# Mombasa ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2015 - **BGG Rating**: 7.8 - **BGG Rank**: #144 - **Players**: 2-4 (Best with: 4) - **Duration**: 75-150 min - **Weight**: 3.89 / 5 - **Designers**: Alexander Pfister - **Artists**: Andreas Resch, Klemens Franz - **Publishers**: eggertspiele, Albi, Arclight Games, Bright World Games, Delta Vision Publishing, Doit Games - **Categories**: Economic, Post-Napoleonic - **Mechanics**: Action Queue, Area Majority / Influence, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, Hand Management, Investment, Open Drafting ## Verdict If you love a meaty Eurogame packed with strategy and planning, Mombasa is an absolute treat! It's a game that truly rewards forward-thinking and adaptability.Innovative hand mechanismDeep strategic planningHigh replayabilityEngaging economic themeMultiple paths to victorySteep learning curveConsiderable playtimeCan be punishingHIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description In Mombasa, you dive into 19th-century Africa, a bustling period of expansion and trade. Your goal is simple, but the execution... ah, that's the fun part! You'll acquire shares in powerful chartered companies, such as those in Mombasa, Cape Town, Saint-Louis, and Cairo, and spread their trading posts across the continent. The more your companies prosper and expand, the more valuable your shares become, and the more money you rake in by game's end. But a clever investor doesn't live by shares alone! You'll also trade bananas, coffee, and cotton, partner with diamond merchants, and ensure the books are always balanced. Mombasa's unique selling point is its hand management mechanism with a rotating display, which forces you to think ahead like a master strategist. You start with an identical set of cards as everyone else, but throughout the game, you'll acquire new and more powerful cards from the display. Each round, you choose action cards from your hand, place them face down, and then reveal them simultaneously to execute your moves. The trick? At the end of the action phase, played cards go into a 'resting slot' and can only be recovered in future rounds, and you can only retrieve cards from a single slot at a time. This dynamic demands impeccable planning, as the order and choice of where to place your cards make all the difference for what you'll have available later. The game lasts seven rounds, and at the end, whoever has accumulated the most wealth wins. With varied paths to victory and double-sided company boards, each game of Mombasa is a new and exciting challenge! ## How to Play Game Objective In Mombasa, you are astute investors in the era of trading companies, seeking to maximize your money (pounds) by the end of the game! How do you do this? Simple: invest in companies like Mombasa, Cape Town, Saint-Louis, and Cairo, spreading your trading posts across Africa. The more shares you control and the more valuable they are, the richer you'll become! But that's not all: build diamond reserves and develop smart accounting to boost your earnings. The game ends after the **General Actions Phase** of the 7th round. The player with the highest sum of money, which includes: The money in their hand (pounds). The value of the shares controlled in each of the 4 companies. The final value of their diamond marker on their track. The final value of their inkwell marker on their track. ...will be the grand winner! In case of a tie, victory is shared. Setup Let's set up the table for your first adventure in Mombasa! Place the **game board** in the center of the table. The 4 **track cards** are not used in the first game, so they can go back in the box. Take the **company tracks A1, B1, C1, D1** and fit them onto the edges of the board, like this: **A1** on the black edge of Mombasa. **B1** on the red edge of Cape Town. **C1** on the white edge of Saint-Louis. **D1** on the orange edge of Cairo. From now on, each track is linked to its respective company (e.g., A1 is the Mombasa track). Place the 15 **Trading Posts** of each color on the spaces of their respective companies (black in Mombasa, red in Cape Town, white in Saint-Louis, orange in Cairo). Make sure to cover all spaces and coin icons at the base. Place the 4 **bonus tiles** face up next to the board. Separate the 44 **action cards** by letter (A, B, C, D, E) in the top right corner. Shuffle the 4 E cards and place them face down. Then, shuffle the 4 D cards and place them on top of the pile. Do the same with the 11 C cards, then the 16 B cards, and finally the 9 A cards. This is the **Action Card Pile**. Leave a space next to it for the discard pile. Fill the 12 spaces of the **card display** by drawing from the top of the Action Card Pile. First, the right column (top to bottom), then the middle, and finally the left. The top card of the left column should be A, and the 3 below it, B. Place the **coins** (1 and 5 Pounds) to form the **bank** next to the board. Fill spaces 2 to 7 of the **round track** with coins from the bank, according to the number of players (space 1 remains empty): **2 players:** 6 1-pound coins (1 in each space). **3 players:** 9 1-pound coins (2 coins in spaces 2, 4, and 6; 1 coin in spaces 3, 5, and 7). **4 players:** 12 1-pound coins (2 coins in each of the 6 spaces). Separate the 72 **book tiles** by the letter on their back (A, B, C) and place them face down as a **book supply** in the top right corner. Fill the 12 spaces of the **book display** by revealing 4 tiles of each letter, face up. Each player chooses a color and receives: The **player board** of that color, placing it in front of them. The 9 **starting action cards** of that color, keeping them hidden in hand. The 4 **track markers** of that color, placing 1 on each starting space of the 4 company tracks. 