Overview

Habana Taxi is a board game set in Havana, Cuba, where players are tourists competing to visit the most monuments and points of interest by taxi. Players must choose between different taxis based on destination and frequency, balancing cost against speed. Sharing a taxi with other players reduces cost but slows travel, while newer, faster American taxis cost more. The player who visits the most monuments and accumulates the most points wins.

Components

• Game board (map of Havana with monuments and taxi routes)
• Taxi cards or tokens (different types with varying speeds and costs)
• Monument tokens or markers
• Money/budget tokens
• Player pieces
• Dice or route cards
• Instructions

Setup

1. Place the game board showing the map of Havana in the center of the table.
2. Each player takes a player piece and starting money/budget.
3. Place monument markers at their designated locations on the board.
4. Prepare the taxi cards or tokens.
5. Determine a starting player.

Turn Structure

On your turn:

1. Choose a taxi: Select a taxi to ride based on its destination, type, and cost.
2. Pay the fare: Deduct the cost from your budget (fare splits if sharing with other players).
3. Travel: Move your piece to the taxi’s destination.
4. Visit monuments: If you arrive at a location with a monument, score points for visiting it.
5. Plan ahead: Consider upcoming destinations and taxi availability for future turns.

Actions

Choosing Taxis

• Different taxis serve different routes and destinations.
• Shared taxis: When multiple players share a taxi, the fare is split (cheaper per person), but the taxi travels more slowly because it’s fuller.
• Fast taxis (American taxis): Newer, faster vehicles that travel quickly but cost more to ride.
• Route selection: Taxis have fixed destinations and frequencies; choosing the right taxi at the right time is key.

Visiting Monuments

• Arriving at a location with a monument allows you to score points.
• The goal is to visit as many monuments as possible during the game.
• Some monuments may be worth more points than others.

Budget Management

• Players have a limited budget for taxi fares.
• Balancing cheap shared rides (slower but economical) against expensive fast taxis (quick but costly) is the central strategic tension.
• Running out of money limits your travel options.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• Players score points by visiting monuments throughout Havana.
• The player who visits the most monuments and/or accumulates the highest total point value from visited locations wins.
• Budget management is crucial – overspending early can leave you unable to reach distant monuments later.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Shared ride cost reduction: More passengers in a taxi means a lower individual fare, but slower travel. This creates an interesting tension between cooperating (sharing rides) and competing (traveling alone for speed).
• Taxi frequency: Not all taxis are available every turn. Timing your trips to coincide with available taxis is an important strategic element.
• American vs. local taxis: The thematic distinction between faster, more expensive American classic cars and slower, cheaper local taxis adds flavor and strategic variety.
• Budget limits: Players must plan their route through Havana with their budget in mind, as running out of funds prevents further travel.
• Havana theme: The game celebrates the distinctive character of Havana, including its famous classic American cars used as taxis.

Player Reference

Goal: Visit the most monuments in Havana

Taxi tradeoff: Shared = cheaper but slower; Solo/American = faster but costlier

Key decision: Balance speed vs. cost to maximize monument visits within budget

Win condition: Most points from visited monuments