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Nusfjord Game Rules
Playing board games can be a great way to have fun and spend time with friends and family. Today, I want to introduce you to a game called Nusfjord. It’s a game where you get to be a fisherman and run your own fishing village.
In Nusfjord, the goal is to build and expand your fishing village, while making sure you have enough resources to support your growing population. It’s important to manage your resources wisely and make strategic decisions to ensure the success of your village.
To start the game, each player will receive a player board, which represents their fishing village. The player board is divided into different areas, such as the harbor, the buildings, and the cod bank. These areas will be used to perform various actions throughout the game.
The game is played over a series of rounds, with each round consisting of three phases: the Offering phase, the Boat phase, and the Construction phase. During the Offering phase, players will have the opportunity to acquire new buildings and resources by drafting cards from a common pool.
Once the Offering phase is complete, the Boat phase begins. In this phase, players will fish for cod by placing their fishing boats in the harbor. The number of cod a player catches will depend on the number of boats they have and the strength of their fishing fleet.
Finally, during the Construction phase, players can use their acquired resources and buildings to expand and improve their village. They can construct buildings, upgrade existing ones, and even sell cod for profit. The more buildings and upgrades a player has, the more options they will have for generating income and improving their fishing operations.
The game continues in this way, with players taking turns and going through the rounds, until a certain number of rounds have been completed. At the end of the game, players will score points based on various factors, such as the size of their village, the number of buildings they have, and the resources they have accumulated.
The player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner. Nusfjord is a game that requires careful planning, resource management, and strategic decision-making. It offers a challenging and engaging gameplay experience for players of all ages.
So, if you enjoy board games and have a knack for running your own fishing village, then you’ll love Nusfjord. With its unique theme and compelling gameplay, it’s sure to become a favorite in your game collection. Give it a try and see if you have what it takes to be a successful fisherman in Nusfjord!
Hey there! So, picture this: you’re the boss of a big fishing company in Nusfjord, which is a place with a bunch of islands called the Lofoten archipelago. Now, your job is to make the harbor and the area around it even better.
Things You Need
Important Stuff:
- There are 1 Action board
- 1 Ships and Elders supply board
- 100 fish tokens
- 50 wood tokens
- There is 1 wooden First Player ship
- There is 1 Banquet Table
- There are 2 Building supply boards
- There is 1 Imitation tile
- There are 132 Building cards
- There are 18 Elder cards
- There are 15 First Player tiles
- There are 18 Ship tiles (6 sloops, 6 cutters, 6 schooners)
- There are 41 gold coins
- There are 9 multiplication tiles 3x “5 fish”
- There are 30 forests
In Each Of The Five Player Colors:
- There is 1 “Personal Supply” board
- There are 3 Worker disks
- There is 1 Elder Council
- There is 1 Harbor board
- There are 5 Share tiles
Setup
Central Display
Do you ever wonder how computers are able to show images and videos on their screens? Well, let me tell you all about it! The central display is a fundamental part of any computer system—it’s what allows you to see and interact with everything on your computer screen.
When you look at your computer screen, you see a variety of things: icons, windows, images, and text. All of these things are made up of tiny little dots called pixels. To create an image on your screen, each pixel can be turned on or off, and it can display different colors. By combining these individual pixels, your computer can create a wide range of colors and shapes on your screen.
But how does your computer know what colors to display for each pixel? Well, that’s where the central display comes in. The central display is responsible for taking the instructions from your computer’s operating system and turning them into the visual information you see on your screen.
When you open a file or run a program on your computer, the central display receives the information and processes it. It then sends signals to your screen, telling it what colors each pixel should display. All of this happens incredibly fast, so you see a continuous stream of images and videos on your screen, giving you a seamless and immersive experience.
The central display is a remarkable feat of technology. It allows us to communicate, share information, and be entertained in ways that were once unimaginable. So the next time you use your computer, take a moment to appreciate the central display and all the incredible things it enables us to do.
First, I’ll turn the Action board to the side that matches the number of players. There’s a symbol that shows which side to use, so it’s easy to see. Then, I’ll place the board on the table. There are two sides to the board – one for 1-2 players and the other for 3-5 players. So depending on how many people are playing, I’ll choose the right side.
In games with 4 or 5 players: I turn the Imitation tile to the right side, which has a symbol indicating the number of players. Then, I place it next to the bottom edge of the Action board. If there are 4 players, I see one space on the tile; if there are 5 players, I see three spaces on the tile.
Next, I put the Banquet Table on the left side of the Action board, right next to the “Serve Fish” action space.
