Estanciero

Estanciero Rulebook

Table of Contents

Objective

Starting from an amount of money supplied by the BANK during the game, players acquire ZONES, CHACRAS, ESTANCIAS, RAILROADS and COMPANIES. Players may make transactions among themselves during the game (rents, leases, etc.). The game ends when one of the participants remains as the owner of all the provinces or properties.

1 game board, 6 pawns (one of each colour), 29 cards (title deeds), 32 cards (Chance and Fate), 32 chacras, 12 estancias, 2 dice, and bills of different values and colours.

Setup

For 3 or 6 players, ages 8 and up.
If there are more than 6 participants, one may act as banker. Otherwise, another player will also act as banker.
The bank gives each player 35,000 in bills of various denominations. Each participant places their bills in front of them, sorted by value. The remaining bills stay with the bank to answer transactions.
If fewer than 5 people are playing, it is best to give each player more bills.
To determine who starts the game, the dice are rolled and whoever rolls the highest number begins.

The Game

The dice are rolled, and starting from START, the pawn moves forward as many spaces as the dice show.
If the dice show equal numbers (two 1s, two 4s, etc.), after moving and carrying out the transactions indicated by the space reached, the player rolls the dice again. This may be repeated twice, but if a third roll is doubles, the player must go to the POLICE STATION (see POLICE STATION).
When a player lands on a PROVINCE (NORTH ZONE, CENTRE, SOUTH), RAILROAD or COMPANY, it may be bought from the BANK at the value indicated on the game board, provided it has not already been acquired. It is advisable to make as many acquisitions as possible. Upon a purchase, the BANK hands over the corresponding TITLE DEED.
If a player lands on a province zone, company or railroad owned by another player, they must pay rent according to what is indicated on that owner's title deed (see MORTGAGE).
If the owner does not claim the rent for their property before the dice are rolled again, they lose the right to collect it.

The Board

The game board is divided into 42 spaces on which the ZONES, RAILROADS, COMPANIES, etc. appear.

Zones: Provinces (North, Centre, South)

Each of these has its corresponding title deed, which shows the rents for FIELDS (CAMPOS), CHACRAS and ESTANCIAS. The sale of CHACRAS and ESTANCIAS is exclusively between the OWNER and the BANK. Title deeds for properties may not be sold or bought directly between players.

Railroads and Companies

See the instructions on their title deeds.

Chance or Fate (Suerte o Destino)

When a player lands on a space marked CHANCE OR FATE, they must take the top card, carry out what it says, and then place it face down at the bottom of the deck.

Prizes and Taxes

These are collected from or paid to the BANK. A player who forgets to claim a PRIZE from the BANK before the dice are rolled again loses the right to collect it.

Police Station (Comisaría)

A player must go to the POLICE STATION:
1. If they land on the POLICE STATION space.
2. If they land on the GO TO JAIL space.
3. If they draw a SUERTE O DESTINO card that says GO TO JAIL.
4. If they roll doubles three consecutive times.
A player who is arrested must pay a fine of 1,000. The fine is not paid if:
- They draw the SUERTE O DESTINO card that grants a free exit.
- They roll doubles when rolling the dice again.
Being in jail does not prevent players from carrying out transactions.

Rest (Descanso)

On landing on this space, the player has the right, if they wish, to remain for two turns, provided they do not roll doubles on the dice. The player must announce the wish to stay before rolling the dice.

Free Parking (Libre Estacionamiento)

This space has no meaning other than what is shown on it, and does not give the right to stay.

Doubles on the Dice

A player who rolls doubles plays again. If doubles are rolled three times in a row, the player goes to jail for abuse. They do not roll again until their turn comes around.

The Bank

At the start of the game, the BANK is the sole owner of the ZONES, RAILROADS, COMPANIES, ESTANCIAS and CHACRAS. These may be acquired at the prices indicated on the board or on the title deeds (for chacras or estancias).
The BANK is obliged to provide money in MORTGAGES on FIELDS, RAILROADS and COMPANIES to anyone who requests it, for the amount indicated on the back of the title deeds, charging 10% interest in advance.

