Rio Grande Games Puerto Rico Reviews

• BEST STRATEGY GAME EVER!

  
  By A2KS3MVX1PVEHP on 2004-11-14
  Winner of an International Gamers Award in the General Strategy category for 2003.
  
  Chosen Best Strategy game in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands and USA
  
  Winner of the Golden Feather for the best game rules.
  
  THIS GAME ROCKS!!!
  
  I am a game collector and have played them all. Honestly this game is by far the best game I have ever played. My friends and I are literally addicted to it. Having NO DICE at all means 100% strategy and ZERO LUCK. You have to make the right decisions or you WILL lose. The best part is that you will not find a winning pattern on this game. The strategy used to win in one game will be useless once your friends catch up on it. This means each time you play it will be different.
  
  Here is a raw description of this great game.
  
  Each player has a small board with city and land spaces to build on. You start with one plantation and a small amount of money. Each player in turns will chose a role according to their strategy. These roles will allow you to create more plantations, build structures in your city that will help you according to your strategy (e.g. warehouse, office, factory, harbor, etc), bring in workers for your crops and buildings, produce goods, and sell or export those goods in exchange for money or victory points. You have to choose these roles carefully since they will also make or break your opponents.
  
  Each building you chose to purchase will give you an advantage and will cost differently. The most expensive building will give bonuses at game end. So you must choose how to spend your hard earned money wisely. The crops you chose to build also work differently. Corn can be produced quickly and in larger amounts and have little to no value in the market but gives you an edge while exporting. On the other hand coffee is slow and hard to produce but will sell nicely in the market giving you a large amount of money. Of course you can produce a little of everything if you wish, though it takes more time.
  
  It will take you a couple of rounds before you get a hang of this game but once you do there is no turning back. You will get hooked, guaranteed. The game is at its best with five players so include as many as you can. It can be a bit pricey but have in mind that every single piece of this game is made of high quality material. I'm saying no plastic but wood pieces, and the tiles and boards are made to last a lifetime of total abuse. You will not find this quality in any Hasbro game. This game looks like a Special Collector's Edition kind of thing. It is very educational and will stimulate your thinking cells to the max. Game play will last about 1½ to 2 hours.
  
  An EXPANSION PACK is available which you can download for FREE at riograndegames.com. This expansion pack is awesome and a must for experienced players.
  
  If you call yourself a game player and have not played Puerto Rico you have missed on one of the best experiences in your life. This is a no brainer. Buy this game and thank me latter. BRAVO Amazon! I never thought you will listen to my pleads to include this awesome game in your site.
  
  EXPERTS: To make this game even better we raised the victory points to 200, use all the expansion tiles and invented a large building bonus card called World Bank - It will allow it's owner to count all the doubloons he has in hand as victory points at game end (cost 10 doubloons/value 4 vp's). Try it; it will broaden your strategy options.
  
  Have fun!!
  
  
  

• Very strategic gameplay

  
  By A10RSMLWB7WXUW on 2004-10-06
  Playing this game is a blast! Unlike games like Settlers of Cataan, there is very little randomness (no dice needed). And yet, it's never the same twice. Players take turn choosing roles. Those roles either produce goods, sell goods for money, build structures, or ship goods for points. The chossing the role affects all players, but the chooser gets an advantage for that role. The choice of roles goes around the board, the role cards get replaced, and then the next person gets first choice.
  
  As the turns go, you develop crops, build structures that give you a strategic advantage, move people to buildings or to work crops. At the end of play you add up the points (not the money) to determine who wins.
  
  What makes it especially odd is that there is no direct trading with other players, and yet your choice of role can either help or hurt other players. Choosing carefully to not favor other players while making progress yourself is where the challenge of the game lies.
  
  Definitely takes a play through to learn all the rules, but very fun after that.
  
  

• Most impressive game i've ever played

  
  By A1I8NI4SWDU5U on 2005-08-04
  Puerto Rico is the best all around board game i have ever played. The balance i would say is near perfection and of all the games I've played the score was always very close.
  While this game out of the box takes a little while to understand the nuances of the rules and how to take advantage of the different roles, it's very worthwhile and rewarding. After two plays, my friends were all very into it and anxious to play again.
  
  The fifty foot view of the game looks something like this. Everyone has a board that has an area for placing plantations and city area for buildings. Plantations grow crops, you need certain buildings to produce/store the crops which go in the city area and you eventually want to ship those crops(back to the mainland...whateva) and that's how you ultimately score points. There are variety of different crops you can grow and different types of buildings which give different type of advantages(and are worth a certain # of victory points). Each person takes a turn and on their turn chooses a certain role which is how the game functions. Each role offers different functions/phases of the game, ie building where everyone gets to build a building, or captain where you get to ship your goods....the player choosing the phase typically gets and additional bonus which is where a lot of the strategy revolves around.
  
