- Tutorial Update Now Live | 1.0.1 - 5 August 2026
Hi Senator!We're releasing a small update focused on one of the most common requests we've received since launch: a better tutorial.Learning how cards interact and understanding the flow of a match could be challenging for new players, so we've reworked the tutorial to make those first games much easier to follow. It now introduces the core mechanics more clearly and helps new players get into the action with greater confidence.This is a relatively small update, but it's only the beginning.We're already hard at work on Senatus' first major content update. Alongside new improvements, we're redesigning parts of the interface, refining gameplay mechanics, and introducing rank rewards to make progression feel more meaningful.We wanted to get this tutorial into your hands as soon as it was ready instead of making you wait for the larger update.Thank you for all the feedback you've shared so…
- Small hotfix! 1.0.1 - 2 August 2026
- Fix issue with the Consult senator id not being save properly. - Fix mistranslation for "card lost" outcomes in Spanish and other languages. - Add button to start in tutorial mode - Fix layout for Credits window
- Senatus is out now! - 30 July 2026
The doors to the Senate House are open. Senatus is officially available on Steam today!Instead of swords and shields, your weapons here are rhetoric and political maneuverings. It is time to step onto the floor and take your seat in the Republic.What is Senatus?Senatus is a turn-based strategy card game with political roguelike mechanics, set in the heart of ancient Rome. You start as an ambitious politician aiming to sway the majority of the Senate to your side on a 5x5 grid.Position your influence cards wisely, trigger chain reactions, and convert rival votes to dominate the floor.Core FeaturesGrid-Based Card Debates: Lay down cards with specific attack and defense arrows. Timing and placement matter, as one card can spark a chain reaction that flips the entire board.Political Career Progression: Build your Relevance to rank up from Aedile to Tribune, Praetor, and finally Consul. Lose…
- The Senate Convenes Tomorrow! Senatus Launches July 30th - 29 July 2026
Senators, the hour has come.Tomorrow, July 30th, the doors to the Curia open, and the fate of the Republic will rest in your hands.In Senatus, victory is not won with steel or armies. It is forged in backroom alliances, decisive debates, and strategic maneuvering. Whether you choose the path of an unyielding orator or a master of intrigue, your journey to the Consulship begins tomorrow.What Awaits You in Senatus?Rhetoric-Based Deckbuilding: Build and customize your deck with Arguments, Rumors, Vetoes, and Applause cards to outmaneuver rival factions on the Senate floor.Rise Through the Cursus Honorum: Start your political career as a Tribune or Aedile, navigating high-stakes elections and moral dilemmas to claim the ultimate title of Consul.Explore Ancient Rome: Traverse 14 historic sites, from speeches at the Rostra to whispers in local taverns and private estates, gathering political…
- New UI improvement ✨ Dev Diary #7 - 16 July 2026
Visualize Your Moves Before You Play, New UI ImprovementPlanning your path to power in the Senate is now more intuitive than ever. We’ve integrated a visual assistance feature so you never miss a tactical opportunity:Anticipate Your Conversions: Hover any card over empty slots on the board to instantly highlight which rival cards you can convert to your color.Spot Synergies: The system will automatically show you the potential combos you can trigger with that move.Calculate your influence with absolute precision and dominate the board with confidence! What do you think of this new tool? Let us know in the comments below!
- Complete map of Rome 🗺️ Dev Diary #6 - 9 July 2026
Salve, Senator. In Senatus demo, you got to try a very stripped-down version of the city, featuring just 4 locations to test the card pacing and early events. After a few months of writing code and locking down event texts, the map of Rome is now fully complete for the final version of the game.We’ve expanded from those initial 4 spots to 14 interconnected locations, each with its own dedicated events and mechanics. The goal is for every neighborhood or building to directly impact your strategy and dictate the types of cards you pull into your deck (speeches, rumors, political backing, etc.).Here is the final list of zones and what you'll encounter in each one:Suburra & The Lowly DistrictsTaverns: Narrow alleys reeking of cheap wine and plebeian conspiracies. A great place to dig up leads—assuming you don't get stabbed first.Bethouse & Gambling dens: Where moderate senators go to burn t…
- Demo out now! | Senatus - 4 May 2026
Hello Senator,The Senatus demo is now available. Prepare yourself for the wild nature of Roman politics.In this demo you will find: character creation, the fiercest debates in the form of card-based matches, and deck building through the exploration of Rome.This is only a small glimpse of what the full game will offer. However, we would love to build this game together with you. Feel free to share your feedback on the Steam forums or join our Discord for direct contact with the developers.DISCORDDestiny calls you, Senator: Rome is in your hands.
