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Puerto Rico, designed by Andreas Seyfarth and published in 2002, is a game about managing plantations in Puerto Rico, for 3-5 players. Its enduring popularity is evidenced by its long-standing status as the most highly ranked game on BoardGameGeek.

The game revolves around the most important colonial occupations, or "roles" - Settler (establishes plantations), Mayor (brings colonists to the island), Builder (constructs buildings), Craftsman (produces goods), Trader (sells goods), Captain (exports goods), and Prospector (receives money). On his turn, the active player selects a role, thus giving all players the opportunity to improve their position, but with an exclusive additional benefit for the active player (exception: the Prospector benefits the active player only).

Production of goods (of five types - corn, indigo, sugar, tobacco, coffee) follows a fairly simple system of requiring the appropriate plantation and a production plant, adequately manned by colonists (exception: corn production requires only the plantation). Goods may be sold through the Trader to earn money (doubloons), or else may be exported via the Captain to earn victory points. Money allows the purchase of buildings, which are themselves worth victory points at the end of the game, and in the meantime provide a variety of enduring benefits such as bonus goods or money.

A round consists of all players selecting one role each. For the next round, all roles become available again, and the first player (Governor) marker passes to the left. Bonus money is placed on any roles unselected in the round just completed as an added incentive for selection in the coming round.

The final round is triggered when either the colonist pool or victory point pool has been exhausted, or when a player has built the maximum number of buildings permitted. At game end, the player with the most victory points is the winner.

Superficially, players have several options to choose from each turn; in practice, though, at most 2 or 3 of the available options will be helpful to the active player in any given game situation. This is a good "sweet spot" for a gateway game, although first-time players may agonize over the apparent surfeit of choice. Otherwise, the game plays in well under an hour, and there is little to no down-time.

Despite, or perhaps because of, its overwhelming popularity, Puerto Rico has its share of highly vocal detractors, and has even spawned a few minor controversies. One is the use of the term colonists as a euphemism for slaves, represented by the dark-brown color of "colonist" markers. Another is the much-reviled Puerto Rico Nazi. This pathetic excuse for humanity believes that there is one and only one correct way to play the game, and that unorthodox, i.e., "wrong", play spoils the game for him, and by extension, for everyone else. (Think of the bridge partner from hell, only much worse.)

The game was once available for online play through BrettspielWelt, but was removed in early 2007 because the electronic rights had been sold to Microsoft, which has yet to introduce the game to Xbox Live Arcade, where it will join games such as Carcassonne and Catan. Although other, more obscure, outlets remain, there is little doubt that online play of Puerto Rico is effectively dead for now.

An inexpensive expansion is available, broadening the variety of buildings. The official 2-player variant of Puerto Rico is considered by most to be a waste of time. A card game spin-off, San Juan, for 2-4 players, has a similar playing time and comparable popularity.