The game go several rounds. Each round, each player selects one of the seven rolls and performs a certain action for that role. These roles may provide goods, buildings, plantations or colonists. They may allow players to ship goods for Victory points or sell goods for money. In addition, the role selected may include money for the player selecting it. Players must plan a careful strategy of building, producing, trading and shipping. The Player with the most victory points wins.

Puerto Rico is a complex game. The game board contains many elements. The above picture highlights the major components.

The game takes place over several rounds. One each round, each player choose a role. The player who possesses the governor flag, begins. That player clicks on one of the role cards(lower right corner of the screen) and carries out the action of this role first. If they role affects all players then the other players take their action in sequence. Now the next player selects a role out of the roles. After all players have selected a role, the governor flag is passed to the next player. That player will begin the next round. The illuminated money sack to the left indicates always, which player is taking an action. Any roles that were not selected have 1 doubloon played on them.

Each roll includes a special privilege for the player who took it, and also a general action that is carried out by each player (exception: prospector). ).

If there are any doubloons on the role card, the player recieves those immediately and may use them on that turn.
A player must take a role on his turn.
Peforming of any actions associated with roles in optional, with the exception of the Captain role, in which players must ship good if they can.
Each role may one by taken by one player in a given round.

Only occupied(with colonists) buildings/plantations/quarries are active. When the mayor role is selected , the players receive colonists from the colony ship, one per player, starting with the mayor, until the colony ship is empty. In addition, the Mayor receives one extra colonist from the supply. Then each player places his colonists on his tiles, by dragging them. At this time the player may move any and all of his colonists. When the player is finished they click the red arrow(top right corner) to end their turn.

When this role is selected, players may acquire new buildings. The player selecting the Builder, pays 1 doubloon less than the building amount, as their bonus for selecting the Builder. To build, the player first clicks on the BuildMenu icon(top right corner) then clicks on the building they wish to purchase. Players may not purchase more than one of the same building. However they may purchase both the small and large versions of buildings(example both the small sugar mill and the large sugar mill). Players build in player order, begining with the builder. If a player does not wish to build, they click the red arrow to pass.

When the Craftsman is selected, the players receive goods(if they have active plantations and production buildings. As a bonus, the player choosing the craftsman, receives one extra good of any kind that they produced that turn. Goods are limited and may not be available for all players. Players receive their goods in sequence, starting with the craftsman. After all players have received their goods, the Craftsman then may select their bonus good, by click on the appropriate goods marker. For all goods, except corn, the player must have both am active plantation and an active production building. For corn they only need an active plantation.

When the Trader is selected, players have the option of selling one good in the Trading House. Starting with the Trader, each player may sell one good of a type that is not in the Trading House(unless they have an active office). The Trading House has 4 slots and when all 4 are filled, trading ends for that turn. The goods are then returned to the supply and the Trading House is emptied. Because there are only 4 slots, all players may not get a chance to trade. Trading is optional. To pass, click the red arrow. The prices paid(in doubloons are: Corn 0, Indigo 1, Sugar 2, Tobacco 3, Coffee 4. The player selecting the Trader receives one extra doubloon as a bonus if they trade. Players may receive additional bonuses if they own certain buildings.

When the Captain is selected player ship goods and receive victory points. Shipping is not optional. If a player has goods that can be shipped, they must ship them.

Starting with the Captain, players ship all of a type of good. Shipping continues in player sequence until no player is able to ship any more goods. Players may get a chance to ship multiple types of goods in one turn.

Shipping rules:
- each ship cna hold only goods of a single type
- two ships may not carry the same type of good
- once a ship is full, it may not receive any more goods that turn
- If a player has different types of goods that can be shipped, on their turn they choose which type to ship.

Victory Points:
For each good shipped that player receives one VictoryPoint. The Captain receives one bonus Victory Point if they shipped during that turn, as a bonus for selecting the captain. Players may receive additional bonuses if they own certain buildings.

Storage:
After all shipping is done, players may store one good of their choice. If they own an active wharehouse, they may be able to store additional goods. Any goods that can't be stored must be returned to the supply. players select those goods, by clicking on the goods marker next to their name.

