Tortuga (2014) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Tortuga is a board game released in 2014 that lets players take on the role of pirates in the Caribbean. Designed by Patrick Rennwanz and Claus Stephan, the game is set in the golden age of piracy and combines elements of dice rolling, set collection, and auction/bidding mechanics. With a runtime of 35 minutes and suitable for players aged 8 and above, Tortuga offers a fun and exciting gameplay experience for 2 to 4 players.

Game Components of Tortuga

40 Treasure chests

1 Bag

1 Island (composed of two parts)

30 Treasure tiles

1 Start player token

4 Pirate tokens

4 Boat tokens

20 Dice (5 each in 4 player colors)

4 Screens (1 each in 4 player colors)

4 Player boards (1 each in 4 player colors, composed of 2 parts)

20 Bonus tiles

1 Rules booklet

How To Setup Tortuga

To set up the game, place the island in the center of the playing area and arrange the 30 treasure tiles randomly around it. Put the 40 treasure chests in the bag and mix them well. Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding 5 dice, screen, and player board. The youngest player is the start player and receives the start player token. Each player draws 2 treasure chests from the bag and places them on their player board according to the initial setup rules.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Dice Rolling: Players simultaneously roll their 5 dice, with one reroll action.

Action Assignment: Players assign their dice to different areas on their tableaus (fleet, crew, island, treasure hunt, and boarding/raiding actions).

Action Phase: Players compete based on the combined numeric strength of each die action to determine the first and second place players.

Treasure Movement: Treasure chests are moved from the island area to the crew area, then to the fleet area, and finally to Tortuga.

Game Objective: Be the first to collect 6 treasures at the Island of Tortuga and amass the greatest number of victory points.

Player Experience

In Tortuga, players embody swashbuckling buccaneers aiming to transport their treasures to the legendary pirate haven of Tortuga while fending off attacks from other players. The game requires adaptability and quick decision-making, with a mix of luck and strategy.

Pros

High-Quality Components: The game features well-crafted wooden dice and visually appealing, high-quality components.

Family-Friendly: Suitable for players aged 8 and above, making it a great family game.

Quick Gameplay: The game plays in about 30 minutes.

Cons

Complex Scoring: The scoring mechanism can be complicated and unintuitive.

Fiddly Nature: The game involves multiple steps and actions that can be fiddly and reduce enjoyment.

Customer Service Issues: Some users have reported issues with the game’s release timeline and customer service from the publisher.

Personal Thoughts on Tortuga

Tortuga is best suited for families or casual gamers who enjoy light to moderate strategy and thematic games. While it offers a visually appealing and engaging pirate-themed experience, it may not be ideal for players seeking deeply complex or highly strategic games due to its fiddly nature and somewhat disconnected mechanics. Despite this, it remains a fun, quick-paced game that can be enjoyed by a wide range of players.

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