Santa Cruz
Build on a volcanic island and time your scoring cards so you cash in before your rivals do.
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- Designer
- Marcel-André Casasola Merkle
- Published by
- Filosofia Éditions
- Editions by
- Lautapelit.fi, Giochi Uniti, Hans im Glück
An island-building card game played twice through, where you construct homes, churches and lighthouses while quietly deciding when to trigger scoring for everyone. You play a travel card to build in your color or a scoring card that pays out one building type for all players, so timing your reveals is the whole game. A lurking volcano can wipe the board.
Who it's for
Players who enjoy timing and interaction, and like that scoring benefits everyone so bluffing your intentions pays off.
Not for you if…
You want a solitaire optimization puzzle, or dislike that a rival can trigger scoring and cash in on your hard work.
Vibe's take
Sharp and interactive, a game of nerve where the best builder loses to whoever scores at the right moment.
Published 2012 · 14 years ago
older than 72% of games
In 1,818 collections
collected more than 32% of games
2–4 players · ages 8+
Best with 3 or 4
about 45 min
shorter than 51% of games · typical 30–90 min
Complexity: medium
One warm-up round · 2.2 out of 5 · heavier than 57%
Opinions: broad agreement
Most people rate it similarly
Language: no text
Playable without the language
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