a refined trading game for 2 – 6 players from 8 years and up by Stefan Risthaus

O verview
Santo Domingo is the oldest city in the new world built by Europeans; and, it was
one of the most important trading centers in the Caribbean in the 16th century.
In Santo Domingo, valuable goods will be exchanged and sold. Only those who
have the right people and ships ready at the right moment can hold their own
in this risky but profitable business. Seize your chance for glory!

Components
60 playing cards, consisting of the following action cards numbered 1-8, for each player,
Kapitän / Captain admiral / admiral Gouverneur / Governor FreGatte / FriGate Galeone / Galleon Zöllner / Customs KauFmann / trader Bettler / BeGGar The backs of
the cards have
6 different
colors – 1 color
for each set of 8
MAX MAX MAX action cards for
1 player
Captain (1)
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Admiral (2)
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Governor (3)
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Frigate (4)
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Galleon (5)
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Customs (6)
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Trader (7)
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Beggar (8)
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SantoDomingo_Karte
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. . . and 6 each of the following 2 1 Game Board (in 2 sections)

display cards, 1 set for each player: 15 Wooden Markers
(7 red, 7 blue and 1 yellow)
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Victory Points
Display Card
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Front Side:
Standard Version
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Goods Display Card Back Side: Winter Version

Setup
11. Place the assembled game board in the middle of the playing 1
area where everyone can see it. (We recommend using the
Standard Version for your first few games. For a change of pace,
you can try out the Winter Version later.)
22. Place a wooden marker of matching color in the 1st space on
each row on the game board: 2
a) Place a red wooden marker in the first space of the
Victory Point row on top.
b) Place a blue wooden marker in the first space of the
Goods row in the middle.
c) Place the yellow wooden marker in the first space of the
Trader row on the bottom.
33. Give each player a matching set of 8 action cards (with the backs
matching their player color).
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44. In addition, give each player 1 Victory Point Display card and 1
Goods Display card as well as 1 red and 1 blue wooden marker.
Place both the Victory Points Display
card and Goods Display card in / Cral
Kapitäandmi ap
Gouvernadmi
ta/in FreGatte
eurral / FrZ
/ GGoverno
aleone KauF
/ Galleon
öllner
riGate Bnet/tlter
/ Cman
ustoms rad/er
BeGGar
front of you with the side showing
39

the numbers 1 – 15 face up. Place

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the red wooden marker beside your

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Victory Points Display card. Place 4

the blue wooden marker on the
number on the Goods Display card
matching the number of players in
the game. (In a 4-player game place
3
it on the 4 space.) You begin the M AXMA X MAX
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game with these goods.

Take your 8 action cards in hand and begin! SantoDom

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 G oal of the Game
In Santo Domingo you are trying to use your 8 action points (by means of cards 1, 2, and 6) or goods (by means
cards in the cleverest way possible. All players choose an of cards 3, 4, and 5). The Trader (card 7) allows you to
action card for the round and reveal them simultaneously. exchange your goods for victory points. And the Beggar
The cards are then performed in ascending order. Part of (card 8) allows you to return your played cards back into
selecting your action card for the round is determining your hand. The game ends as soon as at least 1 player has
which cards your opponents are most likely to play. 30 or more victory points at the end of a round. Then the
Depending on the cards played, you can obtain victory player with the most victory points wins the game.

Sequence of P lay
A game of Santo Domingo continues for several rounds
Before explaining the action cards in order of evaluation,
of play.
it is necessary to clarify some basic principles:
Each round consists of the following 3 phases:
If you receive victory points or goods, move the
1. Supply Phase marker on your corresponding Display card forward
2. Play Action Cards and the corresponding marker on the game board
back. (Exceptions: Governor, Customs, and Beggar
3. Resolve Action Cards
do not affect the game board rows). If there are not
1. Supply Phase sufficient victory points or goods on a row, you will get
Advance all of the wooden makers on the board by less.
moving them the following number of spaces forward, Important: For all players who play the same card, they
depending on the player count. This information is are evaluated simultaneously. Since not enough victory
displayed on the top of the game board as well as in the points/goods can be present on the corresponding
following table: game board row for all of the players involved to get
the full amount, proceed as follows: Give each involved
Player Count 2 3 4 5 6
player victory points/goods so that they all receive the
Space Number 3 5 3 4 5 same amount with any leftover victory points/goods
remaining on the corresponding game board row.
If a marker reaches space 15 it ends there and any
additional advance is lost. Your Victory Point Display card continues on the back
Example: with numbers 16 – 30. Once you reach 15 victory points,
In a 4-player game, all 3 markers are advanced 3 squares in continue counting any new victory points on the other
the supply phase. side.
Your Goods Display card does not continue on the
other side. You can never have more than 15 goods.
If you receive enough goods to go over 15, any excess
past 15 are forfeited but are still removed from the
game board row.

