Developer Stefan Brck at alea describes Saint Malo as a light; dice-rolling strategy game in which the players draw their own city buildings; walls; and people on wipe-off boards.

In more detail; in Saint Malo players roll five dice to gain various resources; combinations of dice create enhancements like characters or buildings; which can provide additional victory points; money; or special actions; such as altering the outcome of a die roll. Players draw symbols for their holdings on erasable boards showing a grids of their cities to create individual towns. Players could build storehouses on particular squares; for example; then place a merchant nearby to gain money each turn. Another important character is the soldier; players must acquire these to defend themselves from pirate attacks that can decimate their towns.