Keep Your Citizens Alive and Entertained in Nova Roma
Building a Roman city is tough enough without deadly plagues wiping out your population. Thankfully, Nova Roma’s latest major update gives players new ways to fight disease, earn divine favor, and keep the masses entertained with some good old-fashioned gladiatorial combat.
Publisher Hooded Horse and developer Lion Shield have rolled out the update for their Roman city builder, introducing Apollo, the god of healing, to the game’s growing pantheon. Players can fulfill his requests to earn favor and eventually transform his temples into shrines dedicated to his son, Asclepius, where citizens can seek divine healing.
But what happens when the gods aren’t feeling generous? That’s where the new Clinic comes in. While it can’t prevent death entirely, the building slows the spread of diseases, giving players another way to keep outbreaks under control before things spiral out of hand.
Of course, keeping citizens healthy isn’t the only way to maintain order. The update also introduces gladiatorial games at the Colosseum, letting players pit fighters against wild beasts or each other. Players can even decide their combatants’ fate, adding another layer of control to the bloody spectacle.
There’s more to the update than sickness and arena fights, too. A new photo mode lets players capture their cities in all their glory, while a map editor opens the door to custom terrain creation.
Nova Roma remains in Early Access on PC via Steam, GOG, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store for $29.99. Steam players can also save 35% until October 22, 2026. Between managing deadly outbreaks and staging brutal arena battles, this update gives Roman city builders plenty of new reasons to return.