{"rewrite":{"id":"r_9f1a84889a4773ae8a0241f5","clusterId":"c_dc41bb0ce3187d0fefae87be","slug":"pompeii-the-legacy-developer-cites-thermae-romae-as-a-favorite-influence","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Pompeii: The Legacy Developer Cites Thermae Romae as a Favorite Influence","summary":"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.","whyItMatters":"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.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eŽeljko 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\u0026#39;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.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePompeii: 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.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Pompeii: The Legacy's developer cites Thermae Romae as an influence. A Roman bath manga shaping a Roman city-builder is a specific cultural cross-section that most historical sims never reach.","twitterPost":"A Roman bath manga influenced a Roman city-builder. That is a cultural cross-section most historical sims never touch.","threadsPost":"Pompeii: The Legacy's developer named Thermae Romae as a favorite influence. A Japanese manga about Roman baths shaping a game about rebuilding Pompeii is a specific cultural cross-section most historical sims never approach.","newsletterBlurb":"Siscia Games founder Željko Kos told Game Spark that the Japanese manga Thermae Romae is one of his favorite works and helped set the atmosphere for his city-building simulation Pompeii: The Legacy. The game, which launched April 10 on PC, tasks players with rebuilding Pompeii after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/06/168884.html\",\"title\":\"\\\"One of my favorites is the Japanese work 'Thermae Romae'\\\" - City-building SLG 'Pompeii: The Legacy' [Developer Interview]\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4355,"outputTokens":674,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1783330598,"createdAt":"2026-07-06T09:25:22.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-06T09:28:32.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-06T09:25:22.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_dc41bb0ce3187d0fefae87be","canonicalTitle":"「私のお気に入りの一つが、日本の作品である「テルマエ・ロマエ」」街づくりSLG『Pompeii: The Legacy』【開発者インタビュー】","representativeArticleId":"a_b77908e61cc3d7597a14b7df","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[\"テルマエ・ロマエ\"],\"work_titles\":[\"Pompeii: The Legacy\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-06T08:45:03.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-06T08:45:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-06T09:28:32.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/06/168884.html","title":"「私のお気に入りの一つが、日本の作品である「テルマエ・ロマエ」」街づくりSLG『Pompeii: The Legacy』【開発者インタビュー】"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":["テルマエ・ロマエ"],"work_titles":["Pompeii: The Legacy"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}