How difficult is Puerto Rico to learn for first time players?
Puerto Rico is one of those games that if you play a 'sample' round or two, the game mechanics and the different role cards can be quickly learnt. It is also such a great game that first time board gamers get hooked on board games because of it. The mechanics of the game are actually pretty simple, but has a good depth of skill required to be a good player.

We often use Puerto Rico as the first game to play with new players. Our second choice is Power Grid.