The game is for 1 to 4 players, and there are 4 factions: Patricians and Plebeians representing Rome, and the Council of One Hundred and the Barcids representing Carthage.
The two basic mechanisms of HEGEMONY are the action system and the card game.
Each player, in each round, performs an Action, choosing from the 6 possible (7 for the Council). Additionally, they can play cards from their hand.
The First and Second Punic Wars, which pitted Rome against Carthage for control of the western Mediterranean, were of extraordinary scale. Rome's ultimate victory has decisively influenced our culture. These wars are undoubtedly among the most important in history. HEGEMONY covers the period from the beginning of the First Punic War (264 BC) to the end of the Second Punic War (201 BC), including the interwar period (240-219 BC).
The game was intended to simulate history faithfully, with two goals: simple rules and short-duration sessions.
—description from the publisher