Upstream

About this board game

Upstream is a 2017 board game for 2–5 players, with games lasting about 40 minutes. Each player controls a bank of salmon attempting to swim upstream and reach the place where they were born to lay their eggs.

The journey is filled with danger. Salmon must avoid hungry bears, fierce birds of prey, and patient fishermen as they travel through the hexagonal tiled river. Every round also brings a changing environment, as the strength of the water flow causes some river pieces to fall back.

Players receive five points each round to spend among their salmon tokens. These points allow the salmon to move by swimming or jumping across the river. Careful movement is essential, since some fish may be left behind when the river shifts.

• Control a bank of salmon racing toward their spawning grounds.
• Spend five movement points among your salmon each round.
• Swim or jump across a hexagonal tiled river.
• Avoid bears, birds of prey, fishermen, and the changing water flow.

At the end of each round, the lowermost river pieces are removed from the game, along with any salmon standing on them. Three new tiles are then added to the uppermost side of the river, extending the route while making the lower reaches disappear.

The game ends when every salmon is either deceased or has reached the spawn point at the end of the river. Players then score points based on the number and order of their salmon arrivals. In Upstream, the player with the most points wins.