Objective of the Game
Caesar & Cleopatra is a strategic card game for two players, where players compete as rivals Caesar and Cleopatra to win the support of the senators of the Roman Empire. The player with the most support votes at the end of the game wins.
Game Components
- Total of 106 cards:
- 25 Influence Cards for Caesar (numbered from 0 to 5 in five colors)
- 25 Influence Cards for Cleopatra (numbered from 0 to 5 in five colors)
- 5 Reconciliation Cards
- 20 Senator Cards
- 12 Privilege Cards
- Gameboard, in this case, is formed by laying out the senator cards.
Setup
- Each player chooses a side: Caesar or Cleopatra and receives the corresponding set of influence cards.
- The senator cards are shuffled and five are laid out face up to form the Roman Senate.
- The privilege cards are also shuffled and placed as a face-down deck.
- Both players draw 5 influence cards from their personal deck.
Gameplay
- Turn Structure:
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Each turn consists of two main phases: Influence Phase and Action Phase.
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Influence Phase:
- The active player lays one or more influence cards face down next to one or more of the five face-up senators.
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The influence must not exceed a strength of 5 per side, however, a player can take back cards into their hand at any time.
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Action Phase:
- The player draws two new influence cards from their deck.
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A Privilege Card can be played once per turn, which has special effects such as stealing influence or revealing an additional senator.
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Decision Phase (occurs after a round change when a reconciliation card is drawn):
- The power space of an open senator is closed.
- Once a senator is "completely played," it is checked which player has the most influence on that senator.
- The player with the highest influence takes the card and places it in their collection area.
- In the case of a tie, the card remains in play.
End of the Game
The game ends when all senator cards have been distributed. Players then count the influence of their collected senators. Each senator has a certain number of votes corresponding to the strength of the influence.
Winning Conditions
The player who has collected the most votes (influence) wins the game.
Strategic Hints
- Keep track of the number of remaining cards to better gauge what cards the opponent may still hold.
- Use Privilege Cards wisely, as they can determine the outcome of important senators.
- Plan ahead and keep an overview of the face-down cards to control the opponent's influence.
Caesar & Cleopatra is a game that requires tactics, strategic bluffing, and well-thought-out negotiations to succeed.
