Hacienda

About this board game

Hacienda is a strategy board game for 2–5 players, with a playing time of about 90 minutes, in which competitors develop the South American pampas and bring livestock to markets.

Each turn gives you three actions. You can buy land and animal cards, then use them to place tiles and livestock on the hex map. Face-up cards cost 3 pesos, while an unknown card from a draw deck costs 2 pesos, creating a constant balance between planning and uncertainty.

Land tiles represent different terrain types, while animal cards feature pigs, cows, horses, and sheep. Matching animals form herds, and when a herd reaches a market town, it earns money based on the herd’s size and the land connected to it. Expanding your holdings can increase your income while also limiting your opponents’ opportunities.

• Build connected land areas and livestock herds.
• Serve market towns to generate cash.
• Buy waterholes and haciendas for bonus points.
• Call a harvest to take money from your land when funds run low.

Money helps you acquire more cards and develop the map, but it is not the ultimate objective. Victory points are scored halfway through the game and again at the end, with points awarded for the markets you serve, your herds, your land, and the valuable waterholes and haciendas you place.

The game board offers two different layouts: a symmetrical dog-bone pattern of land types and a more varied random pattern. With careful hand management, thoughtful herd placement, and well-timed investments, Hacienda turns expansion and economic decisions into a competitive race for the most points.