Magna Roma is live (Build Rome tile by tile)
Update: Magna Roma has launched on Kickstarter and the campaign will run for 21 days. You may pledge for the standard or the deluxe edition of the game that includes minis. The all-in pledge includes the deluxe game, the Dominus expansion and metal coins.
The solo mode consists of solo objectives and a dedicated board.
Our preview post below was published on March 27.
Magna Roma is a 1-4 player tile laying game in which you have been ordered by the Emperor to build the ancient city of Rome. It will launch on Kickstarter on March 30.
In Magna Roma, you will be placing tiles in a 5x5 grid trying to form shapes by connecting the tiles together, and then spending those shapes (as resources) to take actions. On each turn, you will draft a tile from the central market, and place the tile you chose in the previous turn in your city (so your drafting will always be not for the current turn, but for the subsequent one). Tiles must be placed next to an already existing tile. Depending on the shape(s) you formed by linking them, you will earn the matching resource (military, residential, money, religion, or luxury goods).
At the start of the game, three province cards will be placed on the table and will be available to conquer by taking a military action. When you gather shield shapes from your tiles, you will be able to spend them to advance on the military track. Conquered provinces will give you extra points if your fulfill their requirements.
When you earn Favor of the Gods shapes from the tiles, you can exchange them to advance on the pantheon track and gain Gods' Favor tokens. These tokens can either be kept until the end of the game to score you points, or be used to 'bless' a tile in your city and give you the tile benefits twice.
When the connected tiles form a circle shape, you earn a coin. If the shape is a house, you earn a population token. Coins can be spent to purchase buildings which you place in your city on top of the meeting point of four tiles. Buildings have a population requirement to score you points, and the population tokens you have earned can be placed on the buildings to fulfill this condition.
Some of the city tiles feature stars which let your advance on the Neighborhood board when you spend them. This advancement will also allow you to exchange resources in the Market and score points at the end. When a player has filled their city with 25 tiles the game is over, and whoever has the most victory points, wins.
Solo rules have not been revealed yet, which we disapprove of.
Doesn't sound too bad. I like the looks of it, too. Since it appears to be Matteo's first game, I'll cut 'em a little, tiny bit of slack on the lack of Solo rules, but I hope he reads Solitaire Times, so he'll know the important natives are getting restless. 🙂