Ancient

In Imhotep, the players become builders in Egypt who want to emulate the first and best-known architect there, namely Imhotep.

Over six rounds, they move wooden stones by boat to create five seminal monuments, and on a turn, a player chooses one of four actions: Procure new stones, load stones on a boat, bring a boat to a monument, or play an action card. While this sounds easy, naturally the other players constantly thwart your building plans by carrying out plans of their own. Only those with the best timing — and the stones to back up their plans — will prove to be Egypt's best builder.

Ra is an auction and set-collection game with an Ancient Egyptian theme. Each turn players are able to purchase lots of tiles with their bidding tiles (suns). Once a player has used up his or her suns, the other players continue until they do likewise, which may set up a situation with a single uncontested player bidding on tiles before the end of the round occurs. Tension builds because the round may end before all players have had a chance to win their three lots for the epoch. The various tiles either give immediate points, prevent negative points for not having certain types at the end of the round (epoch), or give points after the final round. The game lasts for three "epochs" (rounds). The game offers a short learning curve, and experienced players find it both fast-moving and a quick play.

From the Box:
The game spans 1500 years of Egyptian history in less than an hour!
The players seek to expand their power and fame and there are many ways to accomplish this: Influencing Pharaohs, Building monuments, Farming on the Nile, Paying homage to the Gods, Advancing the technology and culture of the people. Ra is an auction and set collecting game where players may choose to take risks for great rewards or... And all this is for the glory of the Sun God Ra!

Description from the publisher:

Rome: City of Marble is a Euro-style tile-laying game set in Ancient Rome during the reign of Augustus Caesar in which players are powerful Patrician families competing to secure the prestigious title of Architect of Rome.

As leading citizens in this great city, they influence and direct the construction of an ever-expanding metropolis through shrewd development of neighborhoods by constructing civic buildings, temples for worship, baths for health and camaraderie, theaters for philosophy and the arts, and arenas for entertainment. Build more and gain Imperium, the measure of real power in Roman society. As Civic buildings are constructed, influential players score points representing their success. Players score extra points for building Bridges, Aqueducts, Fountains and their wealth, with bonus points awarded for Imperium. Veni, vidi, vici!

Commissioned is a 2-6 player cooperative-style board game with a simple deck-building mechanism that plays in 1 hour. Players are the early Christian Apostles and must work together to mature their faith decks, grow the church, collect the books of the New Testament, and overcome persecution. You do not need to know anything about Christianity to play. The game includes five scenarios that cover the first 150 years of church history, two difficulty levels, and a one-vs-all variation.

Ancient Balinese legend describes a host of powerful spirits who help poor rice farmers achieve success. These farmers have long used a sophisticated irrigation system to organize rice cultivation by integrating religious devotion and social responsibility with traditional farming methods. Even modern farmers seek to placate the spirit world in their quest to produce an abundant harvest.

In Spirits of the Rice Paddy, players must compete with fellow rice farmers to construct and tend rice paddies. Oxen can build walls and remove large rocks. Ducks can be employed to eat harmful pests and fertilize the fledgling crops. Weeds must be kept at bay. Most importantly, water must be conserved and released with the greatest of care. With a little luck, all that back-breaking labor will pay off in the end. The good news is that the spirits are eager to assist, granting many special abilities, blessings, and magic. The farmer who produces the most rice over seven rounds wins the game.