1 **diamond marker**, placing it on the diamond space on their player board track. Each player also receives **bonus markers** of their color: **2 players:** 3 bonus markers each. **3 or 4 players:** 2 bonus markers each. Remaining markers go back in the box. Each player receives 1 **inkwell marker** (place it near their board for now) and 1 pound from the bank. Choose the **first player**, who receives the first player marker. Each player takes a specific **"1" expansion card**: First player: card with specific icon. Second player: card with specific icon. Third player: card with specific icon. Fourth player: card with specific icon. Add this card to your hand, totaling 10 starting action cards. The remaining ones go back in the box. Shuffle the 10 **starting tiles** and deal 2 face down to each player. The remaining ones go back in the box. Each player looks at their 2 tiles, secretly chooses 1, and returns the other to the box. Then, they reveal the chosen tiles simultaneously. Deal a **specific starting tile** to each player clockwise: First player: specific tile. Second player: specific tile. Third player: specific tile. Fourth player: specific tile. The remaining ones go back in the box. Now, each player performs the following steps with their starting tile: Places the **starting tile** face up in the space with the envelope on their player board. Places their **inkwell marker** on the inkwell icon on this tile. From their starting hand, finds the 3 cards indicated by the 3 icons on the left corner of their starting tile and places them face up on their board, one in each of the 3 **resting zones**. Receives their **starting bonus**, which can be advancing on company tracks or the diamond track. The Game Turn Mombasa is played over 7 rounds, and each round has 3 phases: **Planning Phase** **General Actions Phase** **Preparation Phase for the next round** 1) Planning Phase This phase is simultaneous for all players and has 2 steps: Placing cards face down in your action area: Choose cards from your hand and place them face down in the available **action areas** (the region below your player board). Initially, you have 3 action areas, so you can place up to 3 cards. As the game progresses, you can unlock up to two additional areas, reaching 5 cards. **Important:** Each action area is linked to a **resting zone** above it. At the end of your action phase, the played cards will go into these zones, forming inactive decks. In each round, you can only retrieve cards from one of these resting decks to your hand. Think carefully about where to place each card! Reveal cards: Once everyone has finished placing their cards, turn them all face up. 2) General Actions Phase The first player starts, and the turn proceeds clockwise. On your turn, you must perform **exactly ONE** of the following actions: Use 1 or more goods cards of the same type in your action area: Choose goods cards (coffee, banana, or cotton) of the same type in your action area. Sum the unit values of the chosen cards to form a **total unit value**. With this value, you can: **Acquire at most 1 card from the card display:** The price of the card is the sum of the red value on the card and the red value on the board. Your total unit value must be equal to or greater than the price. If units remain, use them to advance on company tracks. **Advance 1 or more on company tracks:** For each unit of goods, advance one of your **track markers** 1 space forward. You can divide the units as you wish among the tracks. After using the cards, turn them face down. Use all expansion cards in your action area: Use **all** expansion cards in your action area. Sum the **expansion points** (indicated by the helmet icon) to get a **total expansion value**. Use this value to expand **only 1 company** of your choice. To expand: Choose a company. Spend your points to enter new regions with trading posts from that company's base. A region is accessible if it is adjacent to the company's base or a region with a company's trading post. **Cost:** 1 point for a single-line border, 2 points for a double-line border. If there is another company's trading post in the region, +1 point. If you have enough points, take 1 trading post from the company's base (always the first in the chosen column, closest to the center of the map) and place it "standing" in the region. Repeat until your points are exhausted. Unused points are lost. After spending the points: Take the **rewards** from each region you entered (pounds, advance on the diamond track, advance on the company track, bookkeeping points). Remove all trading posts of **other companies** from the regions you entered and return them to an empty space at the base of the original company (in the furthest empty space of the chosen column). Arrange all trading posts so they are in the correct position (roof up). Turn all expansion cards in your action area face down. Your turn ends. Use 1 bookkeeper card in your action area: This action allows you to advance your **inkwell marker** on your **bookkeeping