  Some of the things i like about Puerto Rico, are that you really don't know who's going to win until the game ends and the points are counted up. This keeps everyone interested and playing intently throughout. You also have to be alert on each turn and take advantage of other players moves in order be successful. Also, as the other reviewers have stated, luck simply is just not a factor so it's hard for people to be sore losers or point to game flaws that caused them to lose(or someone else to win), instead it's typically a friendly chat about how picking x and y strategy seemed to make the most sense.
  
  The only real downside to this game, is that there really isn't the need for much interaction with other players, or any direct conflict. Those coming from a Settlers of Catan background, the robber phase and the trading are really what makes that...these features are lacking in Puerto Rico. Some say the captain phase can be like the 'conflict', but i disagree. This is a small quibble, and allows you to play with friends and non-friends with no-one getting upset.
  
  Many say that this game is too deep for non-gamers and that you may want to start off with simpler games to get up to speed. I would actually disagree with that. I've bought a lot of games in the past few months, and i think we could have played Puerto Rico right off the bat. If you are in the market for new board game, go with this game! Take a quick read through the rules, set it up and take a few rounds to get the questions out of the way...than start over and you'll be all set to enjoy a great game.
  
  
  

• How to Run an Island

  
  By A3GKPMHV4U64IY on 2006-06-13
  Players get a chance to make the island of Puerto Rico a successful venture. This is done by producing corn, indigo, coffee, tobacco and sugar. Success comes from production, sales and trade. Except for corn, the commodities need to be processed after growing. Players make plantations and build buildings but each of these needs population (colonists) to activate. Players try to balance production and trade in order to gain the most victory points. Sales produce money but shipping goods produce victory points. Different buildings help with production or offer other benefits including exceptions to limitations.
  
  On each cycle of the game there is one phase per player. Each player takes turns being first in the cycle. The phase is determined by a player taking a job. They can be Mayor and provide new population to man the buildings and plantations. They can be a builder, a prospector, captain of a trade ship, or other jobs. There are more jobs than players so each cycle will be made up of different phases. Players must figure out which phase will be best for them on their turn and how best to play the phases of other players' choosing. Once a cycle ends, all jobs are again available.
  
  The game consists of player boards for keeping track of their plantations, buildings, money, produce and victory points. There are tiles representing jobs, buildings, plantations, money, the colony ship, trade ships, money and victory points, and wooden tokens to represent colonists and barrels of produce. All of these pieces make set-up take a little longer but helps to add a great deal of variety to each playing of the game. Game ends when a city fills up, there are no more colonists, or no more victory tokens. Victory points and bonuses are tallied to determine the winner. Game play runs over an hour and improves as players become familiar with each of the different jobs and types of buildings. Although there are a lot of different things in the game, it is very easy for a first-time player to follow and do well. Check it out.
  
  There is also a card-game version called San Juan.
  
  

• Better than Settlers?

  
  By A32EBQDMOPEJHE on 2005-11-10
  Puerto Rico will take you 30 minutes to explain it to someone. It is that complex. Sure there are much more complex games out there, but this is probably one of the most complex popular eurogames on the market. It is for this reason it only gets 4 stars. This is one of the greats. If you want a game that is almost no luck with tons of strategy and decent player interaction, look no further. Tons of options on every turn. This can slow the game a bit. Great game mechanics in having everyone's selected role affect everyone. This game gets better the more you play it with the same people because everyone begins to understand the strategy on the last round of the first game.
  
  Bottom Line: Is it better than settlers? Less player interaction, more strategy, slower placed, less luck. Will add gamers like it? No way. Will non strategy gamers like it? No way. Will Eurogamers like it? They will love it.
  
  
• Move over Monopoly
  By A2HTFMEIMF6RGZ on 2005-06-24
  For those who say Yuck! I hate Boardgames and are thinking of Monopoly, Candyland, Life or think back to overly complicated games that were played in dark and dreary game stores for days on end by people who had no social life, well... Welcome to a new brand of REAL THINKING, ENJOYABLE, and EASY to learn games. Often called "Euro-Games" becasue of their European origin these games are "strategy" games that you can read the rules and begin playing in less the a half hour and have played the game in less then hour. Trust me, you will want to play again right after the first game id finished. Puerto Rico is one of the best in the Euro Game series, but don't shy away from the others like Settlers of catan, Carcassonne or Ticket To Ride either. Puerto Rico gets played almost on a weekly basis at my house.
  
