NOVA ROMA

Rebuilding Rome, one square at a time

- Ian Evenden

Rome is doomed, so what do you do? If you're the citizens of Nova Roma, you pile into a boat, set sail across the sea to a likely looking new land, and start a new empire. Of course, there’s a saying about such things not being built in a day.

So you start off small. Your new city is just an outpost, maybe with some hovels for the people to live in, and a farm. You'll need to select areas of stone and forest for your people to clear. Being Romans, you'll want to build roads that have to lead somewhere, and your little citizens hop around the landscape like they're having the time of their lives.

If you've played Kingdoms and Castles, you'll recognise the style. Lion Shield, a team of three developers and a community manager who work remotely across four different US states, put out the well-received K&C in 2017, and the resolutely singleplayer experience got an update adding Al enemy factions in 2022. Nova Roma is similarly a solo experience right now, and joins the recent spate of games set in ancient Rome that ask you to build and improve upon the famous civilisation.

WATER IS ESSENTIAL, AND THE ROMANS ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR AQUEDUCTS

HUMAN NEEDS

"At least for strategy and city-building games, there's a lot in that period to work with," says Lion Shield co-founder Pete Angstadt when asked why ancient

Rome seems to hold such a magnetic attraction for game developers. “You've got amazing architecture, cities with many amenities we'd call 'modern' like plumbing, sewers, paved roads, public toilets and sports arenas. I think sometimes people of the ancient world can feel a little alien, but when you look at ancient Rome and other well-developed ancient societies, there's a lot we can relate to today.”