Friday

2011

Welcome to the world of Friday, a captivating solo adventure board game that’s all about surviving on a deserted island. The game is designed by Friedemann Friese and published by Rio Grande Games. It is a compact, strategic game that takes you on a thrilling journey filled with unexpected challenges and tough decisions. You are cast in the role of Friday, the faithful companion to the shipwrecked Robinson. Robinson is not very savvy about survival and it’s your job to help him conquer the challenges posed by the island and eventually battle dangerous pirates. Set against the backdrop of a ... Read more

25
minutes

1 - 1
player(s)

13+

Medium

About the game

Welcome to the world of Friday, a captivating solo adventure board game that’s all about surviving on a deserted island. The game is designed by Friedemann Friese and published by Rio Grande Games. It is a compact, strategic game that takes you on a thrilling journey filled with unexpected challenges and tough decisions.

You are cast in the role of Friday, the faithful companion to the shipwrecked Robinson. Robinson is not very savvy about survival and it’s your job to help him conquer the challenges posed by the island and eventually battle dangerous pirates. Set against the backdrop of a lush, uncharted island, the game is an exciting mix of survival tactics, strategy, and decision-making.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

In the solo board game ‘Friday’, you are helping Robinson Crusoe survive against numerous hazards. The game includes various components that each play a unique role in the gameplay.

1. Life Point Tokens

These tokens represent the life points of Robinson Crusoe. They are used to keep track of your remaining life points; losing all of them means game over. Whenever Robinson faces a hazard and fails to defeat it, he loses life points.

2. Aging Cards

These cards represent the effects of aging on Robinson Crusoe. As the game progresses, you’re required to draw Aging Cards into your deck, which mostly have negative effects and make the game harder.

3. Fighting Cards

These cards are used to fight against the hazards. There are two types of Fighting Cards: initial cards that represent Robinson’s starting abilities, and cards that can be acquired by defeating hazards, which usually provide greater benefits.

4. Hazard Cards

These are the challenges that Robinson Crusoe must face. Each Hazard Card is a challenge that can be faced in two levels of difficulty. Defeating a hazard allows you to add the corresponding Fighting Card to your deck.

5. Pirate Cards

These cards represent the final challenge of the game. After all Hazard Cards have been faced, Robinson must defeat two Pirate Cards to win the game. These cards are considerably harder than the typical Hazard Cards.

6. Game Board

This component serves as the space where you lay out your cards and tokens. It also provides a reference for the game’s structure and progression, including the order of phases, and the costs and rewards for various actions.

7. Wooden Life Point Marker

This marker is used on the Game Board’s life point track to indicate Robinson’s current life points. It is moved whenever Robinson gains or loses life points.

8. Wooden Phase Marker

This marker is used on the Game Board’s phase track to indicate the current phase of the game. The game progresses through three phases, each of which requires facing a different set of Hazard Cards.

9. Wooden Aging Marker

This marker is used on the Game Board’s aging track to indicate when you must draw an Aging Card into your deck. The marker is moved each time you reshuffle your Fighting Card deck.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Friday is a solo adventure board game where the player takes on the role of Robinson Crusoe’s companion, Friday, helping him survive on the deserted island. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

Step 1: Player Role

You will be playing as Friday, your goal is to help Robinson Crusoe survive on the island and prepare him for the final battles against two pirates.

Step 2: Board Placement

Place the game board in the middle of your playing area. Make sure the “green side” is face up. The board has a life points track, a deck area, and a discard pile.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Take the life counter and place it on the “20” space of the life points track. This represents Robinson Crusoe’s current health.
Shuffle the 18 green fighting cards and place them as a face-down draw pile on the designated spot on the board.
Sort the 30 hazard cards by their backs (easy, medium, hard) and shuffle each group. Place them as three face-down draw piles on the respective spots on the board.
Reveal the top two cards from the easy hazard deck and place them face up next to the hazard draw pile.

Step 4: Random Elements

Draw the top three cards from the green fighting card deck and place them face up in a row. These represent Robinson Crusoe’s initial abilities and are available for you to use in the first round.

