How To Play: Santa Monica

Overview

Hey there, fellow board game enthusiast! If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to manage a bustling beach community, Santa Monica is the game for you. In this guide, you’ll find an outline of the game rules and some of the best strategies to impress your friends and become the ultimate sandcastle architect. Let’s see who can build the most popular seaside getaway without getting sand in their shorts!

What’s in the box

1 Game board
8 Starting feature cards
78 Feature cards
32 Activity rings
1 Starting player marker
2 Sand dollar tokens
1 Score pad
1 Instruction booklet
104 People tokens
2 Sand dollars

How To Play Santa Monica: Rules Summary

If you have ever dreamt of owning a beachfront property, then Santa Monica is your moment of glory. I gathered my pals last weekend for a round, and we laughed till we were sunburned! Here’s how you can also have a beachside blast.

Setup

First, lay out the beach cards in a 4×3 grid. They are as vital as sunscreen to your beach day. Trust me, we got it wrong at first, and it was a sandy mess!
Then, place the ocean cards beside the beach cards. It wouldn’t be Santa Monica without a lovely ocean view, right?
Next, hand each player a player board, providing them enough space to build their dream beach.
Finally, distribute the sand dollars to each player. I once tried to give myself a few extra, but my friends weren’t having it!

Gameplay

In each turn, select a card from the display and add it to your board. Picking the right card is as crucial as choosing the right beach towel pattern.
Next, gather any resources shown on the card. Collecting resources is like hunting seashells; sometimes, you hit the jackpot!
Then, activate card actions. Planning your next move becomes as strategic as applying sunscreen in parts.
Finally, refill the empty card slot before the next player’s turn. Replenishing, just like refilling your beach cooler.

Winning

Calculate your scores based on your cards and resources. I’ve lost count of how many times I thought I won, only to realize I had missed a rule or two!
The player with the highest score wins. Being the high scorer feels as refreshing as a dip in the ocean on a hot day.

Special Rules & Conditions

Sand dollars allow you to perform special actions. During our first game, we used them all wrong and argued but then realized it was just like Monopoly money – more fun with some chaos!
Watch out for tourist and local markers. Place them wisely, or they might wander off like beachgoers to the pier.
The end-game condition can sneak up faster than an incoming tide if you don’t pay attention to the card deck running low.

Best Santa Monica Strategies

## Wrapping Up Your Santa Monica Adventure

Playing Santa Monica is like a trip to the beach without sunburn. After a few rounds, you and your friends will have boardwalks filled with quirky characters and vibrant attractions. I remember the time my friend Keith refused to build anything but taco stands, claiming a monopoly on beachside snacks. Spoiler: he lost, but we sure had a laugh!

As with any game, the more you play, the sharper your strategies get. Maybe you’ll be the one to perfect the taco stand empire! So grab your sunnies and your game-loving pals, and explore more ways to win with our handy guide, ‘How To Play Santa Monica’. Until next time, keep rolling the dice and building those boardwalks!

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