Mexica - the founding of Tenochtitlan

As they wandered through Mexico, the Aztec, or Mexica, as they later called themselves, searched for the sign prophesied by their God, Huitzilopochtli: an eagle, perched on a cactus, eating a snake. There, they would settle.

Many years later, in 1325, the Mexica finally found the sign they sought and settled in their home on an island in lake Texcoco. They spent the next 200 years exploring their chosen home and building their famous capital city Tenochtitlan. They built dams to channel the water around land on which they built their homes. They called the building groups that were contained within the canals Calpulli. The Calpulli formed the basis for Aztec society.

In 1521, Hernan Cortes destroyed Tenochtitlan: a city of 15 square kilometers that had been home to over 200,000 people. Later, Mexico City rose on these ruins. Today, there are only a few remnants of the capital city of the Mexica.

In this game, the players return to the time of the Mexica. They build districts (Calpulli) surrounded by canals, build bridges connecting the districts, and build buildings in the districts. Players score points for founding districts and, twice in the game, for the buildings they have built in the districts. The player who scores the most points will win the game.

Contents: 1 game board, 43 canal tiles, 11 bridges, 15 Calpulli tiles, 72 buildings, 12 action chips, 4 game figures, 4 scoring markers, 4 rule summary cards, 1 rule booklet, all in a box approximately 43 x 30 x 5cm

2 - 4 players
Ages 10 & up
Playing time: 60 - 75 minutes
Publisher Rio Grande / Ravensburger
Authors: M. Kiesling, W. Kramer

Winner Best Family Strategy Game Games Magazine 2003
Finalist Deutscher SpielePre 2002
Finalist International Gamers Award 2003