Santa Cruz 1797

About this board game

Santa Cruz 1797 is a two-player, card-driven block game about the night battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, playable in approximately 60 minutes.

British forces led by Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson attempt to seize Santa Cruz de Tenerife through a direct amphibious assault. The British player commands forces with superior numbers and quality, while the Spanish player works to contain the landings and prevent the loss of the city’s main fortifications and vital points.

The battle unfolds through a tense exchange of movement, fire, and close interaction. British naval movement brings the attackers toward the coast, while Spanish coastal batteries fire against the approaching threat. Once the action reaches the city, the struggle becomes a confused, see-saw battle shaped by night street fighting.

• British objective: press the amphibious assault and seize key locations.
• Spanish objective: contain the landings and protect the main fortifications and vital points.
• Core experience: card-driven play, block-based forces, naval movement, coastal battery fire, and intense interaction.

Based on the failed British attack of 1797, the game captures the imbalance between the attackers’ strength and the defenders’ urgent need to hold the city. The historical assault ended disastrously for the British, with Nelson losing his lower right arm.

With its focused two-player design and sharp reversals of fortune, Santa Cruz 1797 presents a compact historical contest in which every advance and defensive response contributes to an uncertain night battle. The game was nominated for the JT@2018 Award in Spain.