Centurion – Defender of Rome is one of those old-school strategy games that makes you feel like you're actually juggling an empire. You start off with a handful of legions and a map full of rebellious provinces—Gaul’s being a pain, as usual—and suddenly you’re deep in turn-based battles, diplomacy, and resource management. The combat’s simple but satisfying: line up your troops, pick formations, and hope your cavalry doesn’t get wrecked by spearmen.

What I love is how chaotic it gets when multiple factions declare war at once. One minute you’re crushing barbarians, the next you’re scrambling to defend Sicily from Carthage. And yeah, the graphics are pure Genesis—chunky sprites, basic animations—but there’s something weirdly charming about watching tiny pixelated armies clash. Just don’t ignore the Senate’s demands too often, or you’ll end up with a dagger in your back before you can say "Et tu, Brute?"

It’s not the deepest strategy game ever, but for a 16-bit take on Roman conquest, it holds up better than you’d expect.