Pompeii: The Legacy is a must-try Roman city-builder, demo out now for Steam Next Fest

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Step into the sandals of a Roman patriarch and rebuild a legend from the ashes in Pompeii: The Legacy. This ambitious city-builder, launching on Steam in 2025, drops you into the Roman Empire 20 years after Mount Vesuvius’ catastrophic eruption in 79 AD. A demo is available now as part of the Steam Next Fest, offering the opening hours of the campaign and real stories inspired by historical events.

In the game, you will build homes, aqueducts, and markets to keep citizens happy, all while managing resources like food and stone to fuel growth. The city feels alive; every road and fountain plays a role in its prosperity with unique citizen animations. You’ll even rub elbows with emperors like Trajan and Hadrian, completing their quests to earn rewards that boost your family’s status and Pompeii’s fortunes.

Trade is your lifeline too, letting you swap goods across the Roman Empire’s bustling routes. The game’s depth shines in its Family Bonuses, Dynasty overview and research system, split into Technology and Philosophy. Tech upgrades unlock better buildings or faster transport while Philosophy tackles social challenges like religion and education, opening new ways to govern.

Life in the Roman Empire isn’t always smooth sailing either. Random events like earthquakes, volcano eruptions, fires, or plagues can devastate your city, truly testing your leadership. Solo developer Željko Kos also revealed a new trailer for Next Fest and we even had the chance to interview Željko and visit his studio in person, so you can learn more about the game here.