# Capulana ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2025 - **BGG Rating**: 8.5 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-5 - **Duration**: 20-40 min - **Weight**: — - **Designers**: Estevan Isaak - **Publishers**: Bucaneiros Jogos - **Categories**: Card Game, Number - **Mechanics**: Auction Compensation, Auction: Fixed Placement, Auction: Sealed Bid, Closed Economy Auction, Constrained Bidding, Contracts, Hand Management, Layering, Melding and Splaying, Pattern Building, Pattern Recognition, Set Collection, Turn Order: Progressive ## Verdict A colorful burst of clever trading for fans of fast-paced card games.Highly original exchange auctionVibrant and thematic artConstant player interactionQuick and snappy gameplayRequires sharp pattern recognitionCan be tricky for beginnersRECOMMENDED ## Description Get ready for a burst of color and strategy! Capulana dives deep into the beauty of traditional Mozambican fabrics, turning the art of weaving into a high-level tactical competition. The heart of the game beats within a truly unique and unconventional auction system: here, a bid isn't just a cost, it's an exchange. When you bid on a fabric strip, the winner takes the prize, but the cards used in the bid are swapped between players. This means that while trying to get what you want, you might end up giving your opponent exactly what they needed. It's a 'win-win' (or 'lose-lose'?) dynamic that keeps everyone on their toes! Once the negotiations are over, the challenge shifts to your personal area. It's time to 'weave'! You'll need to organize your cards to form sequences of colors or patterns, creating arrangements that score points. But it's not just about playing cards randomly; you must plan how to layer them to ensure your sequences have at least three matching elements to count. With special bonuses and objectives that shift every game, each round requires you to balance what's in your hand with what your opponents are trying to build. If you enjoy fast-paced games with high interaction and a keen eye for patterns, Capulana will keep you hooked from start to finish. It's quick, intense, and visually stunning! ## How to Play How to Play Capulana Objective of the Game Capulana is a negotiation and pattern-building game for 2 to 5 players that celebrates the traditional fabric of Mozambique. Players compete for colored strips, trade among themselves, and stitch rows to create the most valuable capulana. A capulana is a traditional Mozambican fabric used for clothing, head wraps, and more. At the end of 4 rounds, the goal is to weave the best capulana by creating the largest sets of strips of the same color or pattern. Each player’s capulana only scores from a set, which is a sequence of at least 3 matching strips (by color or pattern), where each strip is worth 1 point. Setup Follow these steps to prepare the game: Initial fabric: Deal one random initial fabric card (marked with "Capulana") face up in front of each player. Player marker: Give each player a pair of player marker cards matching the color of their initial card. Purple-stripe and black-stripe cards: Separate the cards by stripe color. Shuffle the black-stripe cards and deal 7 to each player. Then shuffle the remaining black-stripe cards with the purple-stripe cards. Face-up cards: Reveal a number of cards equal to the number of players in the center of the table. Objective cards: Shuffle and place 3 objective cards within reach. These provide extra points at the end of the game. Game Flow A game consists of 4 rounds, each with 4 phases: Announcement: Reveal a number of fabric cards equal to the number of players. These will be available for auction. Offer: Each player makes 2 offers in the auction. Players may offer 1 to 3 cards from their hand (face down) along with their marker. If a player has only 1 card, they may place an empty bid (offer 0). Auction: Resolve bids from left to right. The highest bidder takes the announced card and the losing player’s offered cards. The losing player takes the winner’s offered cards. Weaving: Players simultaneously add 0 to 2 cards to their capulana, placing them to the right of existing cards. Cards can overlap partially but must remain partially visible. Actions and How to Play Key Actions: Offer: Place 1-3 cards face down with your marker. Empty bids are allowed if you have only 1 card. Auction: The highest bidder wins the announced card and the opponent’s bid. The loser takes the winner’s bid. Weaving: Add cards to your capulana by placing them to the right. Cards can be rotated or overlapped but must not be fully covered. Wild Cards: Strip 7: Wild for color (yellow) and pattern (any). Strip 8: Wild for color (any) and pattern (triangle). End of Game and Scoring The game ends after 4 rounds. Final scoring includes: Count points from left to right in your capulana, first by color, then by pattern. Only sets of 3+ matching strips score (1 point per strip). Add points from completed objective cards. Tiebreakers: The player who offered more cards in the bid wins. If still tied, the player closest to the starting player wins. Tips to Win Use wild cards (strips 7 and 8) strategically to complete sets of color or pattern. During auctions, consider that losing a bid might still give you valuable cards from the winner’s offer. Plan your weaving carefully to maximize visible sets and avoid uncovered raw strips. ## FAQ ### How long does a game last? It's quite quick! Usually between 20 to 40 minutes, perfect for a quick session with friends. ### Is it hard to learn? The rules are straightforward, but the auction strategy requires focus. A practice round and you'll be an expert! ### How many players can play? It works great for 2 to 5 players, though the interaction really shines with larger groups. ### Is it very competitive? Yes! Since bidding cards are swapped, you'll always need to keep an eye on what others are doing. ### Can children play it? Yes, especially if they are good with colors and patterns, though the auction might be a bit tricky for younger ones. ### Do I need to know English? No, the game is completely language-independent, making it very easy to dive in. ## Price Comparison ### Best Offers in Brazil - **Amazon**: R$ 69,86 (https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B0FZF28PDV?tag=bgbot26-20) - **Cangaia Jogos**: R$ 46,49 (https://www.cangaiajogos.com.br/capulana?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Masmorra**: R$ 53,91 (https://www.masmorra.com.br/produtos/j7cjtbaa5?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Livtoys**: R$ 55,71 (https://www.livtoys.com.br/cardgames/capulana?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Bravo Jogos**: R$ 55,71 (https://bravojogos.com.br/jogos-de-tabuleiro-e-cardgames/jogo-capulana-p?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Elfos & Cia**: R$ 55,79 (https://www.elfosecia.com.br/capulana-linha-pocket-bucaneiros?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on Compara Jogos: https://www.comparajogos.com.br/item/capulana