S.P.Q.R. is a mystery game set in Ancient Rome in A.D. 205
It is an on line game which was influential in the creation and developement of Ancient Sites and
was played by many members of the original Community. A CD version also existed (GT Interactive
Software S.P.Q.R The Empires Darkest Hour) but this no longer appears to be available other than
through private sources or auction sites such as eBay. The online version of the game is now
available once more at Ancient Worlds here.
There is a partially written S.P.Q.R. Handbook which explains the principles and background to the
game. In short you are a sleuth seeking out the plans of "The Calamitus," the barbarian spy who
will not rest until he has struck at Rome. The chapter in the Handbook entitled The Game has the
information needed to understand enough to get started. There are also online hints available.
The importance of the game in Ancient Sites and Ancient Worlds was recognised in a special Acta
Diurna edition devoted to S.P.Q.R. produced in June 2003 and which contains much useful
background information including a full history of the game.
As the articles in Acta Diurna show, the game had a dedicated following. This led to the creation of
websites with discussions and spoiler links. One of these is a Companion Guide to S.P.Q.R.
produced by FeAudrey. There was also a group who met around the Rostra and their involvement
continues at The Subrostrani Group. FeAudrey also provides a link to Rostra Redux which is a
collection of early posts relating to S.P.Q.R.
