It’s been 24 years since the release of the historical epic, Gladiator, and legendary director Ridley Scott has returned with the follow-up sequel, Gladiator 2. It stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger and others. Check out our spoiler-free full review of the movie by heading over here.

Over two decades after the events of Gladiator, Lucius, the son of Lucilla and Maximus, lives with his wife and child in Numidia. Roman soldiers led by General Marcus Acacius invaded, killing his wife and forcing Lucius into slavery. Inspired by Maximus, Lucius resolves to fight as a gladiator under the teaching of Macrinus, a former slave who plots to overthrow the young emperors Caracalla and Geta.

After watching Gladiator 2, you’re probably in the mood for some Rome-themed or Roman-themed games. Each of the games on this list is Roman-themed but offers different genres of gameplay. Here are some of the best to live out your Roman fantasy:

Total War Rome 2 (Steam)

This is probably the ultimate fantasy of living out the life of a Roman general or Roman Emperor. Developed by Creative Assembly, Total War Rome 2 lets you control legions and battalions of Roman soldiers in epic real-time RTS battles. When Julius Caesar said the immortal words “Veni, Vidi, Vici”, this game encapsulates the meaning of that phrase, so go forth and conquer the world as the Roman Empire, one city at a time. If you’re looking for something similar, I also recommend Total War Attila, which features a later version of the Roman Empire in its final eras of decline, namely the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire (also known as the Byzantine Empire).

Ryse Son Of Rome (Steam)

Developed by Crytek, Ryse Son Of Rome is more than a decade old at this point. While it wasn’t well-received at launch (in 2013) and the game is mostly forgotten nowadays, it still features one of the best modern Roman fantasies to date. Since it was developed by the studio behind the Crysis games, the graphics still hold up and look amazing even compared to current-gen games. The gameplay is simplistic but there is no other modern game out there that lets you play as a Roman in real-time third-person combat action, so Ryse Son Of Rome is still the go-to game for that experience.

Expeditions Rome (Steam)

Developed by Logic Artists, Expeditions Rome offers a turn-based tactical RPG experience where players control a Roman legatus who investigates the death of their father and travels throughout the Roman Republic and nearby nations as they expand Roman influence across the world. It’s something different and unique amongst the sea of RTS and/or 4X strategy games out there, and if you’re into CRPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3, this will be right up your alley.

Imperator Rome (Steam)

Developed by Paradox, Imperator Rome is the perfect game for those looking for a more traditional grand strategy or 4X game. Unlike games like Civilization or Ara History Untold (where you could play as Julius Caesar but the game is a general sandbox and not Roman-themed), this game is focused on the elements and era of Roman history, so it deserves a spot on this list for that reason.

Shieldwall (Steam)

We’ve had both strategy and action games on this list, but here’s something a bit more unconventional of a recommendation. Developed by indie studio Nezon Production, Shieldwall offers a refreshing gameplay experience. If you overlook the funny cartoonish visuals that may not be that appealing, it’s a third-person tactical battle simulator with strategy elements that make you feel like a Roman general giving orders in real time. It actually plays a lot better than it looks, so give it a chance if you’re looking for a Roman-themed game that’s different from the usual.

Shadow Of Rome

Developed by Capcom, Shadow Of Rome remains one of the most underrated gems from the PS2 era. The highlight of the game was the fun gladiatorial battles, which means this is as close to a Gladiator game as we could get. Too bad the forced stealth parts of the game brought it down. Unfortunately, due to poor sales, the game is stuck on the PS2 and there is currently no ‘legal’ way to play the game (cough PS2 emulator cough).

For Honor

Developed by Ubisoft, For Honor isn’t technically a Roman-themed game, but it does sort of have both Romans (Centurions) and Gladiators in the game, so here’s an honourable mention.