Charioteer (2008)

From the box:

Enter the Circus Maximus, home of Roman chariot racing. Use your influence and power to recruit experienced charioteers, to buy strong horses and chariots, and to earn the god's favor. Gain prestige and honor from your fellow citizens through victory.

From the designer's website:

GAME CONCEPT

You are a Roman Aristocrat who uses your influence and power to hire an experienced Charioteer, to acquire an excellent chariot and to buy a strong horse to compete in a chariot race. More importantly, however, you must offer sacrifices to the Gods to gain their favor as they help your team toward victory.

GAME PLAY

The game consists of a cycle of "Race Legs" wherein players play Chariot, Rider, and Horse cards in an effort to win Victory Spaces on the race track. In addition to these cards, there are also God Cards that provide special powers. Because players use up their cards ("resources") to race, in each cycle there is an opportunity to acquire more resources by making sacrifices to the gods. The more you sacrifice, the better resources you receive. However, your sacrifice power is limited, so you must be careful to use it wisely. Each cycle sets specific "Racing Conditions" that change from cycle to cycle, allowing for different strategies as the game progresses. The game contains a strong auction element, a fair amount of guesswork concerning what the other players will do, and a little bit of luck.

COMPONENTS

83 Playing Cards

1 Game Board

15 Tokens

1 Die

1 Instruction Booklet