Mare Nostrum: Empires finally arrived on Friday after almost a year of extra time. It was one of the more complicated Kickstarters. But the wait was worth it for the game. The components are - as typical for Academy Games - fantastic. The game itself is surprisingly straightforward for a game with this theme (cultures in the Mediterranean region with trade and war) and also plays very quickly. My first solo game (two cultures plus barbarians) had an even for me surprising turn - at the beginning Carthage was ahead, reached 4 wonders (the fifth would have brought victory), but Rome could switch to military to put pressure on trade and secure victory through dominance in the areas of trade, culture and military. Great system and I hope to bring it to the table more often.