How to Play Port Royal: Just One More Contract...

Objective of the Game

In Port Royal, players are called to complete contracts, either in competition against each other or cooperatively against time. The goal is to fulfill the requirements of these contracts to earn victory points or to collectively achieve objectives. The game can be played solo or with up to 5 players.

Preparation (Setup)

Competitive Variant Setup

• Each player receives 3 wooden cubes in a color of their choice.
• Sort out the 2 white Contracts with a blue seal; these are only for the cooperative variant.
• Shuffle the remaining 16 Contracts.
• Draw 4 Contracts and place them face up on the table.
• Place the remaining Contracts face down aside.
• Ignore the seals in the top right corner of the Contracts for this variant.
• Shuffle the new Persons and Ships into the draw pile. No further adjustments are necessary for the base game setup.

Cooperative Variant Setup

• Each player receives 3 wooden cubes in a color of their choice.
• Shuffle all 18 Contract cards.
• Turn a number of Contracts face up according to the player count:
  • 1 player: 3 Contracts
  • 2 players: 5 Contracts
  • 3 players: 7 Contracts
  • 4 players: 9 Contracts
  • 5 players: 11 Contracts
• Shuffle the normal cards, forming a face-down draw pile as usual.
• Form the Time Pile by drawing a certain number of cards from the normal draw pile, keeping it clearly separate. The number of cards in the Time Pile is determined as follows:
  • 13 cards (regardless of player count)
  • + the total sum of numbers (-1, 1, 2) in the seals of the face-up Contract cards
  • + 1 card for each different letter in the seals of the face-up Contract cards (each letter only counts once; e.g., 3x "A" only results in 1 additional card)
• To raise the Difficulty Level, players can decide together how many cards to remove from the Time Pile. Collect these removed cards in a separate pile called the Victory Pile.

Fluxo do Jogo

Competitive Variant

The course of play remains the same as in the base game. In addition, players can now complete Contracts.

Cooperative Variant

The course of play remains as in the base game, with one change: The first card the active player draws on their turn must be drawn from the Time Pile, and each subsequent card from the normal draw pile as usual.

Ações e Como Jogar

Completing Contracts

To complete a Contract, you must meet its Requirements. You can do this at any time on your turn, regardless of whether or not you are the active player. If you complete a Contract, place 1 of your 3 wooden cubes on the leftmost free coin space of the Contract. The cube remains there for the rest of the game. Each player can only complete each Contract once.

Completing a Contract often grants coins from the draw pile; the earlier you complete it, the more you get. For your second completed Contract, you also receive 1 victory point. If you complete a third Contract, you also receive 2 victory points. You cannot complete more than 3 Contracts.

For each victory point received from Contracts, take a Contract card from the face-down pile and place it in front of you. (The back sides of the Contract cards show 1 victory point.)

In the cooperative variant, each Contract must be completed by at least one player. (Even in this variant, each player can only complete up to 3 Contracts, and each Contract only once.)

Person Abilities

You can use your Persons' abilities regardless of whether you are the active player or not.

• Clerk (1 per ship color): In Phase 2: Trade & Hire, if you trade with a Ship matching a Clerk's color, you can take another card from the harbor display according to the normal rules (and, if you are not the active player, pay 1 more coin to the active player).
• Gunner (4x): Whenever it is your time to take a card / cards during Phase 2: Trade & Hire, you immediately receive a number of coins equal to the number of Ships in the harbor display minus 1.
• Vice Admiral (5x): Whenever it is your time to take a card / cards during Phase 2: Trade & Hire, if there are 3 or 4 cards in the harbor display, you immediately receive 1 coin per Vice Admiral in your personal display.

New Ship Effects

One Ship in each color has a new effect: On top of the 3 coins you receive, another player of your choice receives 1 coin. (As usual, take the coins from the draw pile. If you are not the active player, you must also pay the active player 1 coin.)

Contract Requirements Details

The Contract Requirements tell you what you are supposed to have in your supply or what you must do to complete the Contract. Depicted numbers are minimum values. Usually, you are not required to complete a Contract as soon as you meet its requirements; you can do so later, if you wish. Only the Tax Officer, the Jinx, the (Little) Gamester, the Frigate Foe, and the Galleon Foe require you to decide immediately. Only the active player can complete the Pack of Pirates, the (Little) Gamester, and the Jinx.

• Comedian, Lady Killer, Maritime Supremacy, New Colony, Trade Outpost, Trader Prince: You must have both depicted Persons in your personal display. (Once you complete the Contract, you can use Settlers, Priests, and Captains for Expeditions.)
• Cheap Staff: You must have 4 Persons in your personal display each costing 3 coins (or less in the future…). (Discounts from Mademoiselles do not count.)
• Fighter: You must have 3 swords in your personal display.
• Explorer: You must have 1 Expedition in your personal display.
• Frigate Foe: If you trade with a Frigate and decline the coins (including those from a matching Trader), immediately place a wooden cube on space "1.". The next time you decline this way, move the wooden cube to space "2.". The third time you do so, you complete the Contract immediately. You cannot use the wooden cube on space "1." and "2." for another Contract. Each player can have a wooden cube there.
• Galleon Foe: Like Frigate Foe, the only difference being you must immediately decline a trade with a Galleon twice.
• Tax Officer: You must pay taxes. Immediately decide whether to place a wooden cube on the Contract or not.
• Jinx: As the active player, you must end your turn due to two ships of the same color. Immediately decide whether to place a wooden cube on the Contract or not.
• Tiny Gamester: As the active player, you must have 3 Ships of different colors in the harbor display. Immediately decide whether to place a wooden cube on space "1." at right or not. You cannot use this cube to complete another Contract. Each player can have a wooden cube there. The next time there are 3 Ships of different colors in the harbor display on your turn, you complete the Contract immediately.
• Gamester: As the active player, you must have 4 Ships of different colors in the harbor display to complete this Contract immediately.
• Pack of Pirates: As the active player, you must repel Ships with your Sailors and Pirates. Place the first repelled Ship of each color in front of you and the rest on the discard pile. Collect all 5 ship colors. Once you do, place a wooden cube on the Contract and place the 5 Ships on the discard pile.
• Only in the cooperative variant: Tiny Royal Household and Ransom: Either have 12 victory points or pay 15 coins.

Fim de Jogo e Pontuação

Competitive Variant

The game ends as usual (refer to the base game manual for the specific trigger). Victory points from Contracts are counted towards your final score. For your second completed Contract, you receive 1 victory point. For your third completed Contract, you receive 2 victory points. Each Contract card drawn for a victory point shows 1 victory point on its back side.

Cooperative Variant

If you cannot draw a card from the Time Pile while you have not completed all the face-up Contracts yet, you lose the game. If you manage to complete all the face-up Contracts before the Time Pile runs out, you win.

During the game, you can remove 1 more card from the Time Pile and place it in the Victory Pile each time you draw a Tax Increase. If you win, each card in the Victory Pile is worth 1 point. The number of points in your Victory Pile determines how successful you were as a team:

• 0-1 points: Landlubber
• 2-3 points: Sailor
• 4-5 points: Pirate
• 6-7 points: Captain
• 8+ points: Ruler of the Seas

Dicas para Vencer

• Completing Contracts earlier often yields more coins, which can be crucial for acquiring valuable Persons or Ships.
• In the cooperative variant, strategically deciding which cards to remove from the Time Pile to the Victory Pile (e.g., when drawing a Tax Increase) can impact your final success rating.