Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
It is the year 193 AD. The Roman Empire is not as great as it once was.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Area Majority
Compete to have the strongest presence in areas that award control or points.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Hand Management
Time and sequence a limited hand of cards to preserve future options.
Semi-Cooperative Game
Players share some objectives while retaining individual victory conditions.
Solo / Solitaire Game
Provide rules and objectives designed for a single player.
Read the full game description
It is the year 193 AD. The Roman Empire is not as great as it once was. Hordes of enemies are crossing the borders, famine spreads throughout the provinces and the political intrigues are tearing the empire apart from within. The previous emperor was killed by his own Praetorian bodyguard and has left a power vacuum that the powerful families in Rome are trying to fill. Are you ready to don the purple yourself and take on the stressful job as emperor? If you fail, the other families are ready to take over at a moment's notice. While they wait for your doom, they won't hesitate to backstab or undermine you as much as they can. However you all have to work together as the fall of the Roman Empire is closing in. Donning the Purple is an asymmetrical king of the hill game with a bit of worker placement. Each player leads a powerful family in ancient Rome, trying to get the most victory points during 4 rounds. If your family member becomes the emperor and manages to hold the position he can earn lots of points. However he will also become the target of the other players as they will try to dethrone him and become the new emperor themselves.