Now we can move on to evaluating the action cards.

Always start the evaluation with the action card of the
lowest value. Continue evaluation in ascending order,
skipping any numbers that were not played.

Kapitän / Captain
Captain (1):
All players who have played their Captain
repeatedly receive 1 victory point from
2. Play Action Cards the Victory Point row on the game board
Select action cards to play for the round: 2 cards in a until each has received a maximum of 2
2- or 3-player game and 1 card in 4- to 6-player games. victory points.
The game board provides a reminder icon in the upper MAX

left and right corners. Place the card(s) face down in front
Admiral (2):
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simultaneously.
admiral / admiral All players who have played their Admiral
repeatedly receive 1 victory point from
3. Resolve Action Cards the Victory Point row on the game board
until each has received a maximum of 5
Now evaluate all of the actions cards played in ascending
victory points.
order (starting with the Captain, if played). Identical
action cards are performed at the same time. (There is no Although the Admiral can bring you
start player or player order!) Leave all action cards face up MAX more victory points than the Captain,
until the end of the round. Do not discard them into your there is the risk that Captains may have
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already emptied the supply of victory
been evaluated. points on the board.

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 Gouverneur / Governor
Governor (3): Example: 1 Frigate, 1 Galleon and 1 Customs have
All players who have played their Governor been played. 10 goods are available on the Goods
receive 4 goods for each Captain who has row on the game board. First, the player who played
been played this round, as well as 2 goods the Frigate gets 3 goods from the Goods row, which
for each Admiral that has been played leaves 7 goods for the Galleon. Since only 1 Galleon
this round. was played, the player with the Galleon receives all 7
remaining goods and the blue marker is moved to 0
Important: You do not receive these
on the Goods row on the game board. The Customs
goods from the game board!
now receive 4 victory points in total – 3 for the Frigate
Move the marker forward on your Goods
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and 1 for the Galleon. These victory points do not
Display card, but do not move the marker
come from the game board!
on the Goods row on the game board.
Trader (7):
KauFmann / trader
Important: In 2- and 3-player games, you will not get any If more than one Trader has been played,
goods for your own Captain or Admiral. the yellow wooden marker on the Trader
row on the game board must be moved
Example: 1 Captain, 2 Admirals and 1 Governor have back 2 spaces for each Trader after the
been played. There are 9 victory points on the Victory first one to a minimum of zero (to the
Point row on the game board. First, the player who 0 space).
played the Captain gets 2 victory points. The two Example: If 3 Traders were played, you must
Admirals will now split the 7 remaining victory points. move the yellow marker back 4 spaces.
Evenly distributed this means each gets 3 (of the
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possible maximum of 5) victory points and 1 victory

Now, based on the space occupied by the yellow marker,
point remains on the Victory Point row on the game
all players who played a Trader may exchange any
board. The Governor will receive a total of 8 goods –
number of goods for victory points at the given ratio in
4 for the Captain and 4 (2 each) for the 2 Admirals.
that space. (If needed let the player with most victory
These goods do not come from the game board row.
points start.)
Move your blue Goods marker back the number of spaces
for the goods exchanged and move your red Victory
FreGatte / FriGate Point marker forward the number of spaces for victory
Frigate (4): points gained. Place your blue goods marker beside your
All players who have played a Frigate Goods Display card if you have spent all of your goods.
repeatedly receive 1 good from the Goods Note: You are allowed to exchange goods for victory
row on the game board until each player points at a worse rate of exchange than the current
has received a maximum of 3 goods. position of the yellow marker on the Trader row on the
MAX
game board.
Galleon (5): If at least 1 Trader was played, now move the yellow
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Galeone / Galleon
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All players who have played a Galleon wooden marker to zero (the 0 space) on the Trader Row
repeatedly receive 1 good from the Goods on the game board regardless wether any player has
row on the game board until all goods on traded goods.
the game board row have been evenly Example: Alex and Stefan have each played a Trader. The
divided. Any left over goods that cannot yellow marker must be moved back 2 spaces.
be divided evenly are forfeited and left
on the row.
Although the Galleon can bring in lots of
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goods, there is the risk the Frigates have
already emptied the supply of goods on
the board.
Now, both players may exchange at the rate of 3/2 (3
Customs (6): goods for 2 victory points). Alex exchanges 9 goods and
Zöllner / Customs
All players who have played Customs receives 6 victory points in return. He could also return
receive 3 victory points for each Frigate his last 2 goods for 1 victory point (a worse rate of
played this round as well as 1 victory exchange), but he decides not to do so.
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point for each Galleon played this round.

