Never Second in Rome

Early Access

Release Date: February 18, 2025 Early Access

A turn-based strategy set in the Medieval times, offering extensive RPG elements. In Never Second in Rome we play as a Roman centurion during the Gallic Wars and command nearly 100 soldiers. Our protagonist can take part in combat and his decisions can influence the army's morale.

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Story
Gameplay
Engine

Never Second in Rome is a turn-based game set in ancient Rome, combining strategic management with character development typical of RPG titles. It was created by Alessandro Roberti, an independent Italian developer and author of A Legionary’s Life.

Story

Never Second in Rome takes us to the first century BC. The powerful Roman Republic, dominating the Mediterranean region, although shaken by internal conflicts, will soon begin a series of campaigns against Celtic tribes. The arrival of the new governor under the leadership of Julius Caesar to our province marks the beginning of a series of events defining the future of the empire.

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Gameplay

We start the game by creating a centurion character. We assign points to attributes such as strength, coordination, charisma or courage, keeping in mind skills in sword and spear fighting. Next, we choose our optio - the second commander located at the rear of the army and responsible for maintaining discipline.

In the camp we are engaged in training infantry, trading, and managing equipment, while in the field we fight turn-based battles. During the meticulously recreated historical skirmishes, two armies inflict minor damage on each other until they tire and the front line of defense collapses.

Our centurion also participates in battles. If we put him in the back lines for even a few rounds, the soldiers will consider him a coward, which will lower morale and respect. On the other hand, being too brave may cause him fatigue, which carries huge penalties. Apart from unit's reputation, the assessment from Caesar, bravery and honesty also matter. This last one, along with discipline points, can increase the punishment for an attempt at corruption by a legionnaire, but such a decision will lower morale.

Events in Never Second in Rome are mainly presented in the form of text and are abundant in numbers representing the result of calculations based on statistics.