# Maracaibo

Maracaibo is a board game for 1–4 players. It plays in 30–120 minutes and is meant for ages 12 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 3. It is rated 7.8 out of 10 by 131 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $58.99 (United States).

- **Players:** 1–4 (best with 3)
- **Playing time:** 30–120 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 12+
- **Complexity:** 3.9 out of 5
- **Year published:** 2019
- **Categories:** Economic, Exploration, Nautical, Pirates
- **Mechanics:** Solo / Solitaire Game, Tech Trees / Tech Tracks, Income, Track Movement, Narrative Choice / Paragraph, Point to Point Movement, Multi-Use Cards, End Game Bonuses, Movement Points, Hand Management, Contracts, Set Collection, Events, Scenario / Mission / Campaign Game, Variable Set-up, Stock Holding
- **Ludoya rating:** 7.8 out of 10, from 131 reviews
- **Owned by:** 217 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 1,105
- **Unique players:** 718

**Designers:** Alexander Pfister

**Artists:** Fiore GmbH, Aline Kirrmann

**Publishers:** Game's Up

## Where to buy in United States

| Shop | Price | Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cardhaus Games | 58.99 $ | https://www.cardhaus.com/maracaibo/ |
| Zatu Games | 47.35 £ | https://zatu.com/products/maracaibo |
| Ludifolie | 57.9 € | https://www.ludifolie.com/8816-maracaibo.html |
| Alphaspel | 659 kr | https://alphaspel.se/491-bradspel/175135-maracaibo |
| World of Board Games | 785 kr | https://www.worldofboardgames.com/maracaibo |
| TLAMA games | 1759 Kč | https://www.tlamagames.com/deskove-hry/maracaibo/ |
| Homoludicus Granollers | 75 € | https://homoludicus-granollers.org/maracaibo |
| Spielezar | 72.9 Fr. | https://www.spielezar.ch/brettspiele/maracaibo |
| Fantasiapelit | 91 € | https://www.fantasiapelit.com/index.php?main=ai&kat=single&mista=indeksi&etsittava=_196445 |
| Midgard Games | 990 kr | https://midgardgames.no/products/maracaibo |
| Game Ninja | 1099 kr | https://www.gameninja.no/produkt/maracaibo/ |

## Expansions

- [Maracaibo: The Uprising](https://www.ludoya.com/games/maracaibo-the-uprising)
- [Maracaibo: La Armada](https://www.ludoya.com/games/maracaibo-la-armada)
- [Maracaibo: Flying Dutchman Promo Tile](https://www.ludoya.com/games/maracaibo-flying-dutchman-promo-tile)
- [Maracaibo: Own Monument Promo Card](https://www.ludoya.com/games/maracaibo-own-monument-promo-card)
- [Maracaibo: El Dorado](https://www.ludoya.com/games/maracaibo-el-dorado)
- [Maracaibo: Founding Spirit Promo Card](https://www.ludoya.com/games/maracaibo-founding-spirit-promo-card)
- [Maracaibo: Oportunista Promo Card](https://www.ludoya.com/games/maracaibo-oportunista-promo-card)

## Similar games

- [Pirates of Maracaibo](https://www.ludoya.com/games/pirates-of-maracaibo)
- [The Anarchy](https://www.ludoya.com/games/the-anarchy-3)
- [On Mars](https://www.ludoya.com/games/on-mars)
- [Civolution](https://www.ludoya.com/games/civolution)
- [Nippon: Zaibatsu](https://www.ludoya.com/games/nippon-zaibatsu)
- [Orléans: Big Box](https://www.ludoya.com/games/orleans-jubilaumsbox)
- [Ark Nova](https://www.ludoya.com/games/ark-nova)
- [Nucleum](https://www.ludoya.com/games/nucleum)
- [Galactic Cruise](https://www.ludoya.com/games/galactic-cruise)
- [Endeavor: Deep Sea](https://www.ludoya.com/games/endeavor-deep-sea)
- [Tianxia](https://www.ludoya.com/games/tianxia)
- [Boonlake](https://www.ludoya.com/games/boonlake)

## Rules questions

### Do I have to move every turn, and can I choose how many spaces to move?

You must move at least one space and may spend up to 7 movement points on Phase A, choosing how many to use (unused points are lost); however, locations marked with the "cannot be skipped" symbol force you to end your movement when you reach them (you may otherwise skip unmarked spaces if you have the movement points). (page 4)

### If I'm at a city with one of my assistants there, can I both deliver, do the city action, and use the assistant on the same turn?

No — a city action consists of two parts (deliver a good, then perform the city's effect) which you may do together, but assistant actions are a separate main action and you can only perform one main action per turn, so you must choose between the city action (including its delivery) or the assistant action. (pages 4, 5)

### How many village actions do I get and can I buy multiple cards with them?

You get one village action normally, two if you spent 4–6 movement points, or three if you spent all 7; for each village action you may choose option A (discard hand for doubloons), B (take 1 doubloon) or C (buy a card), and you may repeat options across multiple village actions (so you can buy multiple cards if you have multiple village actions). (pages 4, 8)

### Can I take face-up cards for free during the draw phase?

By default face-up cards cost 1 doubloon each when taken during Phase C; only if you have completed the specific ship upgrade shown on your board may you take face-up cards without paying. (page 5)

### When resolving combat, how do combat points and returning figures affect the combat value and are there limits?

Each combat point you spend or each figure you return to the supply increases the current combat value by 1 (letting you perform more combat actions), but combat actions reduce that combat value and you may never reduce it below 0; also you can never have more than 8 combat points on your combat track (excess is not gained). (page 6)

### What happens when a ship lands on the homeward bound spaces — does the round end or the game end immediately?

Homeward bound spaces cannot be skipped and have specific effects: space 20 lets you fight or move the explorer, space 21a/21b scores 3 VP and triggers interim scoring at the end of that turn in rounds I–III, and space 22 scores 5 VP and triggers final scoring (game end) at the end of that turn. (pages 10–11)

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/maracaibo)
- [Maracaibo in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/maracaibo)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/276025)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-19. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._