CivCity: Rome
© 2006 2K Games
If you've ever played Civilization, you'll instantly get the idea of this historically based simulation. Your challenge is to build Rome from a small settlement on the banks of the Tiber River to one of the most glorious cities in the ancient world. Players are responsible for nurturing and managing all aspects of the city by positioning different types of houses, building roads and aqueducts. The sounds and graphics are beautiful, if your graphics card can handle it. As far as we can tell, there's a great deal of historically accurate information in this game. We liked the Civilopedia feature that lets you click on different icons to learn about Roman life. Because multiple players can sign in, this would be an excellent supplement to any classroom studying Roman history. Key features allow players to: see inside villas, forums and the Roman baths; develop as many as 70 technologies over time to give their city a strategic advantage; follow the life of a Roman family; and research and build mighty wonders including Circus Maximus, Great Library and the Pantheon. Note that you'll want to have a good graphics card in order to make this game work. Fortunately, you can change the game settings if your computer can't handle the higher resolution version of the game. Created for 2K Games by Firefly Studios in collaboration with Firaxis Games and inspired by Sid Meier's Civilization.
$40, Windows XP, Windows 98
Teaches: history of Rome, logic, planning, creativity
CTR Rating: 84%