Red Cat Games is throwing its hat into the board game ring with “Lotta Rome” set in the events after the fall of the eternal city. The game’s designer, Evgeny Petrov, is staking out not one but three titles this year with his other projects, “Townies“ and “Minstrels,” also due to release in 2022. We focus on the “Lotta Rome” BoardGameGeek entry, wihch details the game, aided by a well-done English trailer which sets the story, the goal and theme of this 2-5 players game.
The trailer is beautifully done not only because it showcases the game components and art well, but also because it successfully steeps you in the atmosphere of the game. You came, you conquered and now it’s time to divvy up the loot with your neighbor, and that’s just about the most difficult battle you have not yet won.
Speaking of the art, Irina Pechenkina, the game’s lead artist and illustrator, does a brilliant job in making the game’s look fun and approachable with her light-touch art style. You might have heard of Pechenkina’s for work on games such as “Masters of the Night“, “Pearls“, “Down Under“ and “Hedgehog Roll“.
When you consider that “Masters of the Night” is a horror game, Pechenkina demonstrates great ability to adapt her art style to the needs of the projects she works on. The transition between styles is impressive. Red Cat Games is also the Armenian-based successor of Lifestyle Boardgames. The studio has worked with Irina in the past, more specifically on “Down Under“ and “Hedgehog Roll“.
“Lotta Rome” Gameplay, Thematic and Mechanics
Based on the game’s trailer, the setting takes place shortly after the fall of the mighty Western Roman Empire. You and your fellow players get to play as the victorious barbaric tribes, which are hungry for plunder and resources.
“Lotta Rome“ is played using the familiar “cut and choose” mechanic. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept – each player puts up a screen and draws a set number of cards from a pile (or multiple piles) and must play the cards they are dealt. In the case of “Lotta Rome,” there are five types of land tiles – fields, cities, olive gardens, crystals, and others.
And here comes the strategic part of the game. After the land and resource distribution, each player must put down their protective screen and trade with their neighbors. The goal is to get the best possible land plots to gain an advantage for their respective growing empires.
So, how does one win “Lotta Rome?” This is dependent on every kind of terrain the player is collected, along with the corresponding buildings placed on it or next to it. Then, the number of lands is multiplied by the number of buildings for each type of land. Each collected crystal adds three additional points – three for each crystal! The game is won by the player with most points at the end of the fourth round.
For maximum interaction, players trade firstly on their left side, then on their right side, then left again, and finally – right. Based on the official BoardGameGeek entry, this four-round game shouldn’t take more than 15-20 minutes – ideal for multiple sessions.
Basically, even if you have more than the recommended two-to-five players, everybody can get to sack and pillage the Roman Empire! Consequently, the recommended player count makes “Lotta Rome“ ideal family-friendly game and is suitable for all ages. Unfortunately, there is no concrete release date just yet, but the game is set for 2022, so those interested in this board game will not have to wait for long to unleash their inner barbarian!