Players buy ships and employ traders, priests and conquistadors. They need to transport this people from their home harbor in Europe over the sea to the new world. On the sea they fight against other players, pirates and natural disasters. If they survive and reach the new world, they found trading stations and missions. Trading stations and missions deliver victory points every turn. So you need to burn down trading stations and missions of your enemies to get 25 victory points and win the game before they do it.