Mombasa - Game Instructions
Objective of the Game
Mombasa is a strategic board game where players aim to gain the most profit from various trading companies in Africa. The goal is to amass the most money through clever acquisition of shares in these companies, shrewd use of resources, and strategic timing.
Number of Players
- Players: 2 to 4 players
Components
- A game board with a map of Africa
- Company boards for each of the four trading companies
- Share cards for each company
- Various markers: bookkeeping markers, progress markers, and diamond markers
- Banknotes as game currency
- Action cards for each player
- A personal player board for each player
- Various cards: plantation cards, expansion cards, bookkeeping cards
Setup
- Game Board and Companies: Place the game board in the center. Position the four trading companies on their designated spots on the board.
- Player Materials: Each player gets a personal player board, along with their respective bookkeeping and progress markers and diamond markers, which are placed on starting positions.
- Starting Capital: Every player receives a set amount of starting capital, depending on the number of players.
- Action Cards: Each player selects their starting action cards as prescribed and draws five cards.
- Round Setup: Arrange the bookkeeping and expansion cards in ascending order in the display.
Game Flow
The game is played over a set number of rounds, which can vary based on the number of players. Each round consists of several phases.
1. Planning Phase
- Each player selects up to three of their action cards and places them face down on their player board.
2. Action Phase
- Players take turns performing actions until all players have passed.
- Action Options:
- Use Goods Action Cards: Utilize resources from your action cards to buy shares or gain advancements.
- Buy Shares: Use money to purchase shares in companies.
- Bookkeeping: Move the bookkeeping marker to unlock bonuses.
- Diamonds Merchant: Shift the diamond marker to generate additional income.
- Expansion Actions: Expand company territories by placing trading posts on the board.
3. Bookkeeping
- Each player activates their set bookkeeping cards to receive respective bonuses.
4. Cleanup Phase
- Players prepare for the next round: action cards move to the discard pile and new cards are drawn.
Game End and Scoring
The game ends after a set number of rounds: - Share Majority: Points are allocated based on the number of shares held for each company. - Money: Remaining money is converted into victory points. - Special Bonuses: Additional progress and bonuses contribute to final scoring.
The player with the most victory points wins.
Strategic Tips
- Buying Shares: Plan when to buy shares and which companies to invest in carefully. The value of shares is highly dependent on the companies' expansions throughout the game.
- Bookkeeping and Diamonds: Leverage these mechanisms to gain additional resources. Advancing on these tracks yields significant bonuses.
- Timing: Consider when to perform actions strategically. Sometimes delaying actions, particularly buying shares, can be beneficial.
Mombasa offers a high level of strategy through various options and requires forward planning and adaptability to opponents.
