Near and Far

2017

Join the epic adventure in Near and Far, where you and your friends traverse different maps, encounter unique stories, and compete to be the most storied traveler.

120
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

13+

Medium

About the game

Near and Far is a captivating board game that combines elements of exploration, storytelling, and strategy in an immersive playing experience. As you embark on riveting adventures across sprawling landscapes, you’ll discover rich narratives that bring the game world to life.

The game takes place in a vibrant, beautifully illustrated universe that is both mysterious and inviting. The setting comprises of ten unique maps, each with its own distinctive topography and landmarks. Players start in the small town of Arzium, from where they venture into the wild to uncover hidden treasures, encounter unusual creatures, and build camps.

Game flow Round and round we go

‘Near and Far’ is a narrative-driven board game that combines elements of strategy, adventure, and storytelling. The game is played in a series of rounds that continue until one player has placed their final tent, at which point the game ends and points are tallied to determine the winner.

Each round in ‘Near and Far’ is divided into three main phases:

Choosing Actions: During this phase, players choose one action to perform on their turn. They can either visit the town (and perform one of six possible actions) or go adventuring on the game board.
Performing Actions: After deciding what to do, players perform their chosen action. If they chose to visit the town, they can recruit adventurers, buy pack birds, gather supplies, earn coins, gain reputation, or set up camp. If they chose to go adventuring, they move on the map, explore ruins and have encounters.
End of Turn: Players check if they have placed all their tents. If someone has, the game ends. Otherwise, play passes to the next player in clockwise order.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the actions a player can perform during their turn:

Recruit Adventurers: Players can hire new adventurers to their party, which can help them in various ways during their adventures.
Buy Pack Birds: Pack Birds can carry extra items on adventures, increasing a player’s carrying capacity.
Gather Supplies: Players can stock up on necessary items for their journey, such as food and tools.
Earn Coins: Coins are a crucial resource that can be used to buy supplies, hire adventurers, and more.
Gain Reputation: Players gain reputation by completing tasks and deeds. High reputation can lead to rewards and advantages.
Set up Camp: Players can set up camp in various locations on the map, claiming them for points at the end of the game.
Move on the Map: Players can spend their turns moving their character across the game map, exploring new areas and encountering new challenges.
Explore Ruins and Have Encounters: When players reach certain points on the map, they can explore ruins for treasure or have encounters that test their skills and resolve.

The game of ‘Near and Far’ is a rich, story-driven experience where strategy and decision-making play crucial roles. Each round offers players numerous choices, and the ultimate goal is to gain the most points by the end of the game.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

During a player’s turn in the tabletop game ‘Near and Far’, they can choose from a variety of actions. The actions they choose can greatly impact their overall strategy and, ultimately, the outcome of the game. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what occurs during a turn:

1. Town Action: The player may choose to perform a town action. This includes four sub-actions:

Visit the Saloon: This allows the player to draw an adventure card or hire a character. Characters afford special abilities and more capacity to carry treasures.
Hire a Crew: This requires the player to spend gold in order to hire crew members who can help in completing quests and fighting battles.
Build a Camp: By spending the required resources, the player can construct a camp. This helps in claiming territories on the game map.
Trade: The player can trade resources at the market to gain other resources or gold that they need.

2. Travel Action: The player may instead decide to go on an adventure, which involves moving on the game map. There are three sub-actions in this category:

Moving: The player can move their adventurer across the map, spending hearts (which signify stamina) as they move through rough terrain.
Camp Setup: If the player lands on an unoccupied site, they can set up a camp. This grants them control of the site and its resources.
Questing: On certain spots on the map, players can go on quests. These are short narratives which require the player to make a choice. The outcome can result in rewards or penalties.

3. Strategic Choices: Throughout the game, players must make strategic decisions that can greatly impact the game’s outcome. These include:

Deciding which resources to gather and when to use them.
Choosing when to stay in town and when to go adventuring.
Determining the right time to build camps and control territories.
Figuring out the best time to take on quests and the risks they are willing to take.
Deciding which characters to hire and how best to utilize their abilities.

Each player’s turn ends when they can no longer perform any actions, either by choice or due to lack of resources. The game continues until a player has placed all of their camps, at which point the game ends and scores are tallied.

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

The game of ‘Near and Far’ ends when one player places their last tent on the board. This triggers the end of the game, and all players will finish the current round so that everyone has had an equal number of turns. After this, the process for final scoring begins.

Victory Conditions:

Quest Points: Players earn quest points throughout the game by completing quests. Each quest point is worth one victory point at the end of the game.
Treasure Points: Some treasure cards provide victory points. These are added to the player’s total score at the end of the game.
Map Points: Each player earns points for the places on the map where they have placed their tents. The points depend on the specific location and are added to the player’s total score.

Actions Players Must Take Before Final Scoring:

Players must ensure that they have completed all possible actions on their turn before final scoring begins. This includes moving, exploring, and camping.
Players must calculate their own score. They add up the points from their completed quests, treasures, and map locations. They also add any bonus points earned from character abilities or artifact cards.
Players must compare their final scores. The player with the highest total score is the winner. In case of a tie, the player who has the most treasure cards wins. If there is still a tie, the player who placed their last tent first wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Near and Far’, players accumulate points through a variety of actions and achievements throughout the game. These points are tallied at the end in a comprehensive scoring system.

Scoring System:

Points are primarily awarded in the following ways:

Adventure Points: Players earn points for every quest they complete and for every story they progress in their personal journey book. The points vary depending on the difficulty and importance of the quest or story.
Town Points: Players earn points for each building they construct in their town. The points vary depending on the type, size, and level of the building.
Map Points: Players earn points for every location they visit and every map they explore. The points depend on the remoteness and hazards of the location or map.
Treasure Points: Players earn points for every treasure they discover and collect. The points depend on the value and rarity of the treasure.
Artifact Points: Players earn points for every artifact they retrieve. The points depend on the significance and rarity of the artifact.
Companion Points: Players earn points for every companion they recruit. The points depend on the abilities and loyalty of the companion.
Faction Points: Players earn points for increasing their reputation with different factions. The points depend on the faction and the level of reputation.

At the end of the game, the player with the most points is declared the winner.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

In the event of a tie, the following rules are applied in order until the tie is broken:

The player who has completed the most quests wins.
If still tied, the player who has visited the most locations on the map wins.
If still tied, the player who has collected the most treasure wins.
If still tied, the player who has recruited the most companions wins.
If all else fails, the player who has the most leftover resources (gold, food, etc.) wins.

These rules ensure a clear winner is always determined, no matter how closely matched the players are.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Here are some rare or special rules, exceptions, and possible points of confusion when playing the board game ‘Near and Far’:

1. Journey cards:

When drawing Journey cards, only draw if you have less than four in your hand. If you have four cards, you must first use or discard one before you can draw a new one.

2. Threat spaces:

If a player’s character is on a threat space at the start of their turn, they must face the threat. They cannot choose to ignore it. They must either fight the threat or lose hearts.

3. Combat:

During