Pax Porfiriana

To set up Pax Porfiriana, players first choose one of six unique 'Hacendados' (oligarchs) to represent their faction. From a large deck of 220 cards, a base set of 50 cards is selected, and then an additional 10 cards per player are added. These cards are thoroughly shuffled to form the play deck, which is placed on the designated 'Play Deck' space on the game board. Various resource cubes (representing different types of income) and other game tokens are organized and placed within reach, ready for use during gameplay. The game board itself provides spaces for the marketplace, discards, and other game elements, although it is not strictly essential for play, as the original edition did not include one.

The primary objective in Pax Porfiriana is to become the next president of Mexico by successfully overthrowing the current long-standing president, Porfirio Díaz. Players, as powerful Hacendados, must strategically build their influence, wealth, and military strength to either initiate a revolution or support a coup. The ultimate goal is to ensure that when Díaz is toppled, your faction is in the strongest position to assume control, aligning with the prevailing political ideology of the new regime to secure victory points.

During a player's turn, they typically draw cards from the play deck to replenish their hand and then engage in various actions. These actions include playing cards from their hand into the marketplace, purchasing cards from the marketplace, or activating abilities on cards they already control. Cards represent businesses, military units, political figures, and events, each requiring specific resources (represented by cubes) to play or activate. Players must carefully manage their resources and card plays to expand their influence, generate income, and prepare for potential regime changes.

Scoring in Pax Porfiriana is highly dynamic and depends on the type of regime that is in power when the game ends. There are four main regime types: Republic, Empire, Anarchy, and Revolution. Each regime type favors different card types and influence markers for victory points. For example, a Republic might reward players with many businesses, while an Empire might favor military strength. Players must adapt their strategies throughout the game, anticipating or influencing the eventual regime to maximize their final score, as points are awarded based on how well their assets align with the ruling ideology.

The game can end in one of two ways. The most common trigger is the playing of a 'Topple' card, which immediately initiates a regime change and triggers an instant scoring round. Alternatively, if the main play deck of cards is exhausted, the game proceeds to a final scoring round. In both scenarios, players calculate their victory points based on the current regime type and their accumulated assets, with the player holding the most points being declared the winner and the new president of Mexico.