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A Decade of Dominance
Puerto Rico has enjoyed a long reign of dominance for several years at the top of the BGG rankings. And even though it tussled with Agricola for the number one spot for some time, and has since been passed by the current #1 Twilight Struggle, it still enjoys a strong following, and can rightly be considered a quintessential and highly influential euro that offers much enjoyment and replayability for modern gamers.
Yet there is one respect in which Puerto Rico is showing its age. After all, it's been around since 2002 (a pre-publication version was at Essen 2001), so it first appeared almost a decade ago! For the most part it has stood the test of time, and its gameplay holds up well even when measured by the standards of the latest and newest crops of games - many of which are indebted to it and influenced by it. But if there is an aspect that could be improved, it's that the components could do with a visual makeover, particularly the building tiles. The plain text-only purple buildings are starting to look somewhat vintage and austere, and are just not up to snuff when compared with the artistic production values witnessed in the components of most newer euro games today.
A Tenth Anniversary Edition
Last week I posted an article making a case for the game to appear in an upgraded edition, at the very least with illustrated buildings. Several enterprising BGGers have already put a lot of work adapting some of Franz Vohwinkel's beautiful building artwork from San Juan, and porting it back to the Puerto Rico building tiles that inspired San Juan in the first place. These illustrated building tiles make for a more enjoyable experience, and help prevent Puerto Rico from showing signs of its age, by putting it more on par with the kind of components seen in most newer games. As such, it helps this classic retain some of its appeal for a new generation of gamers who might be coming across it for the first time, and adds an extra layer of things to appreciate for long-time players of the game like myself.
Since most of us lack the technical expertise to produce our own print-and-play copy of these improved components, what the majority of gamers would likely prefer to see is a commercial edition that features this higher standard of artwork, which we can buy straight off the shelf in our local game store. In other words, what we really want is for the publisher to step up to the plate and do this for us.
Given that 2012 marks the tenth anniversary of Puerto Rico, it seems that this would be an ideal time to put out an upgraded edition of the game. Puerto Rico is a fantastic game, and its enduring appeal is fast from fading, so if any game deserves this kind of makeover, Puerto Rico is the one. The gameplay is strong enough to compete with the best of today's games, and it can expect to enjoy continued success on the strength of its established reputation, if only it's supported by components that match the quality and visual appeal of the newer games emerging off the press. An upgraded edition of the game - at the very least featuring illustrated building tiles - would be very well received by longtime fans of the game, and perhaps convince them to retire their well-worn copy in favour of a more visually appealing game. Furthermore, it could go a long way to making the game more endearing to people playing it for the first time. The tenth anniversary in 2012 would be the perfect time to make this happen.
The Publishers Respond
Perhaps it's a coincidence, but oddly enough the very next day after I posted my article, an interview appeared with Alea's product manager Stefan Brück which included the following:
"At Essen we are planning a `pimped' anniversary edition of our most successful game, Puerto Rico, which was presented for the first time 10 years ago in Essen (and had never seen before success)." NB: That's loosely translated via Google, the original German reads: "Zu Essen planen wir eine – aufwändige; neudeutsch würde man wohl sagen:”gepimpte” – Jubiläumsausgabe zu unserem größten Erfolgsspiel, Puerto Rico, das vor 10 Jahren in Essen erstmalig (und mit nie mehr dagewesenem Erfolg) präsentiert wurde."
The very same day saw this post from Jay Tummelson of Rio Grande Games, in response to some of the calls on BGG for an upgraded anniversary edition:
"I too like the idea of a special 10yr anniversary edition. If we do one, it will certainly have upgraded graphics and components. I suspect it will be a limited edition and not replace the "standard" PR. I also expect it will be much more expensive than the regular PR. Also, we will not make the upgraded components available separately. As soon as I have information on whether and what we will offer, I will make an announcement. Thanks
Jay"
At the very least, I'd hope that such an edition includes illustrated building tiles, as well as some other extras like the additional building tiles from the expansion and the Alea Treasure Chest, the two player variant, and some other rule variants and tweaks (e.g. the Factory - University price swap). I'm pleased to see publishers taking up the challenge, and although there are various approaches they can take, the fact that they are giving this serious consideration sounds promising.
Want to learn more? See my full article:  A Pictorial Overview: An edition of Puerto Rico with illustrated buildings - isn't it about time?
Join the discussion: What advice would you give to a publisher considering making a tenth anniversary edition of Puerto Rico, and what would you like to see it include? Would you rather see an updated version of the game replace the current edition of Puerto Rico with some slight upgrades (e.g. illustrated buildings, expansion tiles, and the two player variant)? Or would you rather see a limited edition over-the-top super-deluxe version (e.g. wooden ships, trading house)? If a tenth anniversary edition of the game does appear, what would you hope to see included? Let's make some noise - perhaps the publishers will listen to our suggestions!
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