Who I am/ Who Might Find This Useful
While I do occasionally play games at a local gaming group, when I buy games, the intent is (1) playing alone, (2) playing with my kids (ages 3, 7, and 7) or (3) playing with my non-gamer wife and friends. So the most important things for me are: (1) theme (to interest my wife, it can't just be pasted on), (2) degree of luck (not too much but more than just trace), (3) screw you factor (my wife likes these games – especially if there is an ability to gang up on the king), (4) adaptability for kids, (5) adaptability for solo play, (6) appropriate for large groups and (7) playing time.
Overview
A 1 - 4 player Euro card game. What makes this game interesting is that the cards function as money, resources, and victory points. On your turn, you can build structures (by playing cards in your hand), plant crops, harvest and sell crops (for cards), or just get more cards. The twist of trying to decide whether a card is more valuable to be spent as money or to be saved and played later as a building is one of the tough decisions that makes this game different from comparable board games.
Number of times I've played: 10+
Theme (1 = trace, 10 = transports you to a new world)
There is a theme here; I know I've seen it somewhere; give me a few minutes and I'll find it.
The cards are attractive and laying them down in a grid does give some sense of a town but no, I'd have to say the theme of building a town in Puerto Rico is pretty weak. That said, there is a strong sense of buying/selling and making economic-type decisions so from that perspective, the theme is good. Score: 4Degree of Luck (0 = trace (go play Chess), 10 = all luck (go play War))
As with any card game, there is some luck. However, there are so many different ways to win that I think most of the luck of the draw can be mitigated. Score: 3
Screw You Factor/Player Interaction (0 = multi-player solitaire, 10 = Winning is 2nd priority)
There is a little bit of screw-you factor. Depending on what your opponent(s) are doing, you may try to drag the game out or rush it to conclusion or hoard the trader role to keep someone from producing more goods. However, there is a significant amount of multi-player solitaire. Score: 3
Adaptability for young kids (ages 3, 7, and 7) (0 = unsuitable, 10 = built for them)
First, there are a lot of cards to read, so probably I'll have to wait until at least until later this school year to try this out with the kids. In addition, there are enough different things going on, e.g. do I build building or farms, is this card more important as money or as a building, that I think it will still be a while before I can get the kids playing this. Score: 2
Adaptability for solo play (0 = unsuitable, 10 = built for it)
Personally, I prefer "race against the clock" solo games to "beat your personal best" solo games so I'm not crazy about playing San Juan solo. However, I have done it a couple of times and it plays ok (Steve Oliver C's suggestion here: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/29904 is the one I've played). Score: 7
Appropriate for large groups (0 = unsuitable, 10 = built for them)
Unfortunately this is hard-wired to 4. While there are some variants for 5 - 8 players (two involve either getting a second copy of SJ or modifying a standard deck of cards), I have not played them. That said, it does play well with anywhere from 2 to 4 players. Score: 1
Playing Time: Average: 30 - 45 minutes.
Summary:
I enjoy San Juan. It was my gateway game and I still like playing it. I have used it as a gateway game for my wife and friends and it has worked well. While personally, I prefer a game with a little more screw-you/ player interaction, San Juan continues to hit the tables periodically because it is very good at what it is -- a gateway game that is easy to explain, plays relatively quickly and still has enough strategy to keep it interesting. Personal Score: 7
Posted Wed Dec 24, 2008 4:30 pm