Seth Brown
United States
North Adams
Massachusetts
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Roma is one of my favorite 2-player games. It is not one of my most-played 2-player games because it is not a favorite of my partner. (This may or may not have anything to do with the fact that whenever I take it off the shelf, I sing, "Roma Romama...") But still, I find myself constantly recommending it to people, and it occurred to me that my recommendation would be better if I could also share my review of the game. So, lets take a peek at this fantastic blend of luck and strategy.
COMPONENTS
image credit: Kobra1
Are pretty good. The cards are standard quality, with nice illustrations and some arcane symbology that will probably take you half a dozen games to learn. The cardboard placement discs are high quality, VP and money is solid, and the wooden dice are solid stuff and fun to roll.
GAMEPLAY
You have six card slots in front of you, numbered from 1 to 6. Four of them start filled, and you have 10 VP. Awesome! You start your turn by losing 1 VP for every empty card slot you have. On the first turn of the game, that's two. Now you have 8VP. Better do something soon, because you lose if you hit zero!
On your turn, after losing any VP for empty slots, you roll your three dice. Each die can be used in one of three ways:
1) Get money -- one dollar per pip on the chosen die.
2) Get cards -- look at one card per pip on the chosen die, and keep one of those cards.
Use money at any time during your turn to put your cards into slots (1 per slot, replacing any prior card.)
3) Activate cards -- your chosen die is placed on the card slot with the matching number, and you activate the associated card. Cards may gain you VP, allow you to play other cards for free, rearrange your board, attack your opponent's cards, or do various other things.
You're trying to either run your opponent out of VP, or have more VP than your opponent when the bank runs out of VP.
GOOD STUFF
Fast and Furious - Roma is a quick game. More specifically, it's a game with quick turns, which means you're rarely sitting around waiting for your turn to come. It feels very fast, because you roll your three dice, and then you play them, and then you're done.
Decisions matter - In spite of the fast turns, each turn is meaningful. If you roll three 4s, you could activate your steal-a-VP guy three times, or take 12 dollars, or draw three of twelve cards, or some mix thereof. Your choice will depend on your hand, your board, the opposing board, and the VP totals.
Dice plus many cards makes high replayability - Dozens of different building and character cards means that you'll be starting with a different layout each game, and drawing different cards. As if that weren't enough, the added randomness of the dice ensures that you can't just follow one strategy every game, but have to constantly adapt each time you play. Which I like a lot.
Different end conditions makes high replayability - A game of Roma ends when either the bank runs out of VP (highest score wins), or one of the players runs out of VP (that player loses). It is exceedingly rare that both of these end conditions would be imminent at once, so generally you either find yourself in a race to grab the most VP before they run out, or a race to smash your opponent's VP into oblivion. These two types of games can definitely feel different.
Randomness mitigated by strategy - There's some luck in the rolling of your dice, and more luck in the drawing of your cards, but clever play that makes the most of what you are dealt will generally carry the day. This game is *actually* a fun blend of luck and strategy, as opposed to all those old games that say that on the box but are really 90% luck.
A good amount of interaction - It's not a pure slug-fest, but many of the cards interact with the other player, ensuring that even though this is a game where you pay to build cards on your side of the board, it never feels like multi-player solitaire.
This is Fun! - Obviously somewhat subjective, but Roma gives me a certain light sense of fun that most games don't. At least, it's a different kind of fun than the contemplative strategic fun of many of my other favorite games. Roma is just fun to play, which may not be as quantifiable as the rest of these points, but it's worth mentioning.
image credit: Pert
BAD STUFF
Sometimes, randomness is unmitigated - All cards have a defense rating, and when you attack an opposing card, you have to roll the battle die and hit that number. If you always miss, and your opponent always hits, you will probably lose. More generally, some cards are weaker than others, and sometimes you just won't roll the right dice to use the cards on your board that you need. But unless you're rolling all 1s and 2s, you'll be able to build and use your board with good strategy.
Sometimes the game is woefully unbalanced - If your opponent draws two attack cards in the opening layout, and manages to kill two of your cards on the first turn of the game, you start your first turn by losing 4VP, and are going to have a tough time coming back. The good news is that when the game IS unbalanced, it usually ends mercifully quickly within a few minutes, so maybe I should have put this under good stuff instead.
image credit: EndersGame
Many cards means this is hard to teach - Okay, this is the biggest drawback of Roma, and it's not to be underestimated. Roma has dozens of cards with arcane symbology that's as tough to learn as Race for the Galaxy. Worse yet, some of the icons can be confusing, such as the Velites and Onager which look like they attack directly across or adjacent rows, but actually attack anywhere on the opposing board. You'll be constantly consulting the rules for your first few games until you learn the cards, and for some people, this will be unpleasant enough that they won't make it past those first few games.
Although that would be a shame.
