Mombasa

Overview

Mombasa is a strategy game with an economic focus set in the age of chartered companies. Players acquire shares of four companies based in Mombasa, Cape Town, Saint-Louis, and Cairo, spreading trading posts across Africa to earn money. The game combines card play, area control, and track advancement over 7 rounds. Players simultaneously select and play action cards, then resolve actions to expand companies, gain shares, advance on book and diamond tracks, and collect bonuses.

Components

• 1 game board
• 4 double-sided company tracks (8 jigsaw pieces)
• 4 player boards
• 44 action cards (36 starting + 4 expansion + 4 track)
• 72 book tiles, 10 starting tiles, 4 bonus tiles
• 60 coins (40x 1 pound, 20x 5 pounds)
• 60 trading posts (15 per color)
• 16 track markers, 20 bonus markers
• 4 ink jar markers, 4 diamond markers
• 1 first player marker, scoring pad, 4 overview sheets

Setup

1. Place the game board centrally. Assemble company tracks by matching IDs.
2. Each player takes a player board, 9 starting action cards, track markers, bonus markers, trading posts, and starting coins.
3. Set up book tiles, bonus tiles, and other components on the board as directed.
4. Each player places their markers on the starting positions of the 4 company tracks, book track, and diamond track.
5. Deal starting tiles and determine first player.

Turn Structure

Each of 7 rounds has 3 phases:

Phase 1: Planning

Simultaneously, each player selects 3 action cards from their hand and places them face down on their 3 card slots (left, center, right).

Phase 2: Actions

Players take turns performing actions. In turn order, each player reveals and resolves one action card at a time, proceeding through multiple action rounds until all cards are resolved. Actions include:

• Company expansion: Place trading posts to expand a company’s territory, increasing share values.
• Acquire shares: Advance on a company track (spend coins).
• Book track: Advance your ink jar on the book track for bonuses and end-game scoring.
• Diamond track: Advance your diamond marker for bonuses and end-game scoring.
• Acquire new cards: Buy new action cards from the market to improve future rounds.
• Collect coins: Gain income.

Phase 3: Cleanup

• Slide action cards to discard areas on the player board.
• Retrieve previously discarded cards (the timing of when cards return creates strategic card management).
• Refill the card market.
• Advance the round marker.

Actions

Company Expansion

Play expansion cards matching a company’s color to place trading posts in adjacent regions on the board. Each region’s trading post increases the value of shares for that company.

Share Tracks

Four separate company tracks represent your shareholding. Advancing costs coins but yields higher dividends and end-game VP.

Book Track

Advancing on the book track grants powerful bonuses and significant end-game VP. Players collect book tiles that provide immediate or permanent benefits.

Diamond Track

Similar to the book track; advancing grants bonuses and end-game VP from diamond-related scoring.

Card Management

Cards placed on different slots cycle at different rates. Managing which cards go where determines your strategic flexibility across rounds.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

After 7 rounds, final scoring includes:

Source	Points
Company shares	Track position x company value (number of trading posts)
Book track	VP based on ink jar position
Diamond track	VP based on diamond marker position
Coins	1 VP per 5 coins
Bonus tiles	As printed

The player with the most VP wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Card slot management (3 slots with different retrieval timing) is a key strategic element.
• Company value depends on how many trading posts all players have collectively placed.
• Players share company value – advancing on a company track means that company’s success benefits you.
• The game includes a simpler introductory variant for first-time players.

Player Reference

Phase	Action
Plan	Secretly assign 3 cards to 3 slots
Act	Resolve cards: expand companies, buy shares, advance tracks, gain cards
Cleanup	Slide cards to discard; retrieve old discards; refill market
End	After 7 rounds: shares x company value + book + diamond + coins