Even the Emperor of Rome Will Watch The Events At Your ‘Colosseum’
Are you ready to host a spectacle so grand that even the Emperor of Rome comes to balk at what you’ve accomplished at the Colosseum?
Sure, you can throw together an event. Maybe you’ve hosted dozens of people and knew everyone left having a great time. But can you host a spectacle so grand that even the Emperor himself comes see it? Can you produce Rome’s 99 day celebration full of musicians, exotic animals and a hundred battling gladiators? Because that’s how you win at Colosseum.
:strip_icc()/pic182188.jpg)
Colosseum
First published in 2007 by Days of Wonder games, created by Markus Lübke and Wolfgang Kramer, and illustrated by Julien Delval and Cyrille Daujean, Colosseum is a board game of attracting the most possible spectators to watch the games play out in- you guessed it- the colosseum.
In Colosseum, each player takes on the role of a Roman impresario. They try to produce the greatest spectacle in the city in the hopes of attracting the biggest audience and most spectators. Spectacle leads to spectators, spectators lead to wealth and glory. And wealth and glory lead to more and more ambitious shows. After all, they need can’t just get those butts in seats once. You need repeat customers. To keep them impressed you’ll need to improve and update your arena. And with all of that success and acclaim, you may just gain the attention of the Emperor and his nobles!
As the game progresses, players must think long-term and manage their assets with the hope of eventually earning the title of ‘Grand Impresario.’
:strip_icc()/pic186040.jpg)
READ MORE: KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSE AND YOUR (FAIRY) FRIENDS’ SECRET, THE ‘FAE’ BOARD GAME EXPLAINED
How to Play
Colosseum is played in a series of rounds and each round (but the last) has five phases. In each round the ‘first’ player changes.
Every player takes ownership of an area where the games of performed and starts with a choice of two possible performable events. Each event requires different combinations of objects, animals and people, and these are represented by asset tokens which players will need to acquire and collect.
In the first phase of a round, players can invest in their area by expanding the arena, constructing the Emperor’s loge, buying tickets, or adding new events. These all have potential boons to the game, but new events require previous expansions.
Players can also buy asset tokens from the market in auction, but no player is able to win more than one auction per round.
Next, player can trade, buy or sell asset tokens amongst themselves.
Finally, the event takes place. Players roll dice and move any nobles around the board. A noble landing in your colosseum is worth additional spectators, and sometimes they’ll land on special spaces which will award a player an emperor medal. The number of spectators per colosseum are counted and players are paid for their events in coin for each spectator. Player score is the maximum number of spectators who attended any one event.
Finally, at the closing ceremonies each player must discard one asset token used in the previous event. The player with the most points earns a podium worth three additional spectators in every later round and also gives an asset token to the player with the least.
After five rounds, players count up how many spectators came to see their final event and the player with the highest score is awarded the title of Grand Impresario.
Awards and Honors
Colosseum has been nominated for the following awards:
- 2007 Golden Geek Best Board Game Artwork/Presentation
- 2007 Dice Tower Awards Nominee for Best Artwork
- 2007 Golden Geek Best Family Board Game
- 2007 Golden Geek Best Gamer’s Board Game
- 2007 International Gamers Awards – General Strategy; Multi-player
- 2007 Meeples Choice Award
- 2008 Golden Geek Best Board Game Artwork/Presentation
- 2008 Golden Geek Best Family Board Game
:strip_icc()/pic200062.jpg)
Colosseum at Fantasia Games
Fantasia Games recently announced that they would be launching a Gamefound campaign in June 2025 to create a new version of Colosseum. This game will “pay homage to the original Days of Wonder edition,” with a new, more contemporary gaming experience. The campaign also include multiple versions of the rules, including the original version of the game, as well as some of the more updated rulebooks.
How Long Does Colosseum Take to Play and How Many People Can Play?
Colosseum is a game meant for three to five players with an average play time of 60 to 90 minutes. The suggested minimum player age is ten, and these age makes sense for a came like Colosseum. This is a game with a lot going on at the game time and a fair amount of strategy being implemented. But also, the nature of what colosseum games and events were like may come up and may be a bit much for younger players. Of course, in a board game setting, it may not and those gladiators may just be playing tag. You know your kids better than me.
Is Colosseum Hard to Play?
Between being broken up into neat phases, and having a straight forward scoring system, Colosseum isn’t a terribly difficult game to learn or play. But the strategy element may make it a more challenging game to master. Players should quickly figure out how to fill their colosseum’s seats with spectators… Getting the tokens you need and being lucky enough to have a noble land in your event is a different matter, however.
Happy adventuring!
