In Carta Imperia: Rise of Rome, you play the leading Families of the Roman Republic wheeling and dealing with one another to become the most prestigious Family in Rome. The Family with the most Prestige in the form of ephemeral Dignitas & more permanent Auctoritas at the end of the game wins. The mechanics of the game are designed to create a bullpit for negotiation, because this game is all about dealmaking. Almost everything in this game is legitimate currency that you can use to get ahead: spend your Dignitas to buy alliances; sell Governorships for political advantage; bribe lawyers to prosecute your rivals; give Rome s generals command of your private armies for a cut of the spoils. The only things you can t sell are Auctoritas, the Legions of Rome and your political Legacy. The rest is negotiable. The game is played over 7 Eras and each Era starts by revealing a Mapcard which shows the areas of the Mediterranean that became part of Roman history in that Era. Players choose 1 or 2 Action Cards which depict what their Family will prioritize in that Era. Each Action Card is then played out in the numerical order of the card. —description from the publisher

We may earn a small commission when you buy through these links.