
- BGG rank
- BGG #874
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Saltfjord
- 1–4 players
- 45–90 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2024

Rules assistance for Santa Maria: Exploration Deck
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Santa Maria: Exploration Deck is an expansion for Santa Maria released in 2019 for 1–4 players, 45–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Kristian Amundsen Østby and Eilif Svensson and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Set Collection, and Dice Rolling.
Santa Maria: Exploration Deck is a mini expansion consisting of five nationality cards and twenty achievement cards. The nationality cards override the standard set-up of resources and coins, and provide each player with a unique starting point. Achievement cards are drafted at the beginning of the game; fulfilled achievements provide bonuses and points to the players.
Santa Maria: Exploration Deck supports 1–4 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 Santa Maria: Exploration Deck is 45–90 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 Santa Maria: Exploration Deck for ages 12 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.
Santa Maria: Exploration Deck has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Santa Maria: Exploration Deck belongs to these categories: Farming, Expansion for Base-game, and Civilization. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Set Collection, and Dice Rolling. 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 Santa Maria: Exploration Deck are: Kristian Amundsen Østby and Eilif Svensson. 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 Santa Maria: Exploration Deck as an expansion for Santa Maria. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Santa Maria to use it. Check that your edition of Santa Maria is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.