three recovery mechanisms that ensure the game remains tightly balanced until the dramatic climax of the game. This is the third quantum game from the Ragnar Brothers and gives players a unique opportunity for each to experience the thrilling rise of Roman power. The game also builds upon the auto-player mechanisms which have been a feature of the solo rules in their recent games. —description from designer
Designers
Publishers
- Ragnar Brothers
Questions and answers
The Romans supports 1–4 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 The Romans is 90–150 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 The Romans for ages 14 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.
The Romans has a complexity rating of 3.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
The Romans belongs to these categories: Territory Building, Ancient, and City Building. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Area Majority / Influence, and Worker Placement. 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 The Romans are: Gary Dicken, Steve Kendall, and Phil Kendall. 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 The Romans 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.