I cannot begin to describe how much I enjoy Spartacus. It is the opposite of the kind of joined hands I normally love; if there is an opposite to cooperation, then this is it. Lie and scheme your way to victory, or to nearly ending your relationship.
That all being said, it is a hard game to come by if you are a completionist. You will either have to work hard to find the original edition and its expansions, or try for the newer 2020 version that is identical except in its artwork and having not had the expansions released yet. Without further delay, lets discuss…
Reason #1: Wagers
You can bet on fights, even if you are not involved. You can even take the risky bet that someone is decapitated for a 2 to 1 return!
Reason #2: It is Easy
I know you have heard this before, we all have been hurt by such words. However, not this time. The manual comes in at around 19 pages in large font and with lots of pictures. The games complexities come in interactions amongst players, not layers of rules to lawyer over.
Reason #3: A Chance to Make New Friends
Spartacus offers a great opportunity to make new friends, because your current ones will hate you! Or you will hate them! The House of Vermin will not stand idle as you eat my snacks and crumble my walls.
Reason #4: Schemes, Reactions, and Guards
Execute underhanded maneuvers to grind up your opponents, use reaction cards to counter said maneuvers when used against you, and keep your house protected with guard cards to stop scheming at your door.
Reason #5: Opportunistic Reinterpretations
Making agreements with others is fun, and allies can be helpful, but sometimes plans change and only one person can win. Play Spartacus and improve your creative truth-weaving. Just don’t be surprised if you break too many promises, that you become named Noncrediblis Sidestepius by the other houses.
Reason #6: Blind Auctions
We will not talk about what you are buying, but you get to participate in auctions that improve your odds of your house rising to the top! Each player will hold our their hand, closed fist and coin in hand, hoping to claim market. If you want to throw some extra fun into the mix, bluff your bidding with others to get them to bid more or less. The game even encourages you to hold a hand out if you intend no coin at all.
Oh, It is people. Welcome to Rome.
Reason #7: Theme
I think the theming is fantastic. There is some differences in the original printing and the new one, one uses shots from the show and the other uses artwork with the show removed. I think both are exceptional, but I can understand reasons for gravitating towards either.
Reason #8: Decide Who Lives and Who Dies
Undoubtedly at some point each player will find themselves as the Host of a battle. At the end of this honor, you will have the chance to give a thumbs down or a thumbs up to decide if the defeated combatant will live or die. Be warned though, frequently successful combatants will have earned the favor of the crowd and the Host will lose influence if going against their will.
Reason #9: The Arena
Inside the bloodied arena are hexes to move around during fights. Combat is decided by a mixture of dice, black and red, that decide wounds and blocks. Fighting in the arena is not always fair though, and politically maneuvering to increase your odds and improve your gladiators equipment is a must.
Reason #10: Mold a Champion of Rome
Beloved by the crowd, champions will quickly help raise the prestige of a house. However, lose a champion and see it all quickly crumble. Victorious combatants gain a favor token for each victory. Once a combatant has accumulated three favor, they are now a Champion and may not be given a thumbs down in the arena. Be warned though, losing ones head in the arena during combat is still all too common.
The original Spartacus received expansions and then went out of print until 2020 when a new edition released with the shows theme replaced. Purists will want the expansions, but I don’t think they are absolutely necessary and so I think there is a lot of merit in buying the new edition still. The additional content does not fundamentally alter the game. Plus, there is a large amount of fan content out there that is possible. I actually have additional content I have put together and if there are people who want such things, I could start by sharing a custom house I made. Let me know in the comments if there is interest.