October 15, 2026 - Hooded Horse and Lion Shield are excited to reveal the next major update for their Roman-themed city builder, Nova Roma. Deadly plagues, a new god to appease, and exciting new mechanics await as players expand their city away from the Empire’s corruption.
Nova Roma's latest major update summons Apollo to the growing pantheon to aid the people as they contend with sickness and plagues. As the god of healing, he makes health-related requests in exchange for favor. Players can spend it to transform his temples into a shrine to his son, Asclepius, where citizens can seek divine healing in their hour of need.
Should Apollo refuse to extend his righteous hand with a cure, the new Clinic building can pick up the slack. While it only delays each citizen’s inevitable demise, it does also slow the spread of diseases. Players can distract the plebs from their worries, too, by hosting gladiatorial games at the Colosseum! Pit combatants against wild beasts, as well as each other, deciding their fate with a flick of the wrist.
All this comes along with a fancy new photo mode for snapping beauty shots and fly-throughs, and a map editor for custom terrain manipulation!
This update marks the next chapter in the game’s early access journey, and the full patch notes are available here.
Nova Roma is available in early access for PC via Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store for $29.99 / £24.99 / €29.99 / ¥2,980. A 35% discount on Steam is active from now until October 22, 2026.
A press kit is available.
Press inquiries: press@hoodedhorse.com
-End-
About Hooded Horse™
Hooded Horse is a publisher of deep strategic and tactical games, including Manor Lords, Against the Storm, MENACE, Old World, Norland, Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, and 9 Kings. With people and partners around the world, our goal is to empower and support developers in doing what they do best: creating world-class experiences for their audiences.
You can find out more about us on our Steam publisher page or website, as well as our social channels: Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, YouTube, and Discord.
About Lion Shield™
Lion Shield is an American studio founded in 2016 by Peter Angstadt and Michael Peddicord, two high school friends with a mutual interest in creating and playing games. Their mission is to create experiences with three core values: players' creative expression, strategic decisions, and beauty. The studio’s debut title was Kingdoms and Castles, and it is currently working on Nova Roma, a new city-building game themed on ancient Rome.
You can find out more via the studio’s official website and YouTube channel, as well as Twitter, Facebook, and Discord.