At the end of the Captain phase, any ships that are full are emptied and the goods are returned to the supply.

After each player selects a role and the actions are performed, the round ends. One doubloon is placed on each of the 3 role cards that were not selected that turn. The doubloon is added to any that were already on the card. The number of doubloons is shown in the top left corner of the role card. In a subsequent turn, a player selecting that card, receives those doubloons in addition to the regular bonus for that role.
The game ends if at the end of any round, any of the following 3 conditions are met:

1. There are not enough colonists left in the supply to fill the colony ship
2. There are no Victory Point chips remaining
3. A player has completely filled their 12 available building slots. Note the 5 large buildings each occupy 2 building slots.

The following is a summary of the buildings from the basic game. In the buildingmenu, the price of the building is shown in black, while the value in red, shows the number of victory points that the building is worth.

These building are required for production of goods except corn. Corn only requires a plantation with a colonist on it. Each of the other goods require both a plantation with a colonist and the corresponding production building with a colonist. The Large Indigo, Large Sugar and Tobacco buildings can support up to 3 plantations each. The Coffee Roaster can support 2 plantations.

There are 17 Purple buildings, the 12 small buildings occur twice each, while the 5 large buildings occur only once each. Each of these buildings provides a special bonus if the building has a colonist one it.
In the following list the cost and number of VPs is shown.

Small Market: (Cost 1, VP 1)
You get one extra doubloon when trading.

With the PuertoRico-expansion, new buildings came into the game. In addition the expansion differs from the basic version in that at the beginning of the game the buildings to be used in the game are selected by the players.
 
The expansion is activated with the command "/option extension" before starting the game.

The production buildings are always used, only the purple buildings are selected by players.
 
Players select buildings to be used. Buildings selected must "fit" based upon their cost. So since there are only 2 buildings in the basic game that cost 7, only 2 building types that cost 7 may be selected.
Once, a full set of buildings have been selected, the game begins.

Aqueduct: (Cost 1, VP 1)
Produces one extra Indigo or Sugar, if production came from a large Indigo plant or a large Sugar mill.

Foresthouse: (Cost 2, VP 1)
During the settler phase may build a forest instead of a plantation.
Forests do not require a colonist. Each 2 forests reduces building costs by one doubloon during the building phase.

Blackmarket: (Cost 2, VP 1)
During building phase. may reduce building cost by up to 3 by "spending" a good, a colonist, and/or a VP.

Storehouse: (Cost 3, VP 1)
May store up to 3 goods after shipping.

Guesthouse: (Cost 4, VP 2)
During the mayor phase, may place 1 or 2 colonists on the Guesthouse. These colonists may be moved at end time during the players turn.

TradingPost: (Cost 5, VP 2)
During the trader phase/ May sell one good to their own trading house, at full price instead of using the trading house. Small market and large market bonuses do not apply. Bonus for being the trader does.
You may sell a good that is in the trading house and you may even sell if the trading house is full.

Church: (Cost 5, VP 2)
One victory point when buying a 2VP or 3VP building.
2 VPs when buying a Large purple building.

Small Wharf: (Cost 6, VP 2)
A private ship. May ship goods of different types. However, you only get 1 VP for each 2 goods shipped.

Lighthouse: (Cost 7, VP 3)
1 Doubloon whenever you ship. Also, if you are the captain and ship you get an extra doubloon.

Specialty Factory: (Cost 8, VP 3)
Earn doubloons when producing multiple of the same good. Does not apply to Corn.
Take the number of goods that you produced the most of minus one. You get that many doubloons.

Library: (Cost 8, VP 3)
Doubles the role bonus whenever you take a role card.

Unionhall: (Cost 8, VP 3)
Before shipping, take 1 VP for every 2 goods you have.

Statue: (Cost 10, VP 8)
No colonists can or need be placed on the statue. Just 8 VPs.

Cloister: (Cost 10, VP 4)
Receive VPs for sets of 3 like plantations and/or quarries.

• 1 set - 1 VP
• 2 sets - 3 VP
• 3 sets - 6 VP
• 4 sets - 10 VP

Translated by TheBoomer