Live a lifein Ancient Rome.

Rome, 4 CE. Be a soldier, a trader, a slave or a senator, and decide every step.

Legio Aeterna

Which life will you live?

Every road here is in the game. Roll the die, or pick one below.

Found a colonia

Win a founder's charter and raise a town from a camp of tents to a walled colonia.

Type what you want to do

The story is written around your character, where you are and who is with you. Pick one of the suggested actions or write your own. The dice decide whether it works.

A scene in the Agora at Athens: the narration, the quest and four actions to choose from

Live your Roman life

Legionary, gladiator, merchant, priest, freedman, patrician. More than fifty backgrounds, each starting in its own place with its own gear and contacts.

The character summary: a legionary in Mogontiacum with picture cards for his background, homeland and drive, and his six abilities

Become a governor

Earn enough favour and you are offered a province. Set taxes, buy grain, raise troops and deal with riots and famine. Govern well and your term is renewed.

Every province has a stability level. You can raise or lower it wherever you travel.

The province screen for Lusitania: the map of the province with the governor's seat, treasury, grain, garrison, troubles and Rome's request
The Syria panel on the Empire map: stability at Restless 32, with aid in the riot and a donation for the famine
A 3D hex battle on the Rhine: Roman legions and cavalry on one bank, Germanic warbands across the bridge
Close on the Roman line: auxiliaries, archers, legionaries and cavalry

Fight battles on a hex map

Large battles play out on a 3D battlefield. Move legions, archers and cavalry, and use rivers, forests and forts. Or lead a tribal warband against Rome.

Start playing now

Runs in your browser on phone or computer. No download.

People remember what you did

Talk to anyone in your own words. Help someone and they like you more. Cross them and they hold it against you. Friends, family, patrons and rivals are all kept in one place.

Talking with Aelia Prisca, a wine merchant, who thinks better of you after you hand over the Falernian wine
Connections: the people you know, linked by family, patronage, friendship, rivalry and love

Rise as far as you can

Gain levels and skills, win offices, buy land, found a town. Your character sheet shows how far you have come and what to aim for next.

The character sheet of a Primus Pilus at level 18, with his ambitions: command men, renown, an estate, office, a province and rank
The Chronicle of
Nebamun
Hem-netjer of Aegyptus
X days in the Roman world
Anno Urbis Conditae DCCLVII
Legio Aeterna

Your life becomes a book

Everything you do is recorded as you play: your choices, your campaigns and how you died. When your story ends you can download it as a printable chronicle, illustrated with scenes from your life.

Read it whenever you like, or share it with friends.

The sun has barely cleared the eastern cliffs, but the limestone of the great avenue is already warm underfoot. The scent of dust, dung, and frying fish oil rises from the popinae lining the processional way to Karnak. A knot of Roman soldiers in lorica segmentata stands near a public notice board, arguing with a local scribe in stilted Latin about ferry tolls…
from The Chronicle of Nebamun, folio II

What players say

Quotes from players, shared with their permission.

“Legio Aeterna surprised me for its historical accuracy. I have enjoyed a lot how the Cursus Honorum works, and how it makes you part of many political schemes between political factions and power-hungry elites.”
Gabriele Manzo
“ROME... D&D... sign me up. I was five turns in and I love it. Scratches that itch that you can’t get with Imperator or Rome Total War.”
Nomad
“I truly love what you’ve created. The game has a lot of potential, and overall it’s very enjoyable.”
Balo (Veturius)

Salve, amice

Augustus is emperor and the year is 4 CE. About fifty million people live in the Roman Empire, and you play one of them: a legionary on the frontier, or an Anatolian shepherd counting his flock.

I built Legio Aeterna because I wanted to live in Rome as one of its ordinary people, and to have fun doing it. It uses tabletop rules like dice rolls and skills, set in a history I tried to get right. I hope you enjoy it. The dev blogs explain how it is made.

Frits, Londinium, MMXXVI
If you like the game, please leave a denarius. It helps me keep building.

Start your story.

Create a character and play your first scene.

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