Nova Roma

Set in ancient Rome, Nova Roma is a city-builder that blends classic elements of the genre with terrain manipulation, water management and the worship of the gods. Players take on the role of a Roman settlement that has broken away from the crumbling empire and set out to build a new metropolis from the ground up. Step by step, they transform a small village into a major city complete with aqueducts, theatres and baths, and finally a Colosseum. They establish supply chains for food, building materials and luxury goods to meet the inhabitants' needs. This also involves extracting raw materials and processing them, as well as overcoming the associated transportation challenges. Supply chains range from simple foodstuffs to more complex goods and amenities, such as gladiator games in the Colosseum (endgame) - from pottery and wine to bread and entertainment. Visually and structurally, the game is inspired by classics such as Anno, Caesar, and The Settlers, but has a more minimalist aesthetic and square street grid.

Water plays a central role in the game, which is inspired by Roman aqueducts. The physics-based water system is integral to the gameplay. Rivers run throughout the map, emerging from the mountains. Water always flows down the path of least resistance, so terraforming can be used to alter the landscape by raising or lowering the ground to fill dams or irrigate fields. As the water follows physics-based rules, heavy rainfall can cause rivers to overflow their banks. Dams are useful here once again. Water is a vital resource for residential areas, hygiene, agriculture, and production, as well as a constant environmental hazard. Additionally, players must manage events such as fires, droughts and diseases.

In terms of population management, the game uses a more general population system rather than simulating citizen tiers as in Anno. However, it's still detailed enough to make decisions about housing, work and supplies meaningful. Players primarily manage the availability of labour and the fulfilment of workers' needs. Tasks are prioritised via a central job menu, which simplifies micromanagement of residents. In addition to managing buildings, laws are enacted to influence society and respond to needs. A technology tree allows progress to be made from larger residential buildings to mines and on to baths and theatres.

Players can unlock new technology by earning Favours, which are obtained by completing the gods' Divine Tasks and Festivals. The gods play an important role in the development of the city. There are currently five gods in the game, each offering different bonuses. Jupiter, for instance, boosts happiness within a certain radius of the temple, while Neptune enhances the Fishing building. The placement of religious buildings is therefore a key planning consideration. Each god assigns players divine tasks that reward Favour, which is then used to research new buildings and crop types. Unlike in other games, the effects of the gods are direct and visible. And if the demands of the gods are not met, they become angry.

Last but not least, there is also a combat system. As in Anno, however, it should be considered more of a complementary element to city-building. The focus is on defending the city against invading forces that occasionally arrive by ship. You can construct defences such as walls and gates, and convert parts of the population into soldiers who gain experience in battle. Cavalry is introduced later on. Successfully repelling invaders increases your citizens’ satisfaction, while looting leads to discontent.

The initial Early Access build of Nova Roma includes small, medium and large maps, ranging from single landmasses to multiple islands that can also be populated - although the supply networks are not as complex as in Anno. There are also standard and creative/sandbox game modes, over 85 buildings that can be unlocked via the tech tree, four pre-set difficulty levels, customisable difficulty settings, weather effects, and five gods to appease and complete quests for.

Founded in 2016 by Peter Angstadt and Michael Peddicord, two high school friends with a mutual interest in creating and playing games, Lion Shield is an American studio. The studio's debut title, Kingdoms and Castles, was inspired by SimCity, Banished and Stronghold. It was released in July 2017 and subsequently underwent major improvements, with versions for Xbox and PlayStation following in 2023 and 2024. Nova Roma is the studio's second game. The core team consists of three people. In 2023, Lion Shield announced that they had formed a partnership with Hooded Horse, a publisher of strategic and tactical games.

Hooded Horse's portfolio includes Manor Lords, Against the Storm, Endless Legend 2, Old World, Norland and 9 Kings. The US-based company has a catalogue of over 50 titles and has many more planned for release in 2026. These include Mars Tactics in May, as well as the Early Access release of Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era. The latter is on over a million wishlists. Another Hooded Horse game is ready to graduate from Early Access: Xenonauts 2. This old-school X-COM-style tactics game from Goldhawk Interactive is set to launch on Steam, GOG and the Epic Games Store on 2 April 2026. Players will lead a multinational organisation in a stalwart defence of Earth during an escalating alien invasion. Since its launch in July 2023, the game has enjoyed a successful Early Access period, with 160,000 copies sold and six major updates released.

Nova Roma is available in Early Access on PC via Steam, GOG, the Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store for $29.99 / £24.99 / €29.99 / ¥2,980. It is also available via PC Game Pass. The game is planned to remain in Early Access for a year, but this could change depending on player feedback. The full version will feature additional buildings, technologies, and gods, as well as new mechanics related to war, politics, and culture.

"Next up we'll be working on some new mechanics for the colosseum and being able to set up gladiator fights. We've also got some stuff prepared for the chariot race track we had to cut at the last minute (due to game rating sensitivities) that we're going to try work back in. We'll be patching the game quickly with bug fixes and improvements, and of course working in your feedback and requests as best we can." - Lion Shield and Hooded Horse

Conclusion

Beneath Nova Roma’s minimalist visuals lies a classic atmospheric city-builder. Even in its Early Access version, it makes a strong initial impression thanks to its water mechanics and cleverly integrated gods.

Features

• Strong yet classic city-builder set in ancient Rome, with a focus on construction and optimization
• Physics-based water systems and terraforming
• Cleverly integrated worship of the gods and technological progress