Aqua Romana

Lay Roman water pipes and time your closures so your workers cash in, not the neighbour's.

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Designer: Martin Schlegel
Published by: Queen Games
Editions by: Piatnik

A tile-laying game about building the aqueducts of ancient Rome. Each turn you pick one of four architects, lay a pipe tile in their row and push both the architect and your workers forward. When an aqueduct hits the board edge or a pipe that doesn't connect, it closes and scores for whoever has the most workers in it.

Shared architects make every move a double-edged oneTurns take seconds, decisions take longerClosing an aqueduct at the right second is the whole game

Who it's for

Groups who like tile puzzles with a bit of elbowing and don't need a big theme to stay interested. Three players is the sweet spot.

Not for you if…

You want an evocative Roman theme — this is essentially an abstract with a toga on. The 2005 design also shows its age: no catch-up mechanism, and a player who reads the grid better will simply win.

Vibe's take

Calm and puzzly with a mean streak: turns are quick, but you spend most of them watching an aqueduct grow and wondering who will pull the plug first. The moment someone closes a line you were one worker short on stings in a very satisfying way.