The game Resafa takes place in the 3rd century AD in the area of ​​the present-day Middle East. Resafa now lies in ruins in modern-day Syria, but at the time it was a fortified desert outpost that flourished as a stop along important caravan routes.

In the game, players represent merchants who are on a business trip, buying and selling goods in the various cities in the region. Resafa had no local water sources, so it relied heavily on large cisterns to collect spring and rain water to make the area habitable. Players build water tanks and canals to distribute that water where it is needed. In the cities, they build workshops to grow their businesses, which will allow them to gather resources and camels. They also construct gardens between the businesses, which gives them more resources and also victory points.

The game is played over six rounds. In each round a player performs only three actions by playing action cards in this tight and exciting game.