Now, I need to fill a certain number of plates on the Banquet Table with fish. The number of plates depends on the number of players. I fill one less plate than the number of players. I start with the smallest plate and increase the number of plates in numerical order, according to the table below:
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Imagine this: When you’re playing a game with four players, you start off with three fish on the Banquet Table. How exciting!
Step 4: Take the Ships and Elders supply board and place it to the right of the Action board.
Step 5: It’s time to sort the Ship tiles! Arrange them by type and put the correct number of each type on the designated spaces of the supply board. To make it easier for you, here’s a table that shows how many Ships of each type you should use. Just remember, the number of Ships per type is always one more than the number of players in the game.
| # of players: | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| # of Ships per type: | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
For example: If you’re playing a 4-player game, you would need 5 sloops, 5 cutters, and 5 schooners. That’s a lot of ships!
When it’s time to play the game, you need to find the right Elder cards. The number of players determines how many cards you need (look for the symbol that shows the number). Place these cards face up on the spots on the supply board that are meant for the Elders. Each spot can hold up to two cards. Start by placing the cards numbered 1-6 on the spots. Then, if you have more players, put the cards numbered 7-12 on top of the first ones, following the spaces shown.
In games with 5 players, there are six extra Elders that don’t go on the spots (check the box for details).
Example: To start, put the Builder (#7) above the Contractor (#1) in the top left corner.
Only in games with 5 players: Take the remaining six Elders (#13-18), which are not shown on the spaces, and shuffle them. Then, place one face-down elder at the bottom of each of the six Elder stacks.
Next, place the two Building supply boards next to the Ships and Elders supply board.
Now, choose one of the three Building decks, each of which has a different fish on the back. Put the other two decks back in the game box. Shuffle the chosen deck separately, placing the cards face down on the table, and separate them by letter into “A,” “B,” and “C” Buildings.
Tip: If this is your first game, we recommend using the Herring deck of Buildings.
Finally, turn over 9 “A” Buildings and 6 “B” Buildings and place them face up on the appropriate-sized Building supply boards. Set the remaining “A” and “B” Buildings, as well as the “C” Buildings, aside.
In 2-player games only: When playing with only two players, you should separate the “C” Buildings from the other buildings. The “A” and “B” Buildings can be put back in the game box, as they will not be needed.
10 Prepare the goods (wood, fish, and gold) and the Forest tiles by keeping them nearby in a general supply.
Personal Display
11 Pick a color for yourself and gather the Harbor board, the Elder Council, the three Workers, the five Shares, and the “Personal Supply” board in that chosen color.
Personal Supply
Hey there! I’m here to explain the round “Personal Supply” board to you. This board is where you keep all the goods that you can use for your actions. Whenever a good moves into your personal supply, just place it on your “Personal Supply” board.
You can have as much fish and gold as you want on your board, but keep in mind that you can only hold up to 12 wood. If you happen to get more than 12 wood, make sure to return the excess to the general supply right away.
Now, let’s talk about the Elder Council. It should be placed right next to the upper edge of your Harbor board.
Tip: If there are two players, you can place your Harbor boards and Elder Councils next to the Banquet Table to show that the Elders are sitting there.
Hey, let’s talk about turning tiles and covering spaces!
Here’s what you do:
First, grab two Share tiles and put them with the front side showing “Share” in your color. Then, take the other three Share tiles and put them with the neutral back showing “Unissued Share.” Make sure to place them next to your “Personal Supply” board. But remember, even though they’re next to your board, they’re still considered to be part of your personal supply.
Next, cover the Building spaces on the right side of your Harbor board. Get four Forests and place them horizontally on top of two adjacent Building spaces. These are called “double spaces.” Oh, and don’t forget, the topmost double space should have two Forests stacked on top of each other.
When it comes to starting the game, the first thing you need to do is take the appropriate First Player tiles. These tiles will depend on the number of players, which is indicated by a symbol on the back of the tile. Each player will receive a tile that corresponds to the shape shown in the illustration.
Once you have the tiles, the next step is to randomly determine the First Player. This player will receive the tile showing Round space 1 and will place their First Player ship on that space. The edges of their tile will indicate which tiles the other players will receive.
Now, Let’s Play!
The game is played over 7 Rounds, and each Round has 3 Phases that must be followed in a specific order:
- Fishing Phase
- Work Phase
- Returning Home Phase
Once the 7th Round is complete, it’s time to score your displays and determine the winner.
Phase I: Fishing Phase
The Fishing Phase is where the real action happens. This is when you catch new fish and must distribute them according to specific rules.
It’s important to remember that this phase is played simultaneously by all players. So you’ll have to think fast and make your moves wisely.
When I go fishing, I need to determine how many fish I can catch. To figure this out, I look at my Fishing track and see what haul size it shows. The Fishing track is located at the bottom of my Harbor board. It’s like a parking spot for my fishing fleet, which starts with a catboat. As I play the game, I can add more Ships to my Fishing track.
