Glory to Rome

To set up the game, first separate the site cards into six stacks based on their color. For a 4-player game, take the top four cards from each stack to form the 'city' area, displaying their building side. The remaining cards from each color stack are flipped to their 'out-of-city' side and placed in a separate area. Each player receives a personal player board, four Order cards (forming their starting hand), and one Senator card. The remaining Senator cards and Order cards are placed within reach of all players. The 'Rome Demands' card and the 'Prefect' card are also placed centrally.

The main objective in Glory to Rome is to rebuild the city after a devastating fire. Players take on the roles of Roman patricians, competing to accumulate the most victory points. Points are primarily earned by constructing various buildings, managing clients, and collecting resources. The game emphasizes strategic card play and interaction as players try to outmaneuver their opponents in contributing to Rome's reconstruction.

A game of Glory to Rome proceeds in a series of turns, moving clockwise around the table. The player holding the 'Prefect' card is the active player. The Prefect has two main options: 'Lead' or 'Think'. If they 'Lead', they play one role card from their hand and announce its role. Other players then decide whether to 'Follow' that role (by playing a matching role card or a Senator card) or 'Think' (draw new cards). If the Prefect 'Thinks', they draw cards to replenish their hand, and other players do nothing. After all players have acted, actions associated with the chosen roles are resolved, starting with the Prefect and moving clockwise.

Victory points are calculated at the end of the game. Players earn points for their current influence level, which is tracked on their personal board. Additionally, points are awarded for materials collected in their Canteen area; the player with the majority of each material type in their Canteen receives bonus points. Certain completed buildings also provide a fixed number of victory points, as indicated on their cards. The player with the highest total victory points wins the game.

The game concludes immediately when one of three conditions is met: the Order card deck runs out, a player claims the last available in-city site card, or a player completes the Catacombs building (which ends the game instantly) or the Forum building (which ends the game if the owner meets specific client requirements). If the game ends due to the Order deck or the last in-city site, the current round is completed before final scoring. If the Catacombs or Forum condition is met, the game ends immediately, and the player who triggered it is declared the winner, bypassing normal scoring.