  
• Best game ever!
  By A2UULGFD3352BT on 2004-10-07
  My husband and I own dozens of board and card games that we lose interest in pretty quickly, no matter how much we like them to begin with. Puerto Rico is the one exception-- it seems to become MORE stimulating each time we play it, as we try new strategies. We have introduced our friends to the game, and everyone agrees (both the men and the women, believe it or not)-- Puerto Rico is truly the best game ever. Anyone who likes intellectual, complex games that are challenging and fun at the same time will love this game.
  
  
• GREATEST GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED!
  By A2DXBRSC0LTSGA on 2005-01-13
  I never write reviews but once I played this game, I felt I had to. This game is not only fun but also addictive. It might take a few rounds to get the hang of the game but once you do, you will find yourselves totally immersed in it. I highly recommend this game also for its great educational value. I have not had to think so carefully my strategy since chess. Why does Amazon not sell this game anymore? I do not understand. It does not matter where, just get this game and play it. It will be love at first sight.
  
  
• No luck
  By A2Y5T1O43P14RP on 2007-08-09
  This is one of the best games I have ever played. Heres what I like about it:
  
  1. No luck, everything you do (except the prospector) affects all of the other players and vice versa, the game revolves around choosing whats best for you and figuring out what every body else is going to do (meta-gaming). If your frustrated with games you play perfectly but still lose then this is the game for you.
  
  2. On a pure strategy level it is extremely complex, allowing you to play thousands of times and never do the same thing twice, infinate replayability.
  
  3. Controlled time: with three different game end criteria the game usually takes about 1-1.5 hours, and theres no real way that it can take longer then that, so you don't have to worry about it dragging on forever. If all of you know how to play it can go even faster.
  
  4. All around fun for all sorts of people and you don't really need to explain strategy, people will learn by trying and may come up with something completely different then yours.
  
  If you liked Settlers of Catan then this is for you.
  
  
• Too complex to figure out
  By AV4DAMA1OJ8UR on 2008-09-25
  We purchased this game because we love Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne, thinking this will be another great board game to enjoy. Unfortunately, we were unable to understand the instructions enough to ever play it, even though we are intelligent, well educated people. We have never had a problem learning a game before this. I ended up selling it on ebay at a loss. It would have helped us if we had a friend who has played it before, and who could explain it to us. I am sure it is a great game once you know how to play, but that is where the problem lies.
  
  
• It's a good game, but
  By A3FYM6K6RCQ4RR on 2006-02-16
  I have a few reservations about it, some of the game mechanics are overly complicated.... which to some people may seem like an oportunity for extra strategy, but at the same time it means that picking up this game is somewhat of a pain because some thing are non intuitive. It is true that there is no 1 non winning strategy and it is better with more players. However I prefer san juan ( which is by the same company, and is *very* similar. I view san juan as a cleaned up version of puerto rico, it may be *slightly* less complex as a game, but doing accounting stuff is alot easier and it has less poinless fiddly bits, which I feel results in a more fun game.
  
  
• Less luck, more thinking and planning
  By A1VHK9A4VLJTHC on 2007-05-06
  My family and I have only played a few times, so we are still learning the ins and outs of this game. We have been playing Settlers for over a year now and wanted to venture out and try something new.
  
  I love the idea that the game doesn't use dice and doesn't limit players to relying on luck as much as many other games do. Sure there is some element of randomness in this game, but not much and not enough to swing the tide like in other games.
  
  There are different strategies to winning this game, of which I'm just starting to get the hang of as we haven't played it a whole lot yet, but I'm intrigued by the genius of those that developed the game play.
  
  As for how complicated it is; well at first it seems almost impossible to figure out to those that aren't into games and rules, however we got our twelve year old to understand the basic game rules and play in one game and by the second and third game she had developed her own strategy and style. In other words, it is learnable with a couple of plays, don't get bogged down by all the details at first, just try and learn the basic mechanics.
  
  I give this game a very strong recommendation, it's great for both informal family play as well as highly competitive play.
  
  
• Big manual, great game.
  By A17IKN1FZUJOWD on 2007-06-05
  Great game if you take the time to read the instructions. Most instructions are short. This one is a book. I'm not kidding. Takes a while to read. Don't expect to play this game the day you get it. It is a great game, and I hope you will take the time to read the manual.
  
  
• Love this game!
  By A152IV45XW6I7L on 2007-09-05
  I purchased this game after playing it only once before. I love that there are so many different strategies and approaches to winning. I also liked that you can't necessarily tell if you are winning or losing until the end, so everyone can enjoy the entire game. The first time you play can be a little confusing because there are so many options and strategies, but the overall object of the game is quickly learned. We had three players and were able to finish the game in a little over an hour.
  
