Pericles is a four player 'sandbox' design that covers the period from 460 BC to 400 BC. The players each represent one of two Athenian or Spartan factions. The game has a political and a war phase. During the war phase the players are US versus THEM. During the Political Phase it is ME versus YOU (Athenian faction versus Athenian faction and Spartan king versus Spartan king).

The City State (Athens or Sparta) that gains the most Honor wins the war and the faction on the winning side with the most Honor wins the game.

There are over twenty scenarios that cover portions of the war with playing times from 30 minutes (mini Theater scenario), 45 minutes (6 years of the war), 90 minutes (a decade of war), and then there are the three long scenarios that cover the 1st Peloponnesian War, 2nd Peloponnesian War plus the Campaign game. There are rules for 3 player, 2 player, and solitaire play.