Santa Monica (2020) Board Game

Santa Monica is a city in California known for its beautiful beaches and vibrant culture. The board game of the same name, released in 2020, captures the essence of this coastal city by allowing players to build their own version of Santa Monica with attractions and landmarks.

Game Components of Santa Monica

78 Feature Cards

4 Reference Cards

6 Starting Feature Tiles

4 Sand Dollar Tiles

3 Scoring Objective Tiles

30 Locals, 30 Tourists, 8 VIPs

28 Footprint Tokens

25 Sand Dollars and 4 Multipliers

1 Food Truck and 1 Foodie Token

1 Start Player Token and Score Pad

1 Rulebook

Adorable wooden meeples representing tourists, a foodie, and a food truck.

How To Setup Santa Monica

To set up the game, each player starts with a unique starting tile that serves as the foundation for their beach and street areas. The feature cards are arranged in a drafting pool with four cards readily available and four more as a preview of the next cards to be drafted. Each player also receives a set of starting feature tiles, sand dollar tiles, and other necessary tokens. The food truck and foodie token are placed at the bottom of the draft pool to facilitate additional sand dollar acquisition and meeple movement.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Mechanics

Card Drafting: Players draft feature cards from the display to build their beach and street areas.

Tableau Building: Players construct their tableau by placing cards in their designated areas.

Token Management: Players manage locals, tourists, and VIPs to score points.

Sand Dollar Abilities: Special abilities granted by sand dollars allow for more complex moves.

Game Objective

The goal is to create the most appealing neighborhood by attracting tourists, locals, and VIPs, and fulfilling their specific requests.

Players score points by placing feature cards, managing tokens, and fulfilling scoring objectives.

The game ends when any player has 14 cards in their tableau, and the player with the most points wins.

Player Experience

In **Santa Monica**, players embark on a journey to build a picturesque beachfront community in Southern California. The game offers a simple yet engaging experience, with a streamlined drafting system and easy-to-understand iconography. Players must balance attracting different types of visitors and building attractions that cater to their needs. The game’s light and fun atmosphere, coupled with its beautiful artwork and adorable wooden meeples, makes it enjoyable for both casual and experienced gamers. However, it does require some table space, as the tableau expands horizontally.

Pros

Easy to Learn: Simple and intuitive gameplay mechanics.

Beautiful Artwork: The game’s design and artwork evoke a pleasant beach experience.

Engaging Token Management: Managing locals, tourists, and VIPs adds a fun and challenging layer to the game.

Quick Playtime: Games last approximately 40-45 minutes.

Adaptable Strategy: Players can choose to focus on different types of visitors and attractions.

Cons

Table Space Requirements: The game requires a significant amount of table space to accommodate the expanding tableau.

Iconography Complexity: Some players may need several games to fully understand the iconography and scoring rules.

Box Size and Organization: The game box could be smaller, and the lack of a box insert can make component organization challenging.

Personal Thoughts on Santa Monica

**Santa Monica** is a delightful game that is perfect for those who enjoy light to medium-weight games with a strong focus on tableau building and card drafting. It is particularly suited for families, casual gamers, and anyone who appreciates a visually appealing game with easy-to-learn mechanics. While it may not offer the complexity some hardcore gamers seek, its charm and simplicity make it an excellent addition to any game collection. The game’s ability to be enjoyed over a wide range of player counts, from two to four, adds to its versatility and appeal.

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