Nova Roma is a city-building and management video game developed by Lion Shield and published by Hooded Horse. The game launched on 26 March 2026.
Nova Roma is a city-building game in which players establish and expand a new settlement while managing production and logistics. Coverage of the game has highlighted water management systemsâÂÂsuch as dams and aqueductsâÂÂand the possibility of flooding when infrastructure fails or water flow is mishandled. The game also includes interaction with Roman deities: players can build temples and complete objectives tied to divine favour, with disasters presented as a risk of displeasing the gods.
Nova Roma was revealed during the PC Gaming Show 2023 as a project from Lion Shield and publisher Hooded Horse. PC Gamer described the project as following Lion Shield's earlier city builder Kingdoms and Castles and emphasised disasters as a gameplay focus.
A free demo was released on Steam on 5 December 2025. In October 2025, PCGamesN reported the game was scheduled for release in January 2026, but by January 2026 the Steam store page and PC Gamer's 2026 release calendar listed 26 March 2026 as the planned early access date.
PCGamesN also reported that the game would be available via PC Game Pass as part of an early access launch window, and Microsoft Store/Xbox storefront listings describe the title as a "Game Preview" release for PC.
Ahead of its early access release, coverage of the public demo generally emphasized Nova Roma focus on disaster mitigation and infrastructure planning. PCGamesN highlighted the tension between expansion and the risk of provoking the gods, describing disasters tied to divine displeasure as a notable part of the demo experience. CivFanatics similarly described the game as combining conventional city-building and resource management with environmental manipulation and mechanics related to pleasing the gods.