PUERTO RICO
Players: Three to Five
Time: First time: 2 hours
After that: 1 1/2 hours tops
What is it all about? Players are trying to develop the island of Puerto Rico by growing and shipping crops, building building and making money.
What do you do? Players take turns deciding what all players can do on a given turn. For choosing this, they get a benefit (and sometimes some money) which helps them. All players then take the actions, which include planting new plantations, assigning and reassigning their workforce, building buildings and growing and shipping goods. The benefits mostly include additional resources (money, points or workforce) or limited costs. The game ends when someone has built in all of their available space, all of the workforce is assigned or a certain amount fo goods have been shipped back to the old world. Shipped goods and buildings are worth points (along with a few bonuses). Most points wins.
Why is it fun? Long term planning is rewarded and there are many ways to win this game. Players must also watch their own actions and those of others to insure that the next player doesn't gain a greater benefit from your actions than you do.
Do you have to be lucky? This game has very limited luck.
How easy is it? Not that easy. There's lots going at all times in this game.
It's fun because you can set up your island just so!
Oh, I suppose if you want to win there's more to it.
Posted by: nichole | September 21, 2006 at 02:55 PM
What is the order to these games? I can't really think of any system that would put Monopoly just after Puerto Rico. And don't even pretend that there isn't some kind of system.
Posted by: John Sams | September 22, 2006 at 01:28 PM