- rank: 426
- rating: 7.9
- published: 2023
- designers: Ralph Bienert, Ryan Hendrickson, & Alexander Pfister
Print Status
- in print
Why It's On The List
- The first time I saw Alexander Pfister’s Maracaibo played, it took a crew of dedicated heavy gamers 4+ hours to finish. (They all loved it – but it was, well, “a lot”.) So, rather than invest in the physical game, I picked up the iPad app and played multiple games against the AI. It was, still, “a lot”. So I was hopeful that Pirates of Maracaibo would be a little more manageable. What I didn’t expect is that it would have all of the stuff I liked about the original game with all of the churn surgically removed.
Tips & Tricks:
- As far as I can tell, there is not a single winning strategy - so much depends on the layout of the cards and the actions of other players.
- There isn't any direct combat in the game - but other players can purchase cards before you get to them or raid for treasure in ways that make the treasures you have less valuable.
- Many of my early plays of the game ignored the Black Markets you can build. I've come to believe that they can be quite useful, depending on the placement of the Location (aka "island") cards in the board layout.
Extras
- The Commanders expansion adds some downright nifty twists to the game - rum, commanders, forts, "cannons"... in addition to a greater variety in the game due to additional cards and a more variable exploration board. (The picture above is from a solo game played with the Commanders expansion.)
- I am aware of but have not played the Bermuda Triangle expansion - but I want to!
- This is the third of three games on this countdown designed by Alexander Pfister.
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