Cow Island Publishing
A fast-paced strategy card game where you vie for the support of Senators and Legions to gain the votes you need to become Consul of Rome.
Build your support through patience, gambling, or bribery —
there is more than one way to the top of Rome.
The Game
A fast-paced strategy meld-making game where you vie for the support of Senators and Legions to gain the votes you need to become Consul of Rome.
Build your support through patience, gambling or bribery — there is more than one way to the top of Rome.
Consul of Rome is a card game that can be played right out of the box, but customised with special edition sets — including some of the great Senators of the Roman Republic.
Court the most powerful men in Rome. A Senator opens your campaign — without one, your legions have no mandate.
Marshal four legendary legions into devastating Runs and Officer Sets. The bigger the army, the louder the vote.
When patience fails, risk your tabled cards in a poker-like Gambit, or steal a rival's Senator through calculated Bribery.
How to Play
Your first move is always political. Play a Senator from your hand to open your campaign. No Senator in hand? Draw and bide your time.
Once your Senator takes his seat, build Legion Runs and Officer Sets from your hand. The longer your run, the more votes it commands.
Empty your hand to call the vote and claim a 10-vote bonus. The player whose tableau votes exceed their hand votes wins — and becomes Consul.
Modes of Play
≈ 30 min
Learn the core flow. Open with a Senator, build your legions, call the vote. No Gambit or Bribery — pure meld strategy.
Play Now ▶≈ 45–60 min
The full duel. Gambit adds a poker-like showdown where you risk your tableau. Bribery lets you steal a rival's key card when you're behind.
≈ 2–2.5 hrs
Three sequential rounds with accumulated Favour for winners. Narrative arcs, cumulative Gambit results, and special scenario cards.
Behind the Game
16 December 2025
Don’t forget to check out DictatorOfRome.com for a daily dose of Roman themed logic puzzles – new features are being rolled out frequently so make sure to check back regularly! Up to this point, I had only focussed on rules and game mechanics. These didn’t stray too far off the beaten track, but I liked […]
Read more →
3 December 2025
Don’t forget to check out DictatorOfRome.com for a daily dose of Roman themed logic puzzles – new features are being rolled out frequently so make sure to check back regularly! Now to figuring out whether the rules worked beyond just my gut instinct honed over years of not designing, but at least playing, games. Print […]
Read more →
26 November 2025
Don’t forget to check out DictatorOfRome.com for a daily dose of Roman themed logic puzzles – new features are being rolled out frequently so make sure to check back regularly! Research It had been some time since I had actually looked at the rules of any card game, so my first step was to look […]
Read more →Limited Edition
Be first to know when pre-orders are open and be first in line for the limited edition Senator cards — Caesar and Pompey — foils and the most powerful men in Rome.
These cards will only be available in limited quantities.
No spam. Unsubscribe at any time.