Pompeii: The Legacy Developer Cites Thermae Romae as a Favorite Influence
The interview reveals how a Croatian solo developer drew on a Japanese manga about Roman baths to shape the tone of a historical city-builder, a cross-cultural influence not typical for the genre.
Reporting from 1 source: Game Spark.
Siscia Games founder Željko Kos, in a Game Spark interview, named the Japanese manga Thermae Romae as one of his favorite works that influenced the atmosphere of his city-building simulation Pompeii: The Legacy, released for PC on April 10. Kos also listed classic city-builders like Caesar III and Pharaoh, and films such as Gladiator and Rome, as inspirations for the game, which tasks players with rebuilding Pompeii after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Željko Kos, the Croatian solo developer behind the city-building simulation Pompeii: The Legacy, told Game Spark that the Japanese manga Thermae Romae is one of his favorite works and an influence on the game's atmosphere. Kos, who founded Siscia Games and has worked on titles like Starpoint Gemini and Patron, said he rewatched films such as Gladiator, Rome, and Ben-Hur during development, but singled out the manga by Mari Yamazaki for its clever connection between ancient Rome and modern Japan through Roman baths.
Pompeii: The Legacy launched for PC on April 10. The game asks players to rebuild the ash-covered city 20 years after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, managing water supply, logistics, trade, and class conflicts across a multi-generational campaign. Kos said he aimed to modernize classic city-building systems from games like Caesar III and Pharaoh while weaving in solid storytelling. The game supports Japanese and is available at a discount until July 10.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.