Julius 1.7 is out, an open source re-implementation of the classic Caesar III

Julius is another shining example of an open source game engine re-implementation done well and a major update is out. Taking the original Caesar III and upgrading it for modern computing platforms. Not by the original developers though, this is like others, totally unofficial but don't let that stop you enjoying a much improved experience.

Here's some of the main improvements in Julius 1.7:

• Touch devices: added the ability to pause the game using an on-screen button
• The game looks more crisp when using scaling on high DPI screens
• File dialog: when typing a name, the list automatically scrolls to the first matching file
• File dialog: input textbox now only suggests 'My Rome' when saving, not when loading a game
• Added support for new platforms: Haiku and Emscripten
• Population graph on the populator advisor is now usable for populations larger than 51200
• Bridges are now shown on the minimap
• Joystick support for Vita and Switch
• Ships now play the proper phrase when leaving the docks
• Configuration: new option to disable scrolling when the mouse is near the window's edge
• Configuration: hotkey config now gives a warning when you try to assign a hotkey that's already in use
• SDL upgrade to 2.0.16

You do need the original game assets, which you can grab easily with a DRM-free copy of Caesar III on GOG.com or Steam. Find the project on GitHub.

Want an easy way to run it through Steam and keep it up to date? Julius is supported for playing Caesar III through the Steam Play tool Luxtorpeda that got a big update recently too.