The Nacho Incident

About this board game

The Nacho Incident is a 2005 board game for 2–4 players, played in about 45 minutes, where players smuggle Mexican food into Canada and compete to make the most money.

You are a smuggler crossing the border with food to sell, while the Mounties work to discover your operations. Each turn, every player secretly selects a smuggler from their hand, then all chosen smugglers are revealed simultaneously.

Smugglers are ranked by number, creating a sharp balance between opportunity and danger. Higher-numbered smugglers act first and have more smuggling options available, but they also attract greater attention from the Mounties.

• Choose from smugglers ranked by number.
• Select profitable combinations of smuggler, food, and destination.
• Establish cantinas to finance future smuggling operations.
• Watch as the Mounties discover and shut down cantinas.

Once across the border, smugglers can set up cantinas to fund further ventures. These businesses help support continued smuggling, but they are not safe: as the Mounties uncover them, the cantinas are shut down.

With only 12 turns of smuggling, each decision matters. You must weigh the advantages of acting early against the risk of attracting the Mounties, while pursuing the most profitable food and destination choices.

After the final turn, the player with the most money wins. With simultaneous selection, shifting opportunities, and vulnerable cantinas, The Nacho Incident offers a compact contest of timing, risk, and profit.