Puerto Rico
Description
Establish plantations and build buildings in the golden age of Puerto Rico! Puerto Rico is a historic pillar of the Eurogame category, famous for its innovative Role Selection mechanics. Each round, players choose a role (Foreman, Mayor, Merchant, etc.), and not only do they get a personal benefit, but all players take that action (although the active player gets an extra benefit). This is the essence of Puerto Rico: you must choose the action that benefits you the most, but helps your opponents the least, creating constant tension and deep indirect interaction. The game tasks you with managing the production of five different goods (corn, sugar, coffee, tobacco, and indigo), constructing permanent buildings that provide upgrades and points, and shipping your products to Europe on ships. The economy is tight and every decision is crucial, whether it's specializing in one crop or diversifying your construction strategy. If you are looking for a pure strategy Eurogame, with a timeless design, that rewards efficiency and offers one of the best action selection mechanics ever created, Puerto Rico is a fundamental piece of hobby history that you must have. Master the roles and secure your fortune!
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How to play
In each round, players take turns selecting one of the available roles. The player who chooses the role performs the role's exclusive benefit, and then all players, including himself, perform the role's main action. Roles include: Foreman (produces goods), Merchant (sells goods), Builder (purchases buildings), and Captain (ships goods to Europe). Goods are sold for money or shipped for Victory Points (VP). The game ends when the last building is built, the available VPs run out, or a player has filled their district with settlers. VPs are earned by shipping goods and constructing buildings.
Why you might like it
The Role Selection mechanic is timeless and highly interactive, Deep strategy and replayability based on production efficiency, It is a historical classic that influenced many modern games. If you are attracted to classic eurogames with brilliant mechanics, high strategic depth and constant decisions, Puerto Rico offers a timeless and very satisfying experience.
What to keep in mind
Low direct interactivity, players focus on optimizing their board, The colonial theme is sensitive and has been criticized (the game has a new edition with a revised theme), The learning curve for scoring and strategies is high.