Palatine is a social strategy game that takes place during the decline of the ancient Roman Republic. Players take on the roles of noble families jockeying for power amidst increasing corruption and unrest. Gameplay consists of players bidding against each other on a randomly ordered selection of cards, then playing those cards. Cards represent opportunities for advancement in Roman high society, such as the acquisition of government positions, the leading of military campaigns, or the construction of public works. Cards tend to grant players tokens — influence, denarii or legions — and those tokens are used in bidding for more cards. Victory can be achieved either by acquiring a predetermined number of legion tokens and storming Rome or by having the most influence tokens of any player when the deck has been exhausted. The game allows for strategy as confined by the luck of the deck's shuffle as well as trading, player cooperation and player competition.