Now, you’re all set to start the game and help Robinson Crusoe survive on the deserted island.

Game flow Round and round we go

‘Friday’ is a solo board game where the player takes on the role of Robinson, a castaway on a deserted island. The game is structured in several distinct rounds and phases, each requiring different actions from the player.

The game begins with the setup phase:

Shuffle the hazard cards and draw two. Place them face up on the table.
Shuffle the Robinson deck and draw five cards. This becomes your hand.
Set the life points at the number indicated on the board for the chosen difficulty level.

Next is the Robinson’s phase, which has several steps:

Choose one of the revealed hazard cards to face. The other hazard card is returned to the deck.
Draw cards from the Robinson deck equal to the value of the chosen hazard card. These cards are used to overcome the hazard.
Compare the total fight value of the Robinson cards to the value of the hazard. If the fight value is greater or equal to the hazard value, Robinson wins. If not, Robinson loses life points equal to the difference in values.
If Robinson wins, the hazard card is flipped and added to the Robinson deck. This card will help Robinson in future rounds.
If Robinson loses, he may discard some of his fight cards, losing life points for each discarded card.
End of the round: if the hazard deck is empty, Robinson must face one of the pirate ships. If Robinson defeats the pirate ship, the game is won. If not, the game is lost.

Between rounds, there are additional actions:

Shuffle the discard pile to create a new Robinson deck.
Draw two new hazard cards for the next round.
Adjust the life points if necessary. If Robinson’s life points reach zero, the game is lost.

‘Friday’ is a game of strategic decision-making and risk management, where each decision can have significant consequences in later rounds. The game continues until either Robinson defeats both pirate ships, winning the game, or Robinson’s life points reach zero, losing the game.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Friday is an intriguing solo deck-building game where you, as Robinson Crusoe’s companion Friday, must help him survive the perils of the island and prepare him for the final pirate battle. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of what happens during a player’s turn and the strategic choices they can make:

A. Draw Hazard Cards

At the beginning of your turn, you draw two hazard cards from the deck and choose one to face. The other is put at the bottom of the deck. The hazard card chosen defines the difficulty of the challenge Robinson must face and the potential reward for overcoming it.

B. Evaluate Fight Cards

After choosing a hazard, you draw a number of fight cards from your deck equal to the hazard card’s value. Each fight card has a number of life points. If the total life points of your fight cards are equal to or greater than the hazard card’s value, Robinson wins the challenge. If not, he loses.

C. Take Actions

Win: If Robinson wins, the hazard card is flipped over and added to your deck as a new fight card. This card usually has stronger abilities or more life points than the average fight card.
Lose: If Robinson loses, you have two options. You can lose life points equal to the difference between the hazard card’s value and your total fight card value, or you can “pay” life points to draw additional fight cards in hopes of winning. Each extra card drawn costs one life point.

D. End of Turn

The turn ends by placing any unused fight cards in the discard pile. If the fight deck is empty, shuffle the discard pile to create a new deck. If the hazard deck is empty, it’s time to face the pirates.

E. Strategic Choices

Choosing Hazards: It’s often better to choose hazards that Robinson has a good chance of overcoming, but sometimes it’s worth tackling a tough hazard for the potential reward.
Managing Life Points: Life points are a valuable resource. It’s crucial to balance using life points to draw extra cards against saving them for future turns.
Building a Strong Deck: Winning challenges and adding the flipped hazard cards to your deck strengthens it, making future challenges easier.
Preparing for Pirates: The final battle against the pirates is difficult, so it’s important to build a strong deck and save as many life points as possible for this final challenge.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘Friday’ comes to an end when one of two conditions are met: Either the player has defeated both pirates, representing a victory, or the player has run out of life points, indicating a loss.

Victory Conditions:

The player wins the game when they successfully defeat both pirates. Here’s a detailed explanation of this process:

The player must first survive all three rounds of the hazard deck. At the end of each round, the player will face a pirate.
At the end of the third round, the player will face two pirates instead of one.
If the player manages to defeat both pirates at the end of the third round, they win the game.

