
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Santa Monica: The Long Weekend
- 2–4 players
- 40 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2021

2020
Rules assistance for Santa Monica
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Santa Monica is a board game released in 2020 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Josh Wood and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Area Movement, and Tile Placement.
In Santa Monica, you are trying to create the most appealing neighborhood in southern California. Will you choose to create a calm, quiet beach focused on nature, a bustling beach full of tourists, or something in-between to appeal to the locals? Each turn, you draft a feature card from the display to build up either your beach or your street. These features work together to score you victory points. The player with the most points wins! —description from the publisher German: In Santa Monica versuchst du, den attraktivsten Strandabschnitt in Südkalifornien zu schaffen. Entscheide dich für einen ruhigen, stillen Strand, der sich auf die Natur konzentriert, einen belebten Strand voller Touristen oder etwas dazwischen, das die Einheimischen anspricht? In jedem Zug ziehst du eine Spielkarte aus der Auslage, um entweder den Strand oder die Straße in deinem Abschnitt zu erweitern. Aber nur, wenn Straße und Strand aufeinander abgestimmt sind, bekommst du genügend Siegpunkte, um das Spiel zu gewinnen! —Beschreibung des Herausgebers
Santa Monica supports 2–4 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 Monica is 45 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 Monica for ages 14 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 Monica has a complexity rating of 2.2 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 Monica belongs to these categories: Travel and City Building. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Area Movement, and Tile Placement. 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 Monica are: Josh Wood. 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 Monica 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.