Singapore

About this board game

Singapore is a 2011 board game for 3–4 players that takes about 90 minutes, casting players as wealthy merchants developing Sir Stamford Raffles’ outpost at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula.

Each player begins with one building. In every round, players take ownership of a new lot and construct another building, while the player with the fewest points determines who gets which land. Buildings are connected by streets, creating a growing network for workers to navigate.

After building, you can move 1–2 workers along the streets and take actions in up to three buildings. These locations may provide small amounts of resources or let you trade resources, victory points, and money for a more useful combination.

• Develop the outpost: claim lots and add buildings to expand the city.
• Use the street network: move workers to reach up to three buildings after construction.
• Trade for advantage: convert resources, money, and VPs into stronger combinations.
• Risk the black market: pursue powerful opportunities while facing possible penalties.

Black market buildings are often more powerful than legitimate businesses, but they come with danger. Whenever you build or use one, draw a chip from a bag: keep it if it is black, while a white chip triggers a penalty for the player with the most black chips and opium.

That penalty includes a fine and the loss of half that player’s opium stash, making criminal profits a risky proposition. In Singapore, the winner is the player with the most victory points, so success depends on finding the right balance between aboveboard development and illegal opportunity.