- Character creation in Senatus 🧔🏻 Dev Diary #4 - 22 April 2026
Your legacy begins with five questions that will define your destiny in the Republic.We finally have a (nearly) final version of character creation!When starting a new game in Senatus, you’re not just choosing a name: you’re choosing a story. Through five key decisions, you will shape your character’s origin, personality, and ambition, gaining advantages… while accepting trade-offs.Every choice directly impacts your strategy throughout the run: from your starting stats to the cards you’ll use to begin your rise in the Senate.🏛️ Starting StateEvery senator begins their career with a balanced foundation:Prestige: 50Oratory: 50Starting cards:3 Argument (Silver)3 Applause (Bronze)3 Rumor (Bronze)3 Veto (Bronze)🌍 Where were you born?Your place of origin defines your first strengths… and weaknesses.Rome, capital of the RepublicPrestige, −1 Applause cardAlexandria, cultural centerOratory, −1…
- Deck building in Senatus 🏛️ Dev Diary #3 - 15 March 2026
Hello Senator,In today’s dev diary, I’d like to talk about deck building in Senatus: how you obtain the cards you’ll bring to the Senate to debate your rivals.We are developing a system of events that appear randomly depending on the locations in the city of Rome that you visit: the Forum, the Temple of Jupiter, the Suburra district, and more. These events are based on decision-making and probability: the more you risk, the more interesting your reward can be. But be careful, if the goddess Fortuna turns against you and you fail the event, you may lose key character statistics.Below is an example of one of these events so you can better understand what we mean:Area: Suburra Location: Street of the TavernsEvent Description: The street of the taverns is suspiciously quiet today… Something strange is going on. The air smells of wine and refuse; whispers and hushed conversations drift from…
- Not All Senators Are the Same 🏛️ Dev Diary #2 - 24 February 2026
In the earliest prototypes of Senatus, every card showed the same senator.Same face.Same tunic.Same beard.It was practical. It worked. But it wasn’t Rome.And Senatus is not about abstracting the Roman Senate. It’s about confronting it.The Placeholder ProblemWhen you play a card in a debate, you’re not moving an icon: you’re trying to convince a person.Until now, however, every senator looked like a clone from the same gens. This first iteration has served us to test internally the card game.However, now it's time to give each Senator a proper look.A Living SenateFrom this version onward, every senator is generated procedurally from a pool of combinable elements:Different facesVaried hairstylesBody typesSkin tonesHair colorsBeards and facial stylesEach card now represents a distinct individual within the Senate.These are not just cosmetic tweaks. The cumulative effect is what matters: wh…
- Campaign Map: Republican Rome 🏛️ Dev Diary #1 - 1 February 2026
Salve, Senator.Welcome to the first development diary for Senatus. Today we want to introduce a core pillar of the Senatus experience: the Campaign Map — your political playground between debates.But before going into the topic, remember to wishlist and follow Senatus so you don't miss out on anything!While debates in the Senate are where laws are decided, power in Rome is built outside the Curia as well. Influence is earned in temples, forums, streets, and shadows. The Campaign Map is our way of turning the city of Rome itself into a strategic layer.🗺️ The Campaign Map — Rome as a Political BattlefieldBetween senatorial debates, you will navigate a stylized representation of the city of Rome featuring 16 visitable locations. Each one is more than scenery — it’s a decision-driven event hub tied to politics, influence, and personal advancement.These locations represent the social, relig…
