Altiplano is a board game named after the South American highlands of the Andes, where the game is set. Resources are limited in Altiplano and the competition is high. This board game pits players against each other to see who will build their bag with the most resources, giving them the most points by the end of the game. Players can produce resources such as alpaca, cacao, corn, fish, and silver, each of which has its own characteristic and place where it can be used. You’ll have to come up with the best strategy for selling, trading, and producing goods if you want to beat out the other players and win the game!

Embrace Your Role

The goal of Altiplano is to have the highest amount of points by the end of the game. Each player starts the game with a player board and one role tile. A role tile gives you your starting goods as well as the power to do one action that no one else can. This will inform your decision making as you plan to build your bag through producing resources, gathering goods, and more.

Starting roles can be anything from a farmer to a fisherman. While roles like the fisherman require you to get the extensions relating to fish, other roles can enable you to ignore your main action and focus on a different path to get points.Thanks to the seven different starting roles and the Traveler expansion, Altiplano is easily replayable without losing any of the intrigue.

Contents of the Game

Altiplano comes with colorful player boards that are labeled with each of the main locations, as well as the goods they contain and the player count. This board game also comes with cute little location tiles, road markers, player pawns, goods tiles, and coins that you use to trade goods, produce more resources, and build your bag. All of these pieces are made from sturdy, thick cardboard that ensures you can play the game for years without it wearing out.

Part of the fun of Altiplano is collecting all of the little trinkets into your bag and placing them delicately on the board. It’s definitely a visual game, as you can physically see your goods stack up in the form of cute little alpaca tiles or fish tiles.

Building Your Bag

Altiplano is a board game that emphasizes strategy. Each turn gives you many options to take, but the unique power you get from your role tile will definitely influence your path by giving you a specific advantage. It’s important to keep in mind the contents of your bag as you play, as this can allow you to plan several turns ahead since you know which goods are coming. Not all goods are created equal, however, as you might get stuck with something useless like glass.

Building houses scores you loads of bonus points at the end of the game. Whether you focus on building houses, producing cloth or silver, or filling your warehouses, you’ll find a strategy that carries you to victory.

Altiplano Traveler Expansion

Altiplano comes with an expansion called Altiplano: The Traveler. This expansion to the board game includes a traveler wandering through the Altiplano who offers new ideas and assets to grow and exchange resources. The expansion makes the strategy for the game even more complex, giving you new ways to grow your wealth while also throwing in more wrenches to your plan.

Altiplano: Resources May Be Limited But The Fun Is Not

Altiplano is playable by anywhere from 2-5 players. This makes it nice and flexible for people looking for a fun family game or some one-on-one competition. Because it’s suitable for ages 12 and up, it’s complex enough for adults to enjoy while also being accessible to teenagers.  Playing time lasts around one to two hours, which should be more than enough time to fight for resources and employ your winning strategy.

Altiplano is not as instantly playable as some other board games, as it can take a few plays before you really start to get the lay of the land. However, once you’re into it, this board game can provide countless hours of fun with its ability to develop complex strategies. Gather your goods and don’t let the alpacas run loose!

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