Imperium Romanum

About

"Imperium Romanum" is a city-building strategy game set in the Roman Empire. Players must construct and manage cities, gather resources, and ensure the prosperity and security of their people. The game features historical accuracy, intuitive controls, and a variety of challenges to test the player's strategic skills.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+33

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 301 reviews

graphics30 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Engaging city-building mechanics with a focus on resource management and citizen satisfaction.
Aesthetically pleasing graphics and a relaxing atmosphere, making it enjoyable to play.
Offers a variety of scenarios and campaigns, providing ample content for players.

Combat mechanics are simplistic and lack depth, making them feel tacked on.
Some players experience technical issues, including crashes and performance problems on modern systems.
Limited control over city evolution can lead to frustration, as citizens may demand resources that are not readily available.

graphics
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
45%
6%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their impressive detail and aesthetic appeal, especially when played at high settings, making it a standout for its age. While some users noted dated visuals and occasional performance issues, many appreciated the vibrant art style and the realistic representation of Roman cities. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the immersive experience, despite some mixed opinions on their quality.
- “Absolutely beautifully rendered when played with the highest graphics settings.”
- “The graphics are extremely good considering its age, and attention to detail does make it quite convincing.”
- “The cities you build look wonderful and very realistic (not only graphically but because of the complex game mechanics).”
- “The gameplay is slow, the visuals unappealing, and the general pace just leaves much to be desired.”
- “Sloppy graphics... even the tutorial is unplayable :(”
- “Some buyers are complaining about bad graphics.”
gameplay
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
57%
13%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by solid city-building mechanics and a variety of modes, including campaign missions and sandbox options, which allow for creative city growth. However, players have noted that the pace can be slow and some mechanics feel overly simplistic or poorly designed, leading to a lack of engagement for those familiar with similar titles. While the graphics and tutorials are praised, the overall experience may feel underwhelming compared to other city-building games.
- “But it's rock-solid gameplay, a decent conquest campaign, and despite its simplicity, it is really fun to have your city grow anew with every new map.”
- “The tutorials are also very well done and more than adequately guide new players through most of the gameplay topics.”
- “The warehouse mechanics allow for a more organic growth of your cities.”
- “The gameplay is slow, the visuals unappealing, and the general pace just leaves much to be desired.”
- “It's simply not engaging and some of the mechanics are just poorly thought out.”
- “Now, I assume somewhere this is a scenario where you are under constant attack to up the ante, but frankly I don't see this as potentially engaging, mostly due to an overly simple combat system; combined with an overly simple set of building mechanics, I honestly don't care enough to probe any further.”
story
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
83%
8%
The game features a campaign with numerous missions that can be approached either through peaceful colony building or military conquest, depending on the player's choices. Each mission is self-contained, lacking a cumulative storyline, and players can engage in various tasks while also experiencing random events that add unpredictability. Although there is no traditional narrative mode, the gameplay incorporates elements of Roman culture and religion, influencing mission outcomes.
- “Depending on which side of the mission tree you go for, you can have missions which are purely about peacefully building your colony (with some random events like '6 houses set on fire' or '10 citizens and 10 slaves infected with the plague' to shake things up) or some which are more military-focused.”
- “In the economic missions, you might trade with the barbarians and even bribe them into becoming your village, while in the military missions you will usually have to fight them and possibly conquer them to make them your village.”
- “Not only your competence, but also your exposure to religion and the Roman deities like Jupiter or Venus will play an important role in accomplishing your mission as a Roman governor.”
- “There is no storyline mode.”
- “First, at least in the missions I played, each level seemed to be completely contained and it didn't seem as though your city carried over throughout multiple stages of the campaign.”
- “Rather, each mission starts in a different settlement and gives you goals to accomplish there and then you move on to the next.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
44%
19%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it enjoyable and immersive, others criticize it for being too modern and not fitting the ancient Rome theme. Many appreciate the high quality and detail of the soundtrack, noting that it remains engaging even after extensive playtime, while others feel it detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a significant aspect, with opinions varying widely on its effectiveness and appropriateness.
- “It helps the player to plan a city in ancient Rome when they listen to well-made musical pieces.”
- “The level of detail is impressive, and the background music is fantastic.”
- “For some reason unknown to me and the people I have recommended this game to, the music is so enjoyable that even after hundreds of hours it won't tire you; you will find yourself whistling it when not playing the game.”
- “The only bad thing about this game is the music; to me, it sounds too modern.”
- “Good game, awful lounge music at frequent intervals (seriously, whoever thought that would go well with a Rome-themed city builder should've been fired).”
- “Pharaoh, for example, has a soundtrack that really immerses you, unlike this game's soundtrack.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, requiring significant time investment to manage resources and build settlements. The imbalance in character availability, with most buildings operable only by a limited number of male characters, further exacerbates the grind, making the experience feel monotonous and demanding.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “This game is tedious.”
- “Tedious game.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization is generally praised, with its dated graphics allowing for smooth performance on older devices. Users report excellent stability and performance on modern hardware, experiencing no significant issues such as stuttering, lag, or game-breaking bugs, making it a well-optimized title for its age.
- “Performance and stability: I have no issues with this game. I run it on Windows 10, with relevant hardware of today, with no stuttering, lag, or game-breaking bugs. So far, I haven't seen any direct bugs. Very good stability, A+ for a game that has aged well.”
- “Graphic: Decent, pretty dated, but that made it run smoothly on most older devices.”
- “Performance and stability: I have no issues with this game. I run it on Windows 10, with relevant hardware of today, with no stuttering, lag, or game-breaking bugs. So far, I haven't seen any direct bugs. Very good stability, A+ for a game that has aged well.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is generally more stable than others in its genre, with fewer bugs overall, but it still suffers from notable issues such as problematic unit pathfinding and occasional combat glitches. Players may encounter frustrating scenarios where hours of progress can be undone due to these flaws, particularly in city-building aspects. For those primarily interested in warfare, alternatives like "Ga: Rome" may offer a more reliable experience.
- “The game had a lot going for it and is far less buggy than others (like Caesar IV, for example), but it's not without its own bugs and flaws that you can't know about until you have spent hours building a city, and then realizing that you have to redo the whole scenario.”
- “Downside: the unit pathfinding is a bit troubled and can result in units being stuck, and the combat can get buggy; thus, GA: Rome is better if warfare is your main interest.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players express that the game suffers from limited replayability due to restrictions in map customization, particularly the inability to terraform. While the city-building mechanics and upkeep system are appreciated, these constraints hinder the freedom to create diverse and unique experiences, leading to a decline in long-term engagement.
- “I feel like this game starts to seriously lack in replayability value over time. The city building aspect is fine, and I like the upkeep system, but there are many smaller things that prevent me from using whatever map I choose and building freely. Terraforming is one of them; not being able to change the ground I wish to build on really holds this title back.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its visual appeal and immersive qualities, creating a captivating and engaging environment for players.
- “Pleasing to look at and very atmospheric.”
- “Pleasing to look at and very atmospheric.”