The number at the bottom of my Fishing track tells me how many fish I can catch. This number is called my haul size. When the game starts, my haul size is 3 fish.
Once I know my haul size, I can take that many fish tokens from the general supply and hold them in my hand. The next step is to distribute these fish tokens. Here are the five steps:
- Distribute the fish in your hand
- Follow this order exactly
- You can’t refuse to distribute your fish
Remember, the order matters when distributing your fish tokens. Make sure to follow the steps on your Elder Council.
Here’s an example of how the text could be rewritten:
Example: So here’s the deal: you get 10 fish in your haul.
1. Elders
First, I want you to take 1 of those fish and place it on each Elder sitting in your Elder Council. But don’t worry if you don’t have any Elders right now, you can skip this step.
Now, here’s the thing: when there are exactly 3 fish on an Elder, you have to do something about it. Take those 3 fish and do the following:
- Keep 1 fish for yourself, you deserve a little something.
- Return the other 2 fish back to where they came from, the general supply.
Oh, and just a reminder, don’t remove the Elder card itself. That stays put.
Note: Just a little heads up, you won’t start the game with any Elders. If you’re curious about how to get some and what they can do for you, flip to page 13.
Now, let’s talk about your shares. Take another fish from your haul and place it on each share in your color on the Action board. If you happen to have shares in someone else’s personal supply, put a fish on those too.
First things first, let’s focus on the Action board. If you have any Shares available, start by resolving those. But if all your Shares are in your personal supply, feel free to skip this step.
Remember: At the beginning of the game, you have all the Shares of your company in your possession, some of which haven’t been issued yet.
Take one fish from your hand and place it on each of your issued Shares, next to your “Personal Supply” board. Don’t put any fish on the Shares that haven’t been issued yet.
Keep in mind: You start the game with two issued Shares and three unissued ones.
Step number 4: Reserve
Put the rest of the fish from your hand into the Reserve space on your Harbor board. However, make sure your Reserve doesn’t exceed 8 fish. Only put as many fish in there as needed to reach that limit. If you already have 8 fish (or more) in your Reserve, you can skip this step.
Just a friendly reminder: You don’t have to reduce your Reserve to 8 fish if you have more than 8 fish stored there. Certain Buildings allow for this option.
Here’s an example for better understanding: Let’s say it’s Round 1 and I catch 3 fish. I don’t have any Elders, and none of my Shares are owned by foreign players. In this case, I would place two fish on my issued Shares and the third fish in my Reserve.
5. General Supply
Any remaining fish in your hand should be returned to the general supply as excess.
The Fishing Phase comes to an end once all players have distributed their fish. After that, take all fish from the Shares on the Action board and return them to the general supply. As for the fish on the Shares placed next to your “Personal Supply” board, regardless of their color, they are all to be moved into your personal supply.
A little something to keep in mind: It’s quite common for players to forget this step. But don’t worry, if you do forget, just make sure to move the fish as soon as you remember.
Just a Quick Note:
When it’s time to go fishing, I always make sure to distribute the fish I catch. It’s important to match the demand and increase the number of fish I can catch. If I don’t do this, there’s a chance that I won’t be able to place fish on every Elder or Share. I can’t use fish from my personal supply either. If I run out of fish during the first or second steps, I can choose where to place them instead (but I still need to resolve Shares on the Action board first in step 2).
Phase II: Work Phase
In the Work Phase, I send my Workers out to do different actions that help me develop my fishing company. This phase goes clockwise.
Starting with me, each player will have a turn. We will take turns three times, one after the other. On your turn, you can put one of your workers on any action space you choose. It can be on the Action board or on one of the Elders in your Elder Council.
Each action space has a limit to how many workers it can hold, and you can see this limit in the top left corner of the space. Most spaces can only hold one worker at a time. Once a space is occupied, no one else can use it for the rest of the round. However, in games with three, four, or five players, there are some spaces that can hold two or three workers. These spaces can be used by multiple players before they become blocked.
When you put your worker on an action space, you have to immediately perform the action associated with that space. Only the player who put their worker there can do the action. You can’t just put your worker on a space without doing the action.
In the “Thin Out” action space, I can collect 1 piece of wood for every Forest on my Harbor board. But there are a couple of conditions to keep in mind. First, if I don’t have any Forests left or if I already have 12 wood in my personal supply, I can’t use this action space. Also, I have the option to pass and not place a Worker on my turn. This might be rare, but if I find myself unable to take any action, I must pass. The good news is that if I pass one turn, I can place a Worker on my next turn.
