Valparaíso

Game Description

Immerse yourself in the fascinating atmosphere of 1811 Chile with Valparaíso, a compelling economic strategy board game. The port city of Valparaíso has just declared free trade, and Chile's independence is imminent. As an influential citizen, your goal is to guide the city's development, sending merchants inland to acquire valuable export goods and sailing your ships overseas to achieve new milestones.

To excel in Valparaíso, you will need to demonstrate excellent strategic planning skills. Every move you make is crucial: keep a close eye on your opponents and be ready to react to their actions, as almost every decision influences other players, altering costs or trade opportunities. The construction of every building and the timing of every trade must be carefully considered. Direct interaction between players is constant, making every game dynamic and unpredictable. Good resource management and a long-term vision are key to victory.

The heart of Valparaíso lies in its innovative mechanics of simultaneous planning. Although changing the order of your initial plan incurs a penalty, a plan that isn't solid enough will make you lose valuable time. The game can end more quickly than expected, keeping the tension high until the last turn. For strategy experts who enjoy time pressure, the game includes a variant with an hourglass, adding an additional tactical challenge. Valparaíso is perfect for:

Players: 2-5
Duration: approximately 90 minutes
Publication Year: 2018
Publisher: dlp games

Rules

In Valparaíso, players take on the role of influential citizens engaged in the urban development of the Chilean port city in 1811. The goal is to make Valparaíso prosper, earning victory points through strategic actions such as:

Send merchants inland to acquire important export goods.
Dispatch ships overseas to achieve new successes and reach objectives.
Build houses and structures in the city.
Trade strategically to maximize profits.

The heart of the game lies in simultaneous planning and adaptation. Players must plan their moves well in advance, but also keep an eye on opponents and react to their actions, as almost every choice generates strong indirect interaction, influencing costs or trading possibilities for others. Altering initial plans during the course of the game incurs a cost, but poor planning can lead to losing valuable time.

The game progresses through a series of rounds in which players program their actions, execute them, and observe the impact on others' possibilities. The end of the game can come sooner than expected, making every decision crucial. For experienced players who enjoy time pressure, a variant using an hourglass to limit planning time is included.