Trade and CommerceSantiago de Cuba has some remarkable curiosities regarding commerce, the most notable being that, for the first time since the 1960s, the private sector has surpassed the state sector in retail sales in the city and in Cuba as a whole.Santiago de Cuba's CommerceThis change represents a historic transformation in the Cuban economic model, which for decades was dominated by the State. Here are some interesting details:- Local fairs and stores: Santiago de Cuba has seen a growth in private shops, fairs, and small markets, offering a wider variety of products with greater price flexibility;- Creative local distributors: Many local entrepreneurs have adapted to import and supply limitations, creating alternative distribution networks such as cooperatives and collective purchasing groups;- Currency and scarcity: Trade still faces challenges such as dual currency (Cuban peso and convertible peso), scarcity of basic products, and price fluctuations, which makes the local market quite dynamic and creative.Based on these changes, the population has sought alternatives to circumvent the limitations of the state system and find more agile and accessible solutions.All this context of informal markets, alternative distribution networks, and "floating" trade is present in the game Santiago de Cuba.Let's play!Santiago de Cuba - Game InfoSantiago de Cuba is a 2-to-4 players game, age 10+, by designer Michael Rieneck. Art by Michael Menzel and Hans-Georg Schneider.Game BoxSantiago de Cuba was released in 2011 by Eggertspiele. Its mechanics include: pick-up and deliver, worker placement, commodity speculation, point-to-point movement, dice rolling, a modular board, and hidden victory points.Game ComponentsSantiago de Cuba, one year after its release, in 2012, won the Spanish Game of the Year Award and, in 2013, the Hungarian award in the same category.Playing the GameIn Santiago de Cuba, our business card says "broker", but in reality we're shady wheeler-dealers who arrange deals with the locals and with corruptible officials to move goods, use buildings that provide certain advantages, and meet the demand of those ever-present cargo ships.This is the background for Santiago de Cuba!During the game, all of us "brokers" are on the same boat, and we have the opportunity to interact with 9 local residents, and to visit 12 buildings where we can do "business," and even acquire some of these buildings and profit from it. All this to meet the demand of the ships in the port, which, incidentally, has constantly changing demands - sometimes "forced" by us, since after all, "the ends justify the means."No two games of Santiago de Cuba are ever the same. This is due to the game's setup, where the 9 local residents we interact with, as well as the buildings we visit and can even buy, are all randomly placed. The car, where we all are, starts parked in the port, the ship's demand is resolved by dice rolls, and the blue merchandise value token is placed in position 2.Two Player SetupPlayers receive their "car" screens, 3 pesos (the game's currency), 2 victory points, 3 property markers, and 3 goods: sugar, tobacco, and orange.Starting GoodsA turn is divided in two phases:- Phase A: move your car;- Phase B: visit a building.To move your car, in Phase A, just move it clockwise. Be attentive - only the first move is free, if you want to advance more, pay 1 peso for each extra movement.The Car AdvancesIf you stop in front of a local resident, you will usually get goods, victory points, or money. If you stop at the port, you will start the ship charter process.Regarding the local residents, there are 9 in total. Through them you can obtain a wide variety of goods, shown in the lower left corner of the tile. In addition, each of them gives you access to 3 buildings, indicated by the color of the flower in the lower right corner of the tile.The 9 LocalsAt this phase, it's always important to keep an eye on the port to know what goods are in demand by the ships. This is represented by the dice, depending on their colors and corresponding numbers.Ship with DemandRegarding the products that may be in demand, namely:- white: sugar cane;- orange citric fruits;- green tobacco;- red: rum;- black: cigars.Goods' DiceThere is also one product not yet mentioned: wood. There is only one local resident in the game who supplies wood: a lumberjack.Based on this, if during this Phase you decide to stop at the port, a loading round is initiated, starting with the player who stopped the car at the port:- load a single type of the in-demand goods in quantity up to the value indicated on the die;- adjust the die value to the quantity, deducting the quantity you loaded;- receive victory points for the cargo according to the current price (represented by the blue token).A car waiting after the Round has begunNote that wood can always be loaded at the port in place of a commodity, but it has a fixed price of 1. When loaded, one of the demanded products is chosen to lower the die roll, since something has been loaded. Use this strategically.After the player who stopped at the port loads their goods, play resumes with the player to their left, who repeats the loading process, then it passes to the next player, and so on until no player has any more goods to load or the ship's demand is satisfied (all dice with a value of 0). Then the ship sets sail and a new round of the game begins.Fulfilled Ship's RequestIf the ship's total cargo is not met, the ship remains in port and the value of the goods increases, represented by the blue token. The initial value is 2, but it can rise to 3 and 4 if the demand is not met. If the demand is not met on the 4th cargo attempt, the ship sails as is, and a new round of the game begins.When a ship sails, two things happen: the first is that the ship token advances, which