Just a reminder, I only have three turns in total. So if I decide to pass, I won’t be able to use all three of my Workers for that Round. It’s an important point to remember.
Once every player has had a total of three turns, the Work Phase comes to an end. So make the most of your opportunities!
Phase III: Back Home Again
When I reach the Back Home Again phase, it’s time to bring my Workers back and move the First Player ship.
This stage is played at the same time as everyone else.
First, I need to remove all of my Workers from the action spaces on the Action board and Elders. Then, I should move the First Player ship to the next highest Round space, going counter-clockwise. This move will make the next player the First Player for the next Round.
Remember: The next First Player will always be the player sitting to the right of the current First Player. They will take the last turn of this Round and the first turn of the next Round. This means they get to take two turns in a row. You can use this strategy to your advantage!
Every now and then, you’ll need to introduce new Buildings to the game from the set-aside pile. This happens when the new Round space prompts you to do so. When you move the First Player ship to a Round space that has instructions, you must follow them right away.
Round space 3: This rule only applies to games with 3, 4, or 5 players. If you’re playing with one of those player counts, immediately add the same number of new “A” Buildings to the supply board as there are players. So in a 3-player game, add 3 Buildings; in a 4-player game, add 4 Buildings; and in a 5-player game, add 5 Buildings. Just make sure not to add more Buildings than there are empty spaces.
Example: So here’s the deal. We need to build four new “A” Buildings in this round. That’s our mission.
Round space 4: Hey, listen up! Everyone grab a bunch of “C” Buildings for your hand. If there are two of us playing, we take four each. If there are three of us, we take three each. And if there are four or five players, we take two each. Make sure you keep your cards hidden from the other players. It’s all part of the game.
Round space 5: Heads up, folks! Attention 3-, 4-, and 5-player games only: We’re getting an extra boost. We’re adding two shiny new “B” Buildings to the supply board. Hold on though, in 5-player games, we’re actually adding three “B” Buildings. Just make sure we don’t add more Buildings than there are empty spaces, okay? No need to go overboard.
Round space 6: Time to show off what we’ve got! Everyone, put your “C” Buildings face up next to the Building supply boards. Oh, and by the way, there’s no supply board for “C” Buildings. They’re special like that. Let’s see what kind of genius creations we can come up with!
After you’ve finished moving the First Player ship and following any instructions, the Returning Home Phase comes to an end. It’s time to move on to the Fishing Phase of the next Round. However, if you’re on Round 7, it’s time to wrap things up with scoring.
Actions
End of the Game
The game concludes after 7 Rounds. At this point, it’s time to tally up your scores. Each Victory Point is clearly indicated on the components that earn them. (No need to worry about forgetting any scoring categories that were explained to you at the beginning).
Add up the Victory Point values of all your Buildings and Ships.
Example: Look at the diagram on the right. You get 7 Victory Points for Ships and 4 Victory Points for Buildings that have a set Victory Point value. So, you have a total of 11 Victory Points.
Some Buildings have an asterisk (*) instead of a set Victory Point value. This means the value changes depending on a condition explained on the Building card.
The Harbor Installation is a special feature that grants you Victory Points in the game. For each Ship on your Fishing track, you will earn 2 Victory Points. Let’s take a look at the example on the right to understand this better. In that example, you would earn a total of 8 Victory Points from the Harbor Installation.
But that’s not all! You can add even more Victory Points to your total score. For every Share you have, regardless of its color, you gain 1 Victory Point. Additionally, for every gold in your personal supply, you also earn 1 Victory Point.
Here’s an example: If you look at this example, you’ll see that you would get 21 Victory Points from Shares and gold.
To find your total, you need to subtract 1 Victory Point for each empty building space on your Harbor board and 1 Victory Point for each Unissued Share you have.
In this example, you’d lose 5 Victory Points if you have two Unissued Shares and three unused Building spaces. Your total score would be 35 Victory Points, calculated by adding 11, 8, and 21, and subtracting 5.
The player with the most Victory Points wins. If there’s a tie, then you both enjoy a shared victory.
Now let’s talk about some variations of the game.
One variant is called Match and Rematch. In this variant, each of the three Building decks has 18 “A” Buildings and 12 “B” Buildings. This is exactly the number of Buildings needed for two 2-player games, without using the same Building twice. So you and your opponent can play two games, where each of you is the First Player in Round 1 once.
Another variant is Mixing Decks. In this variant, you can mix all the Building decks together. This means you’ll have more variety and unpredictability in the game. It can make the game more exciting and challenging, as you won’t know which Buildings will come up next.
Remember, practice and experience can help you make better guesses about the Buildings your opponent might have. So keep playing and don’t be afraid to try different variants to keep things fresh and interesting.