In 1811, free trade was declared for the port city of Valparaíso in Chile. A short time later, Chile declares its independence. As an influential citizen of Valparaíso, you want to stimulate the development of your city, so you send your merchants into the hinterland to obtain important export goods and send your ships abroad to achieve new achievements.

To do well in Valparaíso, you need to plan ahead, keep an eye on your opponents and react to their actions at short notice. Almost every action affects the other players by changing costs or trading options. Every building of a house must be well thought out, every trade must be well timed. Anyone who wants to change the order of their original planning during the course of the game will have to pay a fine, but if your plans are not good enough, time will pass - both in the short and long term. You're all planning at the same time and the end of the game may come sooner than you hoped!

For advanced players who like to make plans while under pressure for a long time, the game includes an hourglass variant.