is an indicator of the end of the game, as the game has 7 rounds. The second, which is highly strategic, is that the player who loaded the last cargo takes the 5 dice and rolls them to determine the ship's next cargo demand.The trick here is that each ship only has space for 4 types of cargo, so the player strategically chooses 4 of the 5 dice rolled and places them according to the ship's demand. One die, that is, one cargo, will not be loaded in that turn.Players defining the current demand for the Ship cargoIf the car didn't stop at the port, it means it stopped in front of a local resident, so now comes Phase B, which is time to visit a building.12 Available BuildingsEach local resident, as already mentioned, gives you access to goods and other advantages, but what matters here in Phase B is the bottom right corner of the tile which has a flower of a certain color that indicates which 3 buildings you can visit and take advantage of their benefits.Visiting one of the 3 white-colored buildingsVisiting buildings offers great advantages, ranging from trading or manufacturing goods, to earning victory points, money, manipulating demand and prices of goods in the port, and even clandestine shipping. It really has everything!After visiting the building and reaping its benefits, it's the next player's turn.That's how a turn of Santiago de Cuba goes!Ending the GameIn Santiago de Cuba, the game ends immediately when the 7th ship sails from the port.To tally points, each player raises their screen and converts any remaining goods, including wood, into victory points:- 1 victory point for every 3 goods;- add this to their victory points earned during the game.Money does not award victory points, but it can be important in case of a tie.The player with the most victory points is the winner!In case of a tie, among those tied, the winner will be the player with the most remaining goods. If the tie persists, among those tied, the winner is the one with the most money.Strategy TipsSantiago de Cuba is about strategy, predicting moves, and making the most of every possibility. This is true because all players are, during the game, in the same car; where one goes, the others follow. This becomes very clear during Phase A, the phase where you move the car, as the player whose turn it is decides where and when to stop.This creates a certain anxiety, but it's short-lived; after all, once it's your turn, you dictate the rules. To do this in the best way, that is, in the most productive way for your turn, you must have money. After all, only the first movement of the car is free; subsequent movements cost 1 peso... so, save money for it!This is reinforced by some opportunities, for example, to be the only one to have a specific commodity and be able to place it on a ship immediately, thus having exclusivity over those goods. So, to move the vehicle to the port and start a loading turn, you'll need to spend money.It's always good to keep an eye on what competitors are accumulating in terms of goods, as this says a lot about when they intend to stop at the port. Be prepared for that.If you don't stop at the port, you'll obviously be stopped in front of a local resident; for this, money will help you choose to stop and "negotiate" with the right resident. The advantages of this are varied, in addition to, obviously, being able to visit, or even acquire, a building, which I highly recommend. From the moment someone uses a building you own, you always gain 1 victory point. This makes all the difference in the end.Choosing a local resident to interact with goes beyond the immediate goods they can offer; it also involves access to the three buildings, i.e., Phase B. The idea here is to try and combine the local resident's benefit with the best building to visit. Keep that in mind.Visiting the buildings alters the entire strategy and dynamics of the game for all players, because the buildings can manipulate the price of goods at the port, allow you to board clandestinely before everyone else, alter demand, and so on. Pay close attention to this, because in Santiago de Cuba, anything can happen!Based on these tips, develop your best strategy and win in Santiago de Cuba.Unboxing, Rules, and Gameplay videosUnboxing:Rules:Gameplay:Pedagogical TipsSantiago de Cuba is dynamic, simple, and fun, full of strategy, and offers opportunities for children to engage in various activities.The kids will love it because no two games are ever the same; everything is randomly selected at the beginning of the game, from the local residents and buildings to the demand for goods. There will always be that "good tension" about which goods are being requested by the ships, which goods will be left out, and so on. This will lead to plenty of funny moments, because "someone" will be left with stranded goods, since the ship won't be taking those goods in that turn.Managing money, victory points, and cash is an excellent exercise in management and strategy, and best of all, they'll do it without even realizing it. At the same time, they'll make decisions about how much to spend to move the car, how much to save to trade with locals, and so on. It's logical-mathematical reasoning in action!As a bonus, the game is language-independent, which makes it much easier for children to access, and it's totally iconic. That's a huge plus for Santiago de Cuba! Take the opportunity to explain the historical context in which the game takes place, which, as mentioned at the beginning of this review, portrays very well the local economic situation and informal commerce.Pedagogically, Santiago de Cuba addresses resource management, stimulates strategy, decision-making, logical-mathematical reasoning, and on top of that, it's fun!I recommend Santiago de Cuba for your collection!
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