I have played San Juan a couple of times now and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It plays very similar to Puerto Rico but it is much simpler and takes less time. The game is composed of cards and a few cardboard pieces (not nearly as intricate as Puerto Rico). San Juan also has a very defined end of game and that is something I always appreciate.
There is a nice balance of skill and luck. There are cards, that if you get them in the beginning, can prove to be very useful throughout the game. The best strategy for this game is to figure out which cards should be built early and which ones should wait until closer to the end.
San Juan is a 2-4 player game and usually takes about 45 minutes to play. If you are playing with people who have all played before I can see it taking 30 minutes or less.