Important: You do not receive these
victory points from the game board!
Move the marker forward on your Victory
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Point Display card, but do not move the

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marker on the Victory Point row on the After Alex and Stefan have exchanged their goods for
game board. victory points, the yellow marker must be reduced to zero.

Important: In 2- and 3-player games, you will not get any

victory points for your own Frigate or Galleon.

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 Bettler / BeGGar Beggar (8): Example: In a 3-player game, Alex has played his Trader
All players who have played a Beggar will and Beggar and has 2 cards left in his hand. Another
first receive a number of goods depending player has also played his Trader this round. Since Alex
on the number of cards left in their hand. still has 2 cards left in his hand, he receives 3 goods.
He also receives 2 more goods for the Trader played by
another player, but not for his own Trader. Finally, he
Cards in Hand 0 1-2 3-4 5-7
takes back into his hand all of his played cards – including
Goods +4 +3 +2 +1 the Beggar and Trader from this round as well as any
cards played from previous rounds. In the next round,
Next, each of these players receives 2 goods for each
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Alex will be able to choose from all 8 of his action cards.
Trader played this round.
End of a Round
Important: In 2- and 3-player games, you will not get any
All players who did not play a Beggar this round now
goods for your own Trader.
discard their played cards into their own facedown
discard pile. Each round, these players will have fewer
Important: You do not receive these goods from the game
cards to choose from until they play their Beggar, which
board!
will return all of their cards to their hand.
Move the marker forward on your Goods Display card, but
do not move the marker on the Goods row on the game Game board makers are left in place for the next round.
board. If no one has reached 30 or more points, a new round
Finally, all players who played a Beggar take back all of begins.
their played cards from the current and previous rounds
back into their hand. They will have all 8 action cards
available for the next round.

E nd of the Game
The game ends as soon as at least one player has 30 or Whoever now has the most victory points wins.
more victory points at the end of a round. (Once you If there is a tie, the tied player with the most goods
reach 30 victory points, continue counting any new victory remaining wins.
points on the other side again.)
If still tied, the tied player with more cards remaining in
Players now exchange all remaining goods for victory hand wins.
points at a trade exchange rate of 3 to 1. (Adjust your
If there is still a tie, then the tied players share the victory!
markers on your Goods and Victory Point Display cards
accordingly).

For experienced Traders

For 2- and 3-player games with experienced Santo The Winter side of the game board offers a greater
Domingo players, we recommend continuing play until at challenge regardless of the number of players because
least 1 player has 45 or more victory points at the end of winter makes trading a lot more difficult. This is
a round. As soon as you exceed 30 victory points, take a accomplished through making the Trader row exchange
second Victory Point track card and red marker and begin rates more difficult as you have to deliver a larger
tracking the additional points with those. quantity of goods to trade for victory points.

C redits
Game Design: Stefan Risthaus The Author would like to thank all play-testers, especially
Illustrations: Klemens Franz | atelier198 his wife Heike Risthaus, Robert Rudolph, Volker Wichert,
Rules Layout: Andrea Kattnig | atelier198 Sonja und Christian Heider, Annegret Willenbrink,
Box Layout: Jens Wiese, Box Layout from the Wolfgang Stief, Michael Schröder, Karsten Becker,
original design: Hans-Georg Schneider Christian Zerrath and Uwe Hilgert as well as the gamers
English Translation: Ralph H. Anderson of „Braunschweig-Salzgitter“.
Development: Klaus Ottmaier

© 2017 Pegasus Spiele GmbH, Reproduction or publication of the manual, the playing material,
Am Straßbach 3, 61169 Friedberg, or the illustrations is permitted only with prior permission.
Germany, under license from
OSTIA-Spiele.
All rights reserved.
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