Enter Rome at the time of the slave uprisings under Spartacus! The escaped rebels have managed to gain influence and power. Rome is attempting to undermine the stronger armies of the slaves in order to restore "pax", or peace – but only for personal gain.
Will the Empire collapse under the strain, or will their promises to insurgents succeed in drawing them to their side?
The players play the part of the escaped slaves who try to increase their sphere of influence and undermine the Roman establishment. Using their cards, they expand their power in seven different categories. At the end of the game, each player tries to be stronger than Rome - and, of course, stronger than any opponent. Through intrigue, however, a player can join forces with Rome and thus contribute to its victory over the slave revolt.
PAX is a multi-faceted game of card management and influence in which each card requires a tricky tactical decision. With two copies of the game, up to eight players can compete for a foothold in the Roman Empire.
- elegant, flavorful design with depth
- works well at all player counts (1-4)
- can be fiddly for new players
- rebellion, power dynamics, and empire management
- ancient Rome; Gladiator War context
- elegant, strategic negotiation and influence
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area_majority — control of seven areas to accrue influence
- hand_management — managing a hand of cards to optimize actions
- open_drafting — drafting cards to shape turn options
- set_collection — collect sets for scoring and combos
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- For a quick two-player game, it really packs a punch.
- I'm thrilled to see Baron make a comeback with a new addition, allowing even more players to experience this fantastic and elegant game.
- Linko remains one of my favorite card shedding games, and I continue to enjoy it often.