The people of Rome, and the other great cities of the empire, must be entertained.

When the people are happy, the gold flows freely – and the oldest families in Rome have exploited this for generations. One such route is by owning the entertainment itself – the Gladiators. These are the men who spill their blood on the sands of the Arena for fame and glory.  Through the use of Lanistas, a manager of gladiators, the families can keep their distance from the squalor and leave it to the expert to make their fortune.

It would be easy to think that training the next superstar is the path to success – but the seasoned Lanista knows that the real game is to fill the bouts, and to lay out cash where it will bring benefit. And like as not, that will sometimes mean buying cheap slaves, and feeding them into the bouts to be slaughtered. Of course, natural talent should never be passed up and when your opponent’s funds are low – perhaps as a result of your own manipulation – a bargain can often be had.

Ludus Magnus is part deck building game, part auction along with a fast paced action packed combat system. You must balance training your evolving stable of fighters with new and game changing techniques, with investing in their health and morale. But it doesn’t stop there. There are other choices to be made – haggling at the slave auctions, or tactical bidding at the Arena to make the gold flow into your purse, not your rivals’.