How to Play

Cuba Libre

1-4 players 180-180 min 7.7 Board Game Geek Rating

Cuba Libre simulates the Cuban Revolution from 1956-1959, featuring four competing factions: Castro's rebels, anti-communist groups, Batista's government, and the crime syndicate. Players use the COIN system's asymmetric gameplay, where each faction has unique abilities and objectives. Victory comes through achieving faction-specific goals while preventing opponents from succeeding in this strategic insurgency game.

Published 2013

Cuba Libre

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

1
Place card decks
Stack the draw deck on top of the discard deck
2
Reveal top card
Turn over the top card of the draw deck to begin play
3
Check for Propaganda
If the top card of the discard deck is Propaganda, check if it's the second Propaganda card in a row
4
Set resource maximums
Government Resources maximum is 49, Aid maximum is 49
5
Establish piece limits
Maximum of 2 bases of all non-Syndicate Factions in 1 City or Province
6
Set Casino limits
Maximum of 2 Casinos (Syndicate bases) in 1 Province or City
7
Note Economic Center restriction
No bases may be placed in Economic Centers
8
Understand control
Control requires Troops, Police, Guerrillas, and Bases of one Faction to exceed all other Factions combined
9
Set support levels
Cities and Provinces can have Active Support, Passive Support, Neutral, Passive Opposition, or Active Opposition

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

1
Determine eligible Factions
Check the symbol order on the top card of the discard deck for which Factions are in the Eligible box
2
First Eligible Faction chooses action
Select from: Play Event, Do Operation only, Do Operation with Special Activity, or Pass
3
Pass for resources
Passing grants +3 Resources for Government or +1 Resource for other Factions
4
Execute Operation only
Mark spaces selected with black pawns, may remove own pieces to available forces, Guerrillas go underground
5
Execute Operation with Special Activity
Mark Operation spaces with black pawns, Special Activity spaces with white pawns
6
Execute Limited Operation
Operation occurs in just 1 space only
7
Play Event
May remove own pieces to available forces, Guerrillas go underground
8
Second Eligible Faction responds
Based on first Faction's choice, second Faction may do Limited Operation, Event, Operation with Special Activity, or Pass
9
Allow Cash-funded Limited Operations
Any Faction may remove own Cash to allow current eligible Faction a free Limited Operation
10
Shift eligibility
If last Eligible Faction did not Pass, next Eligible Faction on top of card becomes 1st Eligible Faction
11
Train
Cost 2-4 Resources per space per US Alliance track; place up to 4 Troops and/or Police in Province with Government base or City
12
Garrison
Cost 2-4 Resources per US Alliance track; move any number of Troops and/or Police to any Economic Centers or Cities
13
Sweep
Cost 2-4 Resources per destination space per US Alliance track; move any number of Troops to adjacent Provinces or Cities
14
Assault
Cost 2-4 Resources per space assaulted per US Alliance track; remove 1 Active Guerrilla per Troop/Police ratio
15
Build Government Support
Cost 4 Resources per space in Government-controlled City or Province with both Troops and Police
16
Transport
Move up to 3 Troops from 1 City or Base to 1 space
17
Air Strike
Only with Garrison, Sweep, or Assault; target any 1 Province or Economic Center to remove 1 active Guerrilla or base
18
Reprisal
Only with Garrison, Sweep, or Assault in 1 Government-controlled space; place Terror marker and move 1 Guerrilla to adjacent space
19
Rally
Cost 1 Resource per Province or City
20
March
Cost 1 Resource per destination City or Province; 0 Resources per destination Economic Center; move friendly Guerrillas to adjacent spaces
21
Attack
Cost 1 Resource per space; space must have at least 1 friendly Guerrilla and 1 enemy piece; activate all friendly Guerrillas and roll die
22
Terror
Cost 1 Resource per target City or Province; 0 Resources per target Economic Center; activate friendly underground Guerrilla in each space
23
Infiltrate (26 July)
Only with Rally or March; in any 1 space with friendly underground Guerrilla in or adjacent; remove 1 Police or Troop, or replace with 26 July Guerrilla
24
Ambush (26 July or Directorio)
In space selected for Attack with friendly underground Guerrilla; attack automatically succeeds
25
Kidnap (26 July)
In space selected for Terror where 26 July Guerrillas exceed Police; in City, Economic Center, or Open Casino
26
Subvert (Directorio)
Only with Rally or March; in any 1 Province with Directorio control
27
Assassinate (Directorio)
In 1 space selected for Terror where Directorio Guerrillas exceed Police
28
Construct (Syndicate)
Cost 5 Resources per space in Cities or Provinces controlled by Government or Syndicate; not in space with Support
29
Profit (Syndicate)
Only with Rally, March, or Construct; in 1 or 2 spaces with Open Casino
30
Muscle (Syndicate)
Only with Rally, March, or Construct; in 1 space with Open Casino or Economic Center
31
Bribe (Syndicate)
Cost 3 Resources; remove 1-2 Troops/Police, remove 2 enemy Guerrillas, flip 2 enemy Guerrillas to Active, or remove enemy base
32
Transfer Cash
At any time, Cash owner may transfer ownership to another Guerrilla, Police, or Troop in same space
33
Capture Cash from Guerrillas
If removed Guerrilla has Cash and there are other pieces in space, Cash owner moves Cash to other Guerrilla, Troop, or Police; otherwise Cash is removed
34
Capture Cash from Troops/Police
If removed Troop/Police has Cash, attacking faction takes Cash
35
Place Sabotage markers
Place on each Economic Center where 26 July plus Directorio Guerrillas exceed Troops plus Police
36
Calculate Government Resources
Government Resources equals 8 minus value of Economic Centers with Sabotage
37
Calculate Government Aid
Add Aid value to Government Resources
38
Calculate 26 July Resources
26 July Resources equals number of 26 July bases
39
Calculate Directorio Resources
Directorio Resources equals spaces with Directorio Guerrillas or Bases
40
Calculate Syndicate Resources
Syndicate Resources equals Population of each City where Syndicate Guerrillas exceed Police, plus value of un-Sabotaged Economic Centers where Syndicate Guerrillas exceed Police, plus 2 times Open Casinos
41
Check Support level
If Total Support is less than 19, shift US Alliance down 1 and reduce Aid by 10
42
Process Skim
In any space with Open Casinos not controlled by Syndicate, Syndicate gives 2 Resources to controlling Faction
43
Remove Cash
For each Cash removed, add 6 to Resources or base where Cash was located
44
Syndicate Casino adjustment
Syndicate may establish Open Casino or open Closed Casino
45
Execute Government Civic Action
In any number of Government-controlled Cities or Provinces with both Troops and Police, cost 4 Resources per space
46
Execute 26 July Agitation
In any number of 26 July-controlled Cities or Provinces, cost 1 Resource per space
47
Grant Directorio free Rally
Directorio gets 1 free Rally in space with no Active Support or Active Opposition that is Uncontrolled or Directorio-controlled
48
Redeploy Government forces
Troops in Economic Centers or Provinces without Government base must move to Government-controlled City, Government-controlled space with Government base, or Havana
49
Reset all Factions to Eligible
All Factions become Eligible
50
Remove markers
Remove Terror and Sabotage markers
51
Discard Government Momentum cards
Government Momentum cards go to discard pile
52
Set all Guerrillas underground
All Guerrillas go underground
53
Open all Casinos
All Casinos become Open

