- BGG rank
- BGG #27,079
- BGG rating
- 5.5
Caramba!
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2004
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,214
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Magellan: Elcano
2021
Rules assistance for Magellan: Elcano
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 15–30 min
- 7+
- Complexity 1.3/5
Rules assistant for Magellan: Elcano
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Magellan: Elcano is a board game released in 2021 for 2–5 players, 15–30 minutes per game, and ages 7 and up. It was designed by Michael Schacht and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Auction / Bidding.
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About the game
September 20, 1519: The activity on the deck is frantic. Sailors run from side to side, loading the final batch of supplies. On the royal stand in the harbor, the preparation is intense. The King has arrived to watch the fleet set sail: five mighty ships, commanded by five shrewd captains whose intelligence will be put to the test in the years to come. The cannons roar, giving the departure signal. The anchors are pulled up, and the sails unfurled. The voyage that will circle the globe has just begun. In Magellan: Elcano, you assume the role of a captain on one of these ships circumnavigating the world, and you want to collect as many goods as possible. Each player has an identical deck of 15 cards, and you start with five random cards in hand. These cards have values on them in two colors (from red, blue, and green) on opposite ends, and three decks of ocean cards in red, blue, and green lie in the center of the table. Reveal the top card of each deck. Each player then takes turns playing a card from their hand in front of them, building up to three piles — one in each color — and rotating a player card as desired to make it one color or another. Continue around the table until all players have passed or have no cards remaining in hand. Whoever has played the highest total in red discards their played cards and claims the matching ocean card; all other players return their played red cards to hand. In the event of a tie, all players return their cards to hand, with the red ocean card remaining in place. Do the same with the blue and green cards. All players draw two cards from their personal deck, then you reveal a new red, blue, and green ocean card, piling up cards of the same color if they weren't claimed the previous one. Continue playing rounds until all players' decks are empty. Total your claimed ocean cards. Whoever has the highest sum wins!
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Schwerkraft-Verlag
- Geek Attitude Games
- PYTHAGORAS
Questions and answers
Magellan: Elcano supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Magellan: Elcano is 15–30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Magellan: Elcano for ages 7 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Magellan: Elcano has a complexity rating of 1.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Magellan: Elcano belongs to these categories: Card Game and Nautical. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Auction / Bidding. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Magellan: Elcano are: Michael Schacht. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Magellan: Elcano as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.