Chacras

CHACRAS are represented by 32 house-shaped tokens included in this game. They are properties which, once acquired and placed on FIELDS (ZONES), increase the value in favour of the OWNER, and can be acquired only from the BANK. To acquire CHACRAS, a player must hold a complete province.
RAILROADS and COMPANIES cannot be built on with CHACRAS or ESTANCIAS.
CHACRAS are placed on FIELDS (ZONES). Only one more CHACRA is permitted on some FIELDS than on others belonging to the same OWNER.
A player may not have 4 CHACRAS on one FIELD and 2 on another, but may have 4 on one and 3 on another. No more than 4 CHACRAS may be placed on one FIELD. The value of the CHACRAS is shown on the title deeds.

Estancias

An ESTANCIA is represented by 12 house-shaped tokens, larger than the CHACRAS and of a different colour. To have an ESTANCIA on a FIELD, a player must first have 4 CHACRAS there.
A player with enough capital may buy ESTANCIAS without having previously bought CHACRAS. A player may not hold more than one ESTANCIA per FIELD. When acquiring an ESTANCIA, the existing CHACRAS on that FIELD are returned to the BANK as part of the payment, and the player pays the difference that applies.
Note: a player with financial difficulties may sell CHACRAS and ESTANCIAS back to the BANK, but only for half the price paid.

Shortage of Chacras and Estancias

If there are not enough CHACRAS or ESTANCIAS to meet the demands, the player whose turn it is has priority.

Sale of Properties

FIELDS, RAILROADS and COMPANIES may be bought and sold among players. CHACRAS and ESTANCIAS, however, may only be resold to the BANK, and at half their value.

Mortgage

The BANK is the only one that may provide money to players, at the value indicated on the back of the title deeds. CHACRAS and ESTANCIAS cannot be mortgaged.
If a mortgaged FIELD is sold to another player, that player pays 10% interest to the BANK at the time of the transaction. If they do not lift the mortgage immediately, they must pay another 10% when they later lift it.
No rent is collected on FIELDS, RAILROADS and COMPANIES (as printed in the mortgage section).

Shortage of Money

If a player lacks the money to pay rents or taxes, they must first sell their ESTANCIAS or CHACRAS to the BANK, mortgage their properties, or hand these over to the creditor.
Players may not lend money to one another.
If, even after selling their properties to a player, the amount is still not enough, the player is declared BANKRUPT and must leave the game.

Helping Players

It is forbidden to help players by reminding them to collect PRIZES. Anyone who attempts to do so must pay a fine of 500 to the BANK.

Auction (Remate)

If a player must give the BANK a title deed as payment, the BANK puts it up for auction and awards it to the highest bidder.
If a player wishes to auction their title deeds in order to have greater value available for paying rent, they may do so through the banker.

Shortening the Game

Although the game loses some of its interest, each player may be given a larger amount of money, or TITLE DEEDS may be distributed at the start of the game.

Translator's Notes on the Source

The source text is a PDF extraction. Words broken by stray spaces were rejoined, and accents were restored (for example "Comisaría", "Compañía", "Chacras"). "Dueño", "multa" and similar words were corrected where the extraction garbled them ("muta" is read as "multa").
The source reads "1 2 estancias"; this is taken as 12 ESTANCIAS, matching the component count.
The numbered list under the POLICE STATION section begins at "2)" in the source; item 1 is restored from the sentence structure.
The source sentence "puede comprarlo el BANCO" is read as "may be bought from the BANK", the sense used throughout the section (and by "Ante una compra el BANCO entregará la escritura").
The source sentence "Sobre los CAMPOS, FERROCARRILES y COMPAÑÍAS no se percibe alquiler" sits in the MORTGAGE section. It is rendered as printed; its exact scope (mortgaged properties only, or all such properties) is not clear from the extraction and should be checked against the printed instructions.
The source does not name a currency; sums are given as printed (for example 35,000, 1,000, 500).
The source uses both ZONA and PROVINCIA for the same board spaces; both are rendered as "zone" or "province" in the same sense.
The source's cross-references ("ver HIPOTECA", "véase COMISARIA") are rendered as "see MORTGAGE" and "see POLICE STATION".