Actions Before Final Scoring:

Before the final scoring, the player should perform the following actions:

The player must first check their life points. If they have zero or less, they lose the game immediately, and no further actions are necessary.
If the player still has life points remaining, they face the pirate(s) at the end of the current round.
The player then tallies their fighting points from all of their used cards. If their total is equal to or higher than the pirate’s strength, they defeat the pirate.
If the player defeats the first pirate at the end of the third round, they repeat this process for the second pirate.

End of Game Scoring:

Should the player successfully defeat both pirates, the game ends in victory. The player’s final score is calculated as follows:

The player adds up the life points they have remaining.
They then subtract the number of aging cards in their deck. Each aging card counts as negative two points.
The final result is the player’s score. The higher the score, the better the player’s performance.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

‘Friday’ is a thrilling single-player card game where the player takes on the role of Robinson Crusoe’s friend, Friday, and helps him survive on the island. Here’s a detailed explanation of the scoring system in ‘Friday’:

To calculate your final score in ‘Friday’, you need to consider the following:

Life-points: At the end of the game, each remaining life-point counts as 1 point.
Pirate fights: For each defeated pirate, you get 20 points.
Robinson phase cards: These are the cards you’ve used to defeat the pirates. Each card has a set number of points, which are added to your total score.
Aging cards: At the end of the game, you subtract 10 points for each aging card still in your deck.

After calculating the above, you add up all these points to get your final score. The scoring system is designed to reward strategic thinking and careful planning.

In the case of a tie, the tie-breaking rules are as follows:

The player with the fewest aging cards in their deck wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who defeated the most pirates wins.
If there is yet another tie, the player with the most leftover life-points wins.

Keep in mind that ‘Friday’ is a solo game, so these tie-breaking rules would only apply in a situation where multiple games are being played and scores are being compared.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Friday – Advanced Strategies

Optimizing your deck is a crucial part of ‘Friday’. Here are some advanced strategies:

Early Aggression: During the initial rounds, do not shy away from taking on more challenging hazards. This will help you to get rid of weak cards and gain stronger ones right from the start.
Strategic Aging: Aging cards can negatively impact your deck. However, you can use them strategically by intentionally losing rounds when your life points are high, thus getting rid of these detrimental cards.
Balance Your Deck: Try to maintain a balance between high-value and low-value cards in your deck. Too many high-cost cards can lead to losses due to lack of resources.

Friday – Beginner Tips

If you are new to ‘Friday’, these tips will help you get started:

Focus on deck-building: Your primary goal in the early game should be to improve your deck by adding strong cards and getting rid of weak ones.
Consider the risk/reward: When deciding whether to take on a hazard, consider the potential reward against the risk. If the reward is not worth the potential damage, it might be better to pass.
Manage your life points: Your life points are a valuable resource. Don’t be afraid to spend them to draw more cards if it means winning a round, but be careful not to run out.

Friday – Common Mistakes to Avoid

As with any game, there are common mistakes that players tend to make in ‘Friday’. Here are some to avoid:

Underestimating Aging Cards: Aging cards are detrimental to your deck. Don’t ignore them and strategize to minimize their impact.
Overlooking Life Points: Life points are not only your life source but also a resource that allows you to draw more cards. Use them wisely.
Not Balancing the Deck: A deck with too many high-cost cards can lead to losses due to lack of resources. Balance your deck with a mix of high-value and low-value cards.

Friday – Ways to Optimize Gameplay

For a more optimized ‘Friday’ gameplay experience, consider these tips:

Plan Ahead: Consider the possible outcomes of your decisions and plan your moves in advance.
Adapt Your Strategy: ‘Friday’ is a game of changing circumstances. Be ready to adapt your strategy based on the cards you draw and the hazards you face.
Learn from Mistakes: Every loss is a learning opportunity. Reflect on what went wrong and how you can improve in the future.