The short version
- There’s no jail and no space that sends pieces to one property, so every property is landed on about equally. Choose land by price and whether you can finish the set.
- Complete sets when you can: three unmortgaged properties of one color pay double rent.
- You can build without a full set, each level pays more than the last, and buildings count at full cost in the final score, so building never lowers it.
- Bank interest rises every time it’s charged, so repay quickly. Mortgage only when you’re short.
How often each space gets landed on
You roll two dice every turn, with no jail and no extra turn for doubles. The one thing that moves pieces around is “Fair Winds Home”, one of nine outcomes on event spaces, which sends you back to Departure. Working that out exactly, every property on the 28-space Island Ramble map is landed on 3.5–3.7% of moves, and every property on the 40-space Ocean Islands map 2.4–2.6%. That gap is tiny, so don’t hunt for a “busy” street: price, rent and completing a set matter far more. (Route cards are left out, since you pick where they land.)
Prices, rent and build costs on both maps
Rent is multiplied by 1, 3, 6 or 10 at building level 0, 1, 2 or 3, then doubled when you own all three unmortgaged properties in the group. Each level costs about 60% of the land price. The “full set, level 3” column is the rent for one property.
Island Ramble (28 spaces)| Group | Spaces | Price | Base rent | Full set | Full set, level 3 | Cost per level | Total to own and max out |
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| Harbor | 1, 3, 4 | 140–180 | 16–20 | 32–40 | 320–400 | 80–110 | 1,350 |
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| Coral | 6, 8, 9 | 200–240 | 22–26 | 44–52 | 440–520 | 120–140 | 1,830 |
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| Forest | 11, 12, 13 | 240–280 | 28–32 | 56–64 | 560–640 | 140–170 | 2,190 |
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| Market | 15, 16, 18 | 280–320 | 34–38 | 68–76 | 680–760 | 170–190 | 2,520 |
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| Lagoon | 20, 22, 23 | 320–360 | 40–44 | 80–88 | 800–880 | 190–220 | 2,850 |
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| Summit | 24, 26, 27 | 360–400 | 46–50 | 92–100 | 920–1,000 | 220–240 | 3,210 |
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Ocean Islands has the six groups above plus three more:
Ocean Islands (40 spaces)| Group | Spaces | Price | Base rent | Full set | Full set, level 3 | Cost per level | Total to own and max out |
|---|
| Starlight | 31, 32, 33 | 380–420 | 46–50 | 92–100 | 920–1,000 | 230–250 | 3,360 |
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| Garden | 34, 35, 36 | 400–440 | 48–52 | 96–104 | 960–1,040 | 240–260 | 3,510 |
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| Ocean | 37, 38, 39 | 440–480 | 52–56 | 104–112 | 1,040–1,120 | 260–290 | 3,870 |
|---|
Which group to buy first
Cheap groups are easier to complete and to max out. All three Harbor properties cost 480 together, and fully built they cost 1,350; Summit, the priciest, costs 3,210. You start with 1,800 (2,400 on the big map), so locking down one cheap group and building early usually beats owning one property of every color. The expensive groups pay more per landing and suit the middle of the game, once cash is coming in.
Don’t spend down to zero to finish a set. Landing on a built-up property can cost several hundred coins, and if you can’t pay you’ll be borrowing, mortgaging or selling buildings.
When to build
You don’t need the whole set to build; upgrade any of your properties after you move on your turn. Going from level 0 to 1 adds twice the base rent, level 1 to 2 adds three times, and level 2 to 3 adds four times, all for the same price per level. Higher levels are the better deal.
The game ends on net worth: cash, land prices and building costs all count. Building just turns cash into buildings of equal value, so your score stays the same while your rent goes up. Selling a building only gives back half. If you have spare cash, build rather than sit on it. Watch for the “Building Maintenance” event, which costs 25 per building level.
Borrowing and mortgages
You can borrow from the bank at any time, up to half the value of your unmortgaged land and buildings (at least 400 on the small map and 600 on the large one). Interest is charged each time you pass Departure, after your salary: 5% the first time, 2 points more each time after, up to 20%, starting over only when the loan is fully repaid. Borrowing to build is fine, but try to pay it back within a lap or two.
A mortgage gives you half the land price right away, but the property earns no rent, its set no longer counts as complete, redeeming it costs 55% of the price, and at the end a mortgaged property counts for only half. When you’re short, borrow first, then mortgage land outside your sets, and sell buildings last.
Auctions and trades
Land nobody buys goes to auction right away, opening at just 20% of the price. Passing on a property when your opponents are low on cash, then winning it at auction, can save a lot. Computer players stop at about 90% of the price (about 125% when they already own one from that group), so bidding a little above that usually wins.
When a trade completes a set for someone else, make sure it completes one for you too, and ask for cash to even it out. Offers expire after 30 seconds.
Using cards well
- Route card: instead of rolling, pick any space 2–12 ahead. Use it to skip an opponent’s built-up set, stop on land you want, or pass Departure for your salary and a new card.
- Rent pass: play it before rolling and this move costs no rent. Save it for when an opponent’s built-up set is just ahead.
- Building permit: after moving, upgrade one of your unmortgaged properties for free. That’s a full level of building cost added to your net worth.
Passing Departure gives you a card, up to four. With four in hand you get no new ones, so don’t hoard them.
The last few rounds
When time is up the current round is finished, then the game is settled. Paying off a high-rate loan before the end doesn’t change net worth but saves interest. Spare cash is best spent on buildings, which count at cost. Avoid mortgaging in the final round, since mortgaged land counts for half. Each turn has 3 minutes; running over costs 50 at once and 50 more every minute.