VIAE: Roads of Rome (2019)

About this game

VIAE is a strategic and competitive Area-Control Board Game set during the rise of the Roman Empire​. As Tribunes, you conquer the world for the glory of Rome. Build roads, smite your enemies and gain influence in the Senate. But watch your back, your fellow Tribunes will aim to disrupt your goals. In VIAE you build roads, conquer cities and disrupt others to become the first to achieve their goals. The goal of the game is to be the player with the most influence at the end of the game. As soon as a player completes two Mandatum, the game ends. Mandatum give you bonus influence at the end of the game. You can gain influence in different ways, the most common being conquering cities. Influence is a resource you can use to play Deceptio cards that manipulate the game state. —description from the designer

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 5.
• Rules load. At 2.7/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 10 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.