  
• Fantastic game!
  By AQPI7M90W57C2 on 2006-12-31
  This is one I had to purchase after years of playing it with family and friends. The more players, the more strategy, but it has always been a favorite with my hard core gaming groups and with family.
  
  
• Great table-top game
  By A2MW054Y2P2IST on 2007-05-16
  Puerto Rico compares well with the best table top games. It has elements of tile games and strategy games. As there is no random element to the game, strategy and prediction of others' decisions are critical.
  
  
• Great game!
  By A1WKQ94M45D8MG on 2007-12-31
  I'm 50 years old and play this game with young adults who LOVE board games. This one is the best of the strategy games ever! You need to play a couple of times to really get into it because there is a lot involved. It's different every time and there's no set way to win! Enjoy!! I highly recommend it to anyone who likes board games.
  
  
• Awesome Strategy Game, Steep Learning Curve
  By A1XJOJ0YR20GRM on 2008-02-18
  I am relatively new to Euro board games, having only played 7 or 8 of them over the last 2 years. I started with Settlers of Catan and Carcasonne and moved my way up to Puerto Rico. While Catan is great for beginners and still fun to play for experts the overall depth is fairly limited to a few strategies and the wishful thinking that chance will go your way (via tile layout and dice rolls).
  
  Puerto Rico is a significantly deeper strategy game and the player will be forced to evolve their strategy based on which opportunities are available, which avenues are closed off (limited resources), and whether they deem it more valuable at each turn to help their standing or hinder others. I also like the more secretive nature of the game so you are never really sure who is winning until the victory points are tallied at the end of the final round.
  
  The only catch to this game is it has a steep learning curve and takes a good deal longer to play than Catan/Carcasonne. After buying PR two of us spent 2 hours just setting up the board and reading the rules before we could even play (hint: when you put the game away group and band the building tiles sequentially for quick future setup). On the second attempt we played a 4-person game and it took about 2 hours (and we got one of the management rules wrong - don't forget to ante up the unplayed roles!). After that initial 4 hour investment we can play with 3-4 players in about 90-100 minutes.
  
  For medium-expert strategy players or those with patience I would highly recommend this game. If you are relatively new to Euro / German games or have little patience for learning something more complex I would recommend you first try the sister game, San Juan, which is a more portable 2-4 player card game that uses the same principles but simplifies the majority of the setup, management and accounting and can be played in 40-60 minutes. If you find that you like San Juan you should then definitely try out Puerto Rico and the learning curve will be simpler because you have already learned many of the basic concepts of revolving roles and the opportunity costs of the high level strategies.
  
  There are also some free PC versions of both games on-line if you want to check them out and get a feel for the play but the rule explanation, interface and AI are fairly rudimentary.
  
  
• The Most Entertaining Board Game Right Now
  By A27K5BN225C55T on 2005-01-11
  Puerto Rico is the kind of game that gets people hooked from the start. If you are a hardcore gameboard player, buy it. You will not regret it. And by the way, CAN SOMEBODY AT AMAZON TELL ME WHY YOU DONT SELL MORE GAMES FROM THE RIO GRANDE COMPANY.
  
  
• Great Game!
  By A2SLXQF82CJYDT on 2007-10-13
  We own this game and play it a lot with friends. It's different every time you play it and therefore you must adjustyour strategy accordingly. We bought this copy as a gift and it arrived promptly and in excellent condition.
  
  
• Better than Monopoly
  By A3EAVMM8XAMKBV on 2007-11-24
  I first played this game at a weekend away with a group of my friends in County Kerry. Five years ago.
  
  When I returned to the States, I made it my mission to buy this game at any cost and play it with anyone who was willing to sit for ten minutes and set it up with me. I compare it to Monopoly b/c that is the closest common game I can compare it to, but my line is 'It's like Monopoly, but better!'.
  
  I have never had a bad review of it after teaching people how to play. In fact, I'm always asked to bring it to board game nights and family get-togethers.
  
  I've played it with kids as young as eight without losing their attention. And I've played it with people who say they don't like board games without losing their attention.
  
  
• Not Your Father's Board Game
  By A31U9ZFY048NHL on 2007-12-26
  Puerto Rico is a fascinating, addicting board game, completely unlike the standard American fare of Monopoly, Sorry, Parchisi, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, and so on. Puerto Rico doesn't rely on the luck of dice or drawing cards. Instead, the players must carefully choose which of a number of actions to take, subtly giving themselves an advantage over each of the other players. Puerto Rico isn't a terribly long game, and I found myself mulling over my choices after the game, wondering, "if I had chosen to go with *that* plan instead, could I have done better?" And of course wanting to play again!
  
