Kampf um Rom (1995)

About this game

Kampf um Rom (Struggle for Rome) is actually two games in one. Two designers have utilized the same components and come up with two different games. Germanica by Hartmut Witt deals with the crumbling of the Roman Empire with the invasion of the German barbarians. Kind of a cross between Britannia and Civilization, players play a series of tribes that flow through the region. The aim of the game is to gain the most cultural advances by creating as much stability in a region as possible. Huns, Romans, and Germans by Gerhard H. Kuhlmann follows a similar theme although the game is broken down into basic and advanced rules and scenarios. The game comes with wood tokens as the playing pieces. Detailed stickers are applied to the tokens to represent various types of units. A deck of cards also accompanies the game which drives the invasions and advancements. Lastly the game board itself is a beautifully painted map of Europe detailed in Latin.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 3 to 4.
• Rules load. At 3.2/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 16 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.