In Drum Roll, each player takes on the role of a circus owner in the early 1900s. Each player moves around Europe hiring artists and organizing performances.

There are five main categories of artists: the Tamers, the Acrobats, the Oddities, the Magicians, and the Jugglers. Each artist has different requirements that the player must meet in order to offer the best performance.

The requirements, which vary among the artists, include Training, Equipment, Supplies, Costumes, and Advertising. There are three levels of performances that each artist can deliver in a show: a poor, a good, and an excellent one. The higher the level of the performance, the more requirements the artists must fulfill to achieve it.

The better the performance, the more benefits each player can gain. When the artists deliver excellent performances, the player must choose between reaping the maximum benefit from them or gaining the Prestige Points they offer. There are also other ways to improve a circus, such as trailers, investments, and staff that will help your artists perform at their best.