The final days of the Roman Empire are a fascinating read, but they are difficult to like, followed as they are by a period of time renowned for the regression of civilization. For the same reason, they are a great setting for a turn-based strategy game. An empire is ending and the future of an entire continent is in your hands when you play Yield! Fall of Rome, which is being developed by Billionworlds and recently came out in Early Access for PC.

Yield! Fall of Rome, for me, belongs to a similar category as Hexarchy and other such spins on the Civilization formula — and these speedy Civs are something of a sub-genre that’s emerging at the moment, driven by people having less time and less of a budget to use for gaming. There is the rise of handhelds as well, which make this particular take on a classic genre attractive.

Billionworlds’ title has all the hallmarks of a robust entry into this category, featuring many of the boardgame-esque aspects often found within. Winning games, for example, is done by earning crowns. These victory points can be obtained by controlling certain areas of the map, occupying settlements, and fulfilling other pre-defined conditions. The visuals reinforce this theme: Terrain, units, and settlements all have this toy-like look to them, as if you could reach into your screen, take out the pieces, and place them on your desk — it’s a nice look that transports a lot of style and personality without being resource-intensive.