2023 · Adventure
Pirates of Maracaibo
Command a pirate vessel and sail the Caribbean in search of treasure, crew, and opportunities to raid rival ships. Players navigate a map, visit ports to buy and sell cargo, hire specialized crew, and undertake missions that reward gold, emeralds, and pearls which must be stashed ashore to count toward final wealth. Play proceeds over three circuits of the board; on each circuit players manage resources, upgrade ships, and choose between combat, exploration, or trading actions to outmaneuver opponents. The game blends route planning, hand/role management, and tactical encounters as players race to amass the largest fortune and secure a place to retire off the coast.
- Players
- 1–4 best 3
- Playing time
- 40–100 min
- Age
- 12+
- Complexity
- 2.9 / 5
About the game
Expansions
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Where to buy it
Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.
On Ludoya's tables
Full stats in Ludoya- 264
- Plays logged
- 244
- Players
- 1h 24m
- Average play
- 78
- In collections
- 37
- On wishlists
- 1
- Pre-ordered
8.1/10
from 39 Ludoya reviews
- Base -
Rules questions
Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.
Do I have to end my movement in a column closer to Maracaibo than I started, or can I stop in the same column?
You must move 1–3 spaces and end your Move step in a column closer to Maracaibo than the column you started in; you cannot finish in the same column (treasure islands are not spaces). (page 6)
If I end my move on a card with opponents' ships, do I have to pay them even if I can't afford all of them?
If you end on a card with opposing Ship tokens you must pay each opponent 1 doubloon if possible; if you cannot pay everyone you choose which opponents to pay and there are no further penalties for unpaid opponents. (page 6)
When I raid, how do the dice colors, rerolls and treasure types work?
You roll all three Raiding dice and may reroll all dice once, then choose one die whose color determines the treasure type (yellow = gold, green = emeralds, white = pearls) and you gain Raiding Power equal to that die's value to spend on raiding actions; unused Raiding Power is lost at turn end. (page 8)
How does burying treasure work — does buried treasure still count and do I get extra points or bonuses?
Burying moves a Treasure marker below the shovel line onto an empty buried-bonus space (you gain that covered bonus if any), the treasure still counts as yours for all purposes, and each buried treasure scores +2 VP at game end. (pages 8, 11)
Can more than one Black Market tile be placed on the same Location?
No — when you place a Black Market tile you must put it on a Location card that does not already have a Black Market tile, so each Location can hold at most one. (page 9)
What happens if a Treasure Island has no markers when I take a treasure?
If there are no Markers on the Treasure Island you may take a Marker from the supply and place it in the matching storage area on your Hideout board. (page 8)
Free, on web, Android and iOS
Play Pirates of Maracaibo with Ludoya
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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.