track**. To do this, you need **book tiles** in the track spaces. **Bookkeeping Points:** You get them by expanding companies, using the bookkeeper, or through certain rewards. They must be used immediately! Take 1 "A" or "B" book from the display: 1 bookkeeping point. Take 1 "C" book from the display: 2 bookkeeping points. Take 1 pound from the bank: 1 bookkeeping point. To use the bookkeeper: Optional: Pay 2 pounds to flip 1 book on your track (as a last resort). Move your inkwell marker book by book. To enter a book, you must meet its **requirements** (total values of specific cards in your action area). Requirements are not cumulative, and cards used for them are not flipped. Flipped books can be accessed without requirements. Empty spaces cannot be accessed. Stop moving when you cannot or do not want to anymore. Receive the reward from the book where you stopped (flipped books do not give rewards). Use the total number of bookkeeping points described on the bookkeeper card. Turn the bookkeeper card face down. Your turn ends. Use 1 diamond merchant card in your action area: Advance your **diamond marker** on your **diamond track** and gain pounds. Each diamond merchant has a specific effect. For example, the Cairo Diamond Merchant moves you 2 spaces and gives 1 pound, and then you advance 1 additional space for every 2 mine icons in regions controlled by the Cairo company. After using the diamond merchant, turn the card face down. Your turn ends. Place 1 Bonus Marker: Take 1 of your **bonus markers** and place it on an **empty bonus space** on the board. Each space has a requirement/cost and a reward (immediate or a bonus tile for the next round). The space is blocked for the rest of the round. Examples of bonus spaces: **First Player:** Requirement: Not being the first player and it being your first time in the round. Reward: Becomes the first player in the next round and gains 1 bookkeeping point. **Buy Card:** Requirement: Pay 1 pound. Reward: Buys a card from the display by paying its cost in pounds. **Discard Card:** Requirement: Discard 1 card from your hand. Reward: Gains pounds equal to the red value of the discarded card x 2. **Majority Bonus (Coffee, Banana, Cotton, Expansion):** Requirement: Have the majority (or shared majority) of units of the specific type in your action area. Reward: Advances on company tracks and may have additional bonuses. **Important:** This action does not use your cards in the action area, so do not flip them! End your action phase: Perform this action if you cannot or do not want to perform any other action. This takes you out of the General Actions phase for this round. To end: Take **exactly one** of the decks from one of your **resting zones** into your hand. Turn the cards in your action area face up again and move each to its respective resting zone, placing them behind any existing cards. If you have any bonus tiles (other than action tiles), return them to near the game board. You are out of the General Actions phase. Other players continue their turns. 3) Preparation Phase for the next round This phase occurs when all players have ended their action phases. Move the coins from the round marker to the book display: Take the leftmost coins on the round track and place them in the book display, in the vertical spaces below the books. If there is 1 coin, place it in the first row; if 2, one in the first and one in the second. These coins are linked to the books, and whoever acquires the book receives the coin. The number on the round track indicates the round that is about to begin. Complete the card display: Remove all remaining cards from the right column of the display and place them in the discard pile. In each row, if there are two cards, move them to the right (filling the right space and the ## FAQ ### How many players can play Mombasa and what is the average duration? Mombasa is for 2 to 4 players. Game duration can vary quite a bit, from 75 to 150 minutes, depending on the number of players and familiarity with the rules. ### What is the complexity level of Mombasa? It's considered a highly complex game, with a BGG weight of 3.887/5. It's not a game for beginners, requiring good planning and familiarity with strategic Eurogames. ### Does Mombasa have a lot of player interaction? Yes, there's a good amount of indirect and competitive interaction. The struggle for area majority in companies and the 'open drafting' of cards will keep you watching your opponents constantly. ### Is Mombasa's replayability good? Absolutely! The companies have double-sided boards, and the variety of strategies and paths to victory ensures that each game is a unique and challenging experience. ### What are the main components of the game? Mombasa comes with a main board featuring the map of Africa, individual player boards, many action and accounting cards, wooden markers for trading posts, and, of course, gems/crystals representing resources. ### Who is Mombasa most recommended for? It is highly recommended for fans of heavy Eurogames, players who enjoy complex hand management, long-term strategic planning, and a well-integrated economic theme. It is not ideal for those looking for casual or light games. ### Is there any language dependency to play Mombasa? The game has been released in several languages, and if you get a localized version, language dependency will be minimal to none. Always check the edition you are buying.