How To Play: Mexica

If you want to win at Mexica and maybe even outsmart your most annoying board game friend (looking at you, Ben), you’re in the right place. This guide has a simple outline of the game rules and the sneakiest strategies for world domination—well, Tenochtitlan domination. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned Aztec ruler, you’ll find something useful here.

Overview

What’s in the box

1 Game board
2 Pyramid scoring tracks
36 Canal tiles
47 Bridge pieces
15 Lake tiles
2 Player aids
40 Temple pieces (8 per player color)
12 Calpulli markers
4 Mexica figures (1 per player color)
4 Scoring markers (1 per player color)
Rulebook

How To Play Mexica: Rules Summary

Setup

Place the game board in the middle of your table. Try not to spill your drink on it like I did once. Oops.
Give each player a set of buildings and canal pieces in their chosen color. (Don’t fight over colors, folks.)
Everyone grabs a player marker and puts it on the starting spot at the edge of the board.
Shuffle the district tiles and place them facedown nearby. Mix them well—no peeking!
Set the action points track and the scoring markers so everyone can reach them. Don’t lose the markers or you’ll be counting on fingers, like me last game.

Gameplay

Each round, you get 6 action points to spend on different things. Use them to move your marker, build canals, or put buildings on the board.
With a move, your little figure can walk around the city, cross bridges, and reach new districts. (Watch out for sneaky opponents!)
When you build canals, lay canal segments from your supply to split the city into new districts. Plan ahead or end up with a canal to nowhere.
You can also build temples—these score points in districts. Bigger temples earn you more, but don’t get greedy or you might miss a scoring chance elsewhere.
After each round, check if new districts were formed. If yes, compete for control and score points right away.
Keep playing clockwise until both scoring phases are done. Keep your eyes peeled for sudden comebacks.

Winning

Add up your points from both scoring phases. Don’t forget temples in all those tiny districts you built just for this moment.
If you have the most points, congrats! You win and can wear a smug grin—until someone demands a rematch.

Special Rules & Conditions

You can only build canals in available spaces, so double-check before placing—don’t be like me and build over a temple you just put down.
Bridges help you cross water for fewer action points. Use them or get stuck walking the long way around the board.
If a district matches the tile drawn, score it right away. Fast fingers here get the glory (and sometimes looks of jealousy).
If any pieces run out, tough luck—you can’t use more than you have, and I’ve tried. It’s not allowed.

That’s the basics for how to play Mexica. With these rules, your friends won’t blame you for missing a rule—at least, not more than once.

Best Mexica Strategies

Master Canal Placement and Glide to Victory in Mexica

Control the Board with Canals

Want to block your rivals and claim the best spaces? Plan every canal like you’re a tiny urban planner.

Always extend canals to restrict big districts. This stops your friends from hogging all the points.
Cut off access to temples before your opponents sniff out prime spots.

Stay Flexible with Movement

Sometimes, you must reach awkward corners. Use bridges for a sneaky shortcut.

Save action points by timing your movement, especially at the start of each round.
Jump on bridges to surprise everyone and grab unclaimed tiles.

React to Rivals

Never play in a bubble. Follow your opponents and disrupt their plans.

If you see someone shaping a giant district, build canals to ruin their fun.
Leave some canals unfinished to confuse your friends and keep options open.

That’s ‘How To Play mexica’ like a canal boss! You’re on your way to glory—just don’t fall in the water.

The Art of District Size Management in Mexica

I learned quickly that handling district sizes in Mexica will make or break your game. Smaller districts are easy to build but score less; bigger ones score big but are hard to control. Below, I share hard-won advice from many wild game nights. Of course, the key phrase How To Play mexica weaves right into solid play.

Assess the Board Early

Check where opponents cluster temples.
Spot opportunities for untapped, large districts.

Balance Risk and Reward

Claim medium districts—less risky, solid points.
Leave risky huge districts if rivals can swoop in.

Stay Flexible

Change your district plans when canals or bridges mess things up.
Grab small districts when you need quick points.

Temple Scoring: The Mighty Pyramid Power Play

Pick the Right Spots

Always choose districts where few temples already exist. You get more points for making the first move!
Place temples early so others have to work harder to catch up. It makes them sweat—trust me.

Temple Size Matters

Go big or go home. Larger temples usually grab you more points. Stack them high when you can.
But sometimes, smaller temples fit best. Fill the gaps for cheeky bonus points!

Score in Multiple Districts

Try to have temples in many districts. This way, you get more chances to win scoring rounds. Spread the pyramid love!

And hey, never forget How To Play mexica if you want to master temple scoring. If my friends could stop laughing when my pyramid collapsed, they’d be dangerous.

Wrap-Up: Your Path to Aztec Glory!

Alright, if you’ve made it this far, you’re either ready to crush your rivals or just procrastinating actual work—either way, bravo! In my group, the winner of Mexica usually brags for days, while the loser has to fetch snacks next game night. Remember, mastering How To Play mexica is about clever canal placement, sneaky district planning, and enough temples to make your opponents weep! Try different moves, mess up a few times (trust me, I have), and keep having fun. That’s the real win, even if you end up building a canal straight to nowhere. Good luck, future Mexica champions!

Want to know what we think of Mexica? Read our detailed review of Mexica here