Jamaica Game Rules

Ahoy, mateys! Have you ever dreamed of being a fearless pirate, sailing the high seas and searching for hidden treasures? Well, me hearties, you’re in luck! I’m here to tell you all about the swashbuckling adventure known as the Jamaica board game. So grab your compass, load up the cannons, and let’s set sail on a thrilling journey of strategy and excitement!

In the game of Jamaica, you and your fellow pirates will compete to be the first to reach the legendary port of Port Royal. But beware, me hearties, for the sea is treacherous and full of danger. Along the way, you’ll encounter fierce battles with other pirates, pesky sea monsters, and even the wrath of Mother Nature herself.

To navigate your way through this perilous journey, you’ll need to make wise decisions and use your resources strategically. Each player will have their very own ship, which they can upgrade and customize as they see fit. You’ll also have a crew of loyal pirates who can help you in your quest for victory.

But it’s not just about sailing, me hearties. No, no! This game is as much about strategy as it is about luck. You’ll need to carefully manage your resources, make shrewd decisions, and outwit your opponents if you want to emerge victorious. It’s a delicate balance of risk and reward, and only the savviest pirates will triumph.

The game is played over the course of several rounds, with each round representing a day at sea. Each player will take turns performing various actions, such as sailing, gathering resources, and engaging in combat. The goal is to reach Port Royal before your rivals, but the journey won’t be easy. You’ll need to manage your resources wisely, fend off attacks from other players, and overcome the many challenges that await you on the open seas.

So, me hearties, are you ready to embark on a thrilling adventure? Do you have what it takes to outwit your opponents, conquer the high seas, and claim the title of the ultimate pirate? If so, then grab a crew, hoist the anchor, and set sail for Jamaica! Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum!

If you see a loading symbol (like food, gunpowder, or doubloons), you need to put the number of tokens shown on the action die into an empty hold.

If you don’t have an empty hold, you have to empty one (return the tokens to the bank) to make room. You can’t empty a hold that already has the same type of token you are trying to load. If all holds are already filled with that type, you can’t perform the action.

Movement

If you see a movement symbol, you must move your ship forward (green) or backward (red) the number of spaces shown on the action die.

You can move backward on your first movement, but you need to complete a full circuit of the island to win the game.

If the final space you move to is occupied, combat immediately happens. After any combat, you must pay the cost of the space.

Combat

When you land on a space that is already occupied by another player, you become the attacker. You get to choose which opponent you want to battle if there are multiple options. Keep in mind that battles cannot happen in Port Royale.

To determine your combat strength, you can spend any number of gunpowder tokens and add that number to your combat die roll. This will be your total combat strength. The defender does the same.

The player with the higher combat strength is the winner. In the case of a tie, nothing happens.

If a player rolls a star on the combat die, they automatically win the battle, regardless of their combat strength. If the attacker rolls a star, the defender is unable to defend themselves. If the defender rolls a star, they win, regardless of the attacker’s combat strength.

The winner of the battle gets to choose one of the following options:

• Steal the contents of one of the loser’s holds, following the usual loading rules.
• I can steal a treasure from the loser, but I can’t see what it is first.
• I can give a cursed treasure to the loser.

The Cost of Spaces

A port space costs the amount of money shown on the golden needle, and I have to pay it to the bank.

A sea space costs the number of food tokens shown by the white squares, and I have to pay it to the bank.

A pirate lair space doesn’t cost anything. If there’s a treasure token there, I take it out of the game and get a treasure card in return, which I put next to my holds.

If I can’t afford the cost of a space, I have a shortage. I pay as much as I can to the bank, then go back to the first space where I can pay the full cost. Even if there’s a pirate lair along that path, I can stop there, take the treasure, and continue. I can choose the route if there’s more than one path to follow.

When I find myself needing more space, I am faced with a choice – do I pay the cost for a new space, or do I engage in a battle if the space I want is already taken?

The Hunt for Treasures

When I play a game, treasures can really make a difference in my final score. They can either boost my score or bring it down if they’re cursed. It’s interesting how they’re hidden and only revealed at the end of the game.

Did you know that I can have more than one treasure card? And the best part is that treasures can be stolen or given during combat!

The Power of Treasures

Now, here’s something really cool. Four of the treasure cards have special powers! These cards are placed faceup by my holds, and as long as I have the card, I can use its power. It’s like having a secret weapon up my sleeve!

I have here a list of special cards that can be used in a game called Morgan’s Map. Each player can hold up to 4 action cards at a time. The first card is called Saran’s Sabre. It allows you to roll your own combat die again or make your opponent roll theirs again, even if it’s a star. But, you must accept the result of the second roll. The second card is Lady Beth. If you have this card, you get a +2 bonus when rolling the combat die. The last card is called 6th Hold. It acts as an extra hold, following the usual loading rules. That means you can store extra resources there. And that’s it! Those are the special cards you can use in Morgan’s Map. Good luck playing! Now, let’s talk about what happens at the end of the game.

Once you arrive at Port Royale, your journey comes to a halt. The actions you have left for the evening don’t matter anymore. The current round ends as usual, and the game concludes with each player tallying up their points.

Your final score is determined by adding the white number on the space where your ship is located to the doubloons in your possession, and any treasures you’ve acquired. However, be cautious as cursed treasures will deduct points from your overall score.

If you happen to end your journey on or before the -5 space, it will cost you 5 points.

The player with the highest number of points is crowned the winner. In the event of a tie, the player who has made the most progress in the race takes the victory. Alternatively, if multiple players are tied, they will share the glory of the win.