The Civilization board depicts areas around the Mediterranean Sea. The board is divided into many regions. Each player starts with a single population token and grows and expands his empire over the course of turns. Each player tries to build the greatest civilization.

Mare Nostrum is intended by Serge Laget to be a more playable version of Civilization. The goal of the game is to bring glory to your civilization by acquiring great heroes and by building architectural wonders in your kingdom. Prominently featured in the game are historic personalities such as Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Hammurabi, as well as the Seven Wonders of the World.