Gladiators is a tactical action game, where you play a gladiator fighting for Glory in ancient Rome. On each turn, players draw a small hand of Action cards and roll 5 custom dice. The symbols on the dice will shape what cards, gladiator skills and movements the player can make. The player with the most Glory at the end of the match wins.
The tactical decisions are simple but deep: how best to use you
positioning, cards and gladiator skills to maximize your Glory each turn. You also have to be aware of the NPC enemies, other players, and traps in the arena. Using the dangers of the arena to your advantage is key to your survival.
There are multiple match formats, including standard (anyone can attack anyone), coop, grudge match, and more. A single match takes around 30 minutes, but you can also play a full tournament. Tournaments are 3 matches in a row, tweaking decks between each match.
To win, players must pay attention to the crowd. A deck of Crowd cards provides new ways of earning Glory as the match goes on, and the rewards are often far higher than those for simply killing your foes. Completing special objectives earns you Crowd Favor, which is worth a huge chunk of Glory at the end of the match. Favor will go back and forth between players during a match, and it is often the favorite who ends up winning.
In the end, only Glory matters. Even if your gladiator dies, you can still win if you had a glorious death.