Winning

How to claim victory.

1
Check victory at Propaganda
After each Propaganda card, check if any Faction has achieved victory conditions
2
Government victory condition
Total Support exceeds 18 AND all Cities have Active Support
3
26 July victory condition
Total Opposition plus 26 July bases exceeds 15
4
Directorio victory condition
Directorio bases plus sum of Population controlled by Directorio exceeds 9
5
Syndicate victory condition
Open Casinos exceed 7 AND Syndicate Resources exceed 30
6
Resolve multiple victories
If more than 1 Faction achieves victory conditions, that Faction wins the game
7
Handle tie-breakers
If tied, highest Victory margin wins; remaining ties broken by non-player Factions in order: Syndicate, Directorio, 26 July
8
Calculate Government victory margin
Total Support minus 18
9
Calculate 26 July victory margin
Total Opposition plus 26 July bases minus 15
10
Calculate Directorio victory margin
Directorio bases plus sum of Population controlled by Directorio minus 9
11
Calculate Syndicate victory margin
Take lower of Open Casinos minus 7 OR Syndicate Resources minus 30
12
End game at final Propaganda
If final Propaganda round, calculate Victory margins to determine winner
13
Determine Available forces
Total Support equals 2 times Population in Active Support plus 1 times Population in Passive Support
14
Determine Total Opposition
Total Opposition equals 2 times Population in Active Opposition plus 1 times Population in Passive Opposition
15
Calculate Opposition plus Bases
Total Opposition plus 26 July Bases on map
16
Calculate DR Pop plus Bases
Sum of Population of spaces controlled by Directorio plus Directorio bases on map

watch & Learn

Let the pros teach you with these top videos.

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FULL rules

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