CONCLUSION
Roma is, in my increasingly non-humble opinion, one of the most fun two-player games out there. It's quick to set up, quick to play, and even after three or four consecutive matches, always leaves me wanting one more. It's got something for everyone, from the joy of dice-rolling, to the addictive quality of a game with many different special cards, to the strategic pleasure of figuring out how best to allocate stuff. I never turn down a game.
IS IT FOR YOU?
Probably! Roma really has something for everyone, so whether you're a former CCGer, light Ameritrasher, or diehard Eurogamer, you'll find something to like here.
The real question is, will you find something you dislike so much that it outweighs the fun parts? If you cannot abide randomness, or direct conflict, or games with dozens of different cards, then perhaps Roma isn't for you. Otherwise, if you are looking for a quick 2-player game that's fast but still meaty, I highly recommend Roma.
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Justin Rebelo
Canada
Victoria
British Columbia
"Stock dollar maybe dollar; run dollar always dollar." (B. Beard)
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Well written review. I really like Roma as a quick light 2-player, but like you I observed really dramatic swings due to lucky rolls and card combos such that one player can win the game in a few turns of savagery that the opponent is essentially powerless against. It's fun, but best played fast and a few games at a time, I think.
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Seth Brown
United States
North Adams
Massachusetts
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Definitely. I pretty much expect a bare minimum of "Best of three" when setting up Roma, and am generally happy to play more. The learning games can take a while and make this a less attractive proposition, but with two players who know the game (and do not suffer AP), this game can really blaze along. (at which point nobody cares if one of the games is a complete blowout in five minutes.)
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Carl Garber
Canada
Vauxhall
Alberta
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How would you compare this to Roma II?
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Seth Brown
United States
North Adams
Massachusetts
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CarlG wrote: How would you compare this to Roma II?
The rules are pretty much the same, so it's just different cards and Bribery. I haven't played Roma II nearly as much or as recently, but offhand I'd say Roma II is a slightly clunkier game. The fourth option for each die (Bribery) certainly adds another strategic layer, and some of the cards are a bit more involved as well, but there is something I really like about the streamlined nature of the original.
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Ryan S.
United States
Idaho
"Come, Let the Quest begin..."
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I can't think of anything in your review that I disagree with. I enjoy Roma for the same reasons.
To reinforce your point about one of the negative factors; those lopsided games are mercifully quick. I bested my wife within 3 minutes of starting the game once. Not terribly fun (for her), but a fairly rare event that leaves the players with plenty of time for another attempt or two.
Each game seems to take on a different flavor from the previous few games. I enjoy the way the theme and mechanics seem to complement one another. Using an aggressive military or political approach feels and plays far differently than taking a more peaceful political approach to victory. An aggressive attempt to bereft your opponent of influence and resources feels quite different from winning by acquiring more political influence over time.
Osirus wrote: CarlG wrote: How would you compare this to Roma II? The rules are pretty much the same, so it's just different cards and Bribery. I haven't played Roma II nearly as much or as recently, but offhand I'd say Roma II is a slightly clunkier game. The fourth option for each die (Bribery) certainly adds another strategic layer, and some of the cards are a bit more involved as well, but there is something I really like about the streamlined nature of the original.
I haven't played Arena: Roma II nearly as much as Roma. The different cards and their interactions give you a different game. However, I agree with Osirus, in that the game feels clunkier; definitely not as smooth as the gameplay in Roma. I would like to play it more to get a better feel.
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Great review! I've pretty much found all of the above to be true.
Nearly four years ago, I came across some online review (wish I could remember where) and, based solely on that, I decided to purchase the game—a rare event for me). Not only was I extremely happy with the purchase, but a buddy of mine went out and bought his own copy!
Osirus wrote: Many cards means this is hard to teach - Okay, this is the biggest drawback of Roma, and it's not to be underestimated. Roma has dozens of cards with arcane symbology that's as tough to learn as Race for the Galaxy. Worse yet, some of the icons can be confusing, such as the Velites and Onager which look like they attack directly across or adjacent rows, but actually attack anywhere on the opposing board. You'll be constantly consulting the rules for your first few games until you learn the cards, and for some people, this will be unpleasant enough that they won't make it past those first few games.
Although that would be a shame.
It would be a shame. Consulting the rules is a must as one learns the game (true of just about any worthwhile game). As for the symbology, I'm in what's probably a minority of people who actually likes it—I've come to appreciate the benefits of language independence. 
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Seth Brown
United States
North Adams
Massachusetts
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B Factor wrote:
As for the symbology, I'm in what's probably a minority of people who actually likes it—I've come to appreciate the benefits of language independence. :)
Oh, I like it too. I think once you're familiar with a game, glancing at a symbol is quicker and easier than reading text. (this may be one reason Roma feels smoother than Roma II.) But the trade-off is definitely a higher barrier to entry; the first few games are going to be worse, even if it means a better experience down the line for your second fifty games. (see also: Race for the Galaxy)
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Andy Andersen
United States
Newark
Delaware
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Great review. It looks this is available once again so I'll pick it up.
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