Pompeii: The Legacy brings classic Roman city-building back with a smart generational twist, blending Caesar III-style mechanics with long-term political strategy. Now available in Steam Early Access, the game launched on September 23, 2025, with a 10% discount that drops the price from $19.99 to $17.99 for a limited time.
At its core, this is a city builder about rebuilding and managing a Roman settlement after catastrophe. Instead of playing as a faceless mayor, you guide a family dynasty. Founders set priorities, heirs inherit bonuses and political ties, and your choices around marriage, alliances, trade, and law ripple forward across decades. Early decisions can unlock different research lines or confer future political privileges, giving your city’s growth a sense of story and stakes.
The launch build offers three ways to play:
– A fully voice-acted narrative campaign for story-driven players
– A classic sandbox mode with economic challenge
– A creative mode for stress-free experimentation
If you’ve spent hours with Caesar III, Anno, or Cities: Skylines, you’ll feel right at home. Pompeii: The Legacy uses both isometric and 3D views to showcase tiled Roman architecture, bustling streets, and a UI flow that honors old-school city builders while layering in modern quality-of-life touches. The game supports 11 languages and is marked Great on Deck, with full voice acting in the campaign.
Developed by Croatian studio Siscia Games and led by solo developer Željko Kos, the project runs on a proprietary WhaleX engine. While code is kept in-house, the team partnered with freelancers for art and voice work and balanced systems through public playtests and demos throughout 2025.
Early Access is planned to last roughly six months. The roadmap focuses on feature growth driven by community feedback, with expanded military systems and deeper political options flagged as post-launch priorities. The developer notes the base price is expected to remain the same after Early Access, though that could change depending on how much content is added.
For players who love strategic city building, Roman history, and dynasty-driven progression, Pompeii: The Legacy is shaping up to be an intriguing blend of classic design and forward-looking ideas—one where good planning today becomes a family legacy tomorrow.