  For those familiar with other "European style" games, Puerto Rico has more details and takes a little longer to start understanding than the popular first choices, like Ticket to Ride, Carcassone, or Settlers of Catan. Still, only a few rounds are needed to grasp how the game plays, and the little extra effort is definitely rewarded with a superior game experience.
  
  Highly recommended.
  
  
• Very rewarding game!
  By A339UBUV36LOG8 on 2008-01-14
  We purchased this game because of a blogger's favorable review, and we weren't disappointed! An earlier reviewer on Amazon suggested that you read the instructions before sitting down to play, and we were much better off for having followed that advice. Don't expect to play the moment you receive the game. Open the box, pull out the instructions, let at least one player read them, THEN plan on setting up for ~10 min, and playing for at least 90 min (more if you have the full 5 players) the first time through due to stopping each time to check the rules for each round. Time invested -> pleasure rewarded. We were instantly mesmerized, even with the initial tediousness of constantly checking the rulebook. This game is appealing to all sorts of people, excepting those who don't like to think for themselves. I walked away from the game feeling like I'd learned something about my fellow players, myself, and strategy. The most fulfilling part of this game is the absence of dice. YOU control your own destiny. YOU decide how to build your plantation, and reap the rewards at end of the game. We can't wait to play this one again!
  
  
• A different game every time.
  By ACSRGKJF8TAMT on 2008-02-21
  We love to have game nights and when we do, this is always top on our list of games to play. We love it because it is always a different game depending on how many people are playing and how experienced they are. You really have to change your strategy depending on if there are 3 or 5 players. If you enjoy games like Saint Petersburg and Carcassonne, you will love this one as well.
  
  
• If you like Risk... here is something new and fun
  By A32D2EWBDP2R4Q on 2008-05-07
  When my friends bought this new game to play and I saw all the pieces and directions, I was very skeptical. It took a long time to get through the directions (and punch out and sort the pieces!), but once we got into it, everyone was impressed. Others we've shared it with have also enjoyed playing.
  
  ONE CAVEAT: I wouldn't suggest Puerto Rico to people looking for a quick, easy party game. Unlike an Apples to Apples or Pictionary (or most widely distrubuted games), you aren't going to explain the rules and have people playing in five minutes - and the game will last a couple of hours. It isn't hard to learn, but this is for people who enjoy strategy games and are willing to take a bit of time to learn the rules and to play.
  
  
• Great game if you take the time to learn the rules
  By A17CQQGIN0Z2MU on 2008-06-09
  I've only played the game once so far, but I gotta say that I had a lot of fun! It's a true strategy game and I can't wait to play it again!!
  
  Although, this game takes patience to learn. We played with three people, and it took us around 4 hours to get through the game. If one of us had played before, I think it would have gone a lot quicker. With the learning experience behind us, introducing it to friends will be a lot easier. If you really want to play this with a whole family, then take the time to learn the game on your own (aka: read the manual throughly!), and then introduce it to them.
  
  I could easily see the games going MUCH faster now. The box states that it takes around 90 minutes to complete a game, and this seems very attainable.
  
  Overall, it's truly some of the most fun I've had playing a board game! 5 stars!!
  
  
• great game
  By A3QV3PE4NPUTY0 on 2008-08-26
  This game has great expansion possibilities. Lots of fun for a family that likes thinking/startegy games.
  
  
• Better than Catan!
  By ARW8NTQEY0L9L on 2008-09-08
  We took it out of the box 3 times before we actually played through an entire game. You really have to rely on the game guide to make any sense of the game at all. However, once you get a feel for the game, it is amazing! There are so many different layers of strategy, and no two games are the same. We love this more that Catan/Cities & Knights now. Awesome!
  
  
• Board games
  By A2X1AB3MI36EZC on 2008-10-06
  It was gift for a cousing who is 11 year old. It was fun for kids
  
  
• Great game but a bit hard for children
  By A3IQ8I66PGSNKG on 2008-10-24
  This is one of the best if not the best board game I've played.
  
  If you're looking for a strategic game, with no apparent path of victory(at least at first) then this is the game for you.
  
  There are many pieces and due to the non-apparent path to victory this game has a moderate learning curve. I'd recommend it for teenagers and above.
  
  

• Ticket to Ride: Marklin Edition

• Carcassonne Game
• Ticket to Ride
• The Settlers of Catan
• Power Grid
• San Juan