Discover a New World

When I play Mundus Novus, I get to collect various goods cards like cocoa, tobacco, indigo, and potatoes. But the tricky part is that I have to trade some of these cards with others. After the exchanges are done, I can use my cards in two ways: either by creating sets of at least 3 identical cards to unlock awesome developments like caravels, warehouses, and characters, or by combining different cards to earn doubloons.

Let’s Get Started

When the game starts, I mix the Resource cards and the Development cards together, making sure to do it carefully. Next, I place 3 Resource Cards face up next to the pile of Resource cards. These 3 cards will make up the Market. Then, I reveal 5 Development Cards and put them in a line, one after the other. The order in which I reveal the cards is important, so I pay close attention to that. I also make sure to place the Event tokens next to the Development deck, and the Trade Master token goes to the youngest player. Finally, I put the Doubloon tokens next to the playing area.

GAMEPLAY

A game consists of multiple rounds, and each round is made up of four different phases:

1. Event: If the first Development Card, which is located furthest from the Development Deck, has an event symbol at the bottom left of the card, an event is triggered. There are five different events that can occur:

• King’s Help: This event allows you to collect more than one event card during your turn.
• Natives: The Natives event changes how Resource cards are combined. Instead of getting the normal combination value, each card is only worth one doubloon.
• Storm: When the Storm event is in effect, you can only acquire the first card in the queue from the Development Deck. All other Development cards are off-limits.
• Fire: During the Fire event, your warehouses become unusable at the end of your turn.
• Pirate Attack: The Pirate Attack event forces you to discard a Building card from your hand.

Arr, matey! Prepare to set sail on a grand adventure on the high seas! Avast ye, for here be the rules of Mundus Novus, a game that’ll have ye plunderin’ and tradin’ like a true pirate.

1. Pirates: Ye best be careful of them scurvy pirates! They be causin’ trouble, makin’ ye lose a Resource card for each squadron of two caravels or more ye got in yer possession. Keep a sharp eye out for those rascals!

2. Supply: Now, let’s talk about gettin’ yer hands on some loot! Each player starts with five Resource cards. But that’s not all! Ye also get to draw and place on the table as many Resource cards as ye got caravels in play. Remember, the stronger yer squadron, the more cards ye can collect. So gather up yer forces and get ready to claim yer riches!

3. Exchanges: I get to be the Trade Master, and I pick a number between 2 and 4. Then, we all show our Resource cards at the same time. Whoever has the most cards wins and becomes the new Trade Master. Now, it’s my turn! I can choose one of your cards and exchange it with one from the market. I’ll take the new card and put it in my hand. We keep going like this until all the cards are gone.

4. Progression: The Trade Master decides who goes first. Each player takes turns putting down a group of cards from their hand. The cards in the group have to be all the same type of resource or all have a different number. It’s exciting!

If you come across resources of the same kind, you have the option to take a Development card from the queue. The importance of this choice varies depending on the number and value of the cards already played. Here’s a breakdown:

For Common resources:	Rare resources:	Very rare resources:
If you have 3 cards:	Take the 1st card:	Choose among the first 3 cards:	Take any card:
If you have 4 cards:	Choose among the first 3 cards:	Take any card:	Not applicable:
If you have 5 cards:	Take any card:	Not applicable:	Not applicable:

Once you buy a Development card, a new one will be drawn and placed in the fifth position.

If the resources are different, you can sell them for doubloons. Here’s how:

Inca relics, you’ve probably heard of them. They’re pretty neat! What’s important about them is that they can be used as a wild card in any combination. You can also play them as a combination of relics, and this is where things get interesting. When you do that, you get some cool rewards. Let me break it down for you.

Say you have one Inca relic in your combination. Well, then you get three doubloons. Add a second relic, and you’re looking at seven doubloons. With three relics, you’ll get twelve doubloons. And the rewards just keep getting better from there. Four relics will earn you eighteen doubloons, and if you manage to put together a combination of five relics, get ready for a whopping twenty-five doubloons!

But wait, there’s more! In addition to all that, you can use Inca relics as a joker in any combination. That means they can replace any other relic you need to complete your set. Talk about versatile!

So there you have it – the delightful world of Inca relics. They’re like a secret weapon that can give you the edge you need. Whether you use them as wild cards or combine them for their awesome rewards, these relics are an invaluable asset in your card-playing arsenal. So go ahead, embrace the power of the Inca relics and let them take your game to the next level!

Development cards

Some Developments give you doubloons at the start of each turn, and also when you get them. You can find the number of doubloons on the top right corner of the card.

• Caravel: gives you one more Resource per turn during the Supply phase.
• Shipyard: earns you 1 doubloon for each opponent who has more caravels than you, at the end of the turn.
• Merchant: lets you exchange any Resource for a Resource that is shown on the map, once per turn during the Progression phase.
• Warehouse: allows you to keep one or more Resource cards at the end of the round, as indicated on the card.
• Diego de Almagro: earns you 2 doubloons per turn, and lets you draw a Development card from the deck instead of taking one from the revealed Developments.

Juan de la Cosa is a skilled sailor who earns 1 doubloon every turn and is immune to all events, including the King’s Help. Gonzalo Pizarro has the ability to reduce the value of your strongest caravel to 0. Bartolomé de la Casas is an expert trader who earns 1 doubloon per turn. He also allows you to place fewer cards for exchange than required by the Trade Master, including 0 cards.

Juan Ponce de León has a unique advantage – he can divide his caravels into two squadrons, which are treated separately during the Supply phase and the Pirates event. Pedro de Valdivia is another valuable sailor who earns 1 doubloon per round and gains 3 points when determining the Trade Master. Finally, Francisco de Orellana offers a special trade opportunity. If after a trade, the 3 cards in the Market are identical or if their numbers follow each other, you can win 2 doubloons. These assorted sailors each bring their own unique skills to your crew and can greatly enhance your voyages across the high seas.

CHOOSING YOUR CONQUISTADOR

Hi there! I wanted to talk to you about the different Conquistadors you can choose in the game and how they can help you. Let’s go over a couple of them:

• Francisco de Coronado: He lets you pay 2 doubloons to pick an event when there isn’t one available.
• Hernan Cortes: He earns you 3 doubloons every turn.

THE END OF THE GAME

The game comes to an end for different reasons. Here they are, in order of importance:

• If a player collects all 9 different Resources and an Inca relic, they automatically win the game. If multiple players achieve this in the same turn, the richest among them takes the victory.
• If one or more players reach or exceed 75 doubloons, the richest player wins the game.
• If all the event cards have been played, the player with the most doubloons becomes the winner.