Overview

Colosseum is a set-collection and auction game set in ancient Rome. Players are impresarios staging increasingly spectacular events in their arenas to attract the most spectators. Over 5 rounds, players invest in new event programs, bid on performers and assets at auction, trade with other players, and stage their shows. The player who attracts the largest audience to a single event during the game wins.

Components

• 1 game board (Rome with noble movement track)
• 5 arena boards (player arenas, upgradeable)
• 30 event programs (in 3 tiers of increasing value)
• 152 asset tokens (performers, animals, sets)
• 5 noble figures (Emperor, 2 Consuls, 2 Senators)
• Money tokens
• Season token
• Podium tokens
• Star performer tokens

Setup

1. Place the game board centrally; position nobles on their starting spaces.
2. Each player takes an arena board, starting money (30 coins), and a starting event program.
3. Sort event programs by tier. Place asset tokens in a bag.
4. Place podium tokens near the board.

Turn Structure

Each of the 5 rounds has 4 phases:

Phase 1: Invest

Players may purchase one new event program (from available face-up programs). Programs of higher tiers require more performers but score more spectators.

Phase 2: Acquire Assets (Auction)

Draw asset tokens from the bag to form lots. Players bid on lots of 3 tokens each. Multiple lots are auctioned per round. Bidding is open; highest bidder wins the lot.

Phase 3: Trade

Players may freely trade asset tokens with each other and/or buy tokens from the Emperor’s Loge (fixed prices).

Phase 4: Stage an Event

Each player chooses one event program to perform. The number of spectators depends on:

• Base value of the event program
• Bonus for each required asset you actually have
• Penalties for missing assets (substitutions at reduced value)
• Noble bonuses for having nobles present in your arena
• Arena upgrades for expanded seating
• Star performer bonuses
• Podium bonus for the player who stages the biggest event each round

Actions

Investing in Programs

• Choose one available program from the current tier.
• Pay its cost. Programs have increasing spectator potential.

Bidding at Auction

• Multiple lots of 3 tokens each are auctioned.
• Open bidding; highest bid wins. Minimum bid: 1 coin.
• Tokens are gladiators, lions, horses, chariots, scenery, musicians, etc.

Trading

• Trade any assets with other players at mutually agreed terms.
• Purchase from Emperor’s Loge at fixed prices.

Staging Events

• Select a program, place matching assets on it.
• Missing assets can be substituted (reduced value) or left empty.
• Calculate total spectator count.
• Move nobles if applicable (each noble in your arena adds spectators).

Arena Upgrades

• Between rounds, you may purchase arena expansions (Emperor’s Loge, additional seating) for extra spectators.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game is NOT cumulative scoring. The player whose single best event (highest spectator count in any one round) is the highest wins. This encourages building toward one spectacular show.

Tiebreaker: most total coins remaining.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Noble Movement: After each round, nobles move around the board. Having a noble in or near your arena during your show adds significant spectators.
• Emperor bonus: The Emperor adds 7 spectators; Consuls add 5 each; Senators add 3 each.
• Star Performers: Certain event programs designate star performers who add bonus spectators.
• Podium: The player with the most spectators each round receives a podium token worth +3 spectators in future events.
• Players can strategically move nobles toward their arenas using special actions.
• Substituting a missing asset with any other unused asset gives reduced points.

Player Reference

Noble	Spectator Bonus
Emperor	+7
Consul	+5 each
Senator	+3 each

Phase	Summary
1. Invest	Buy a new event program
2. Acquire	Bid on asset token lots
3. Trade	Trade assets freely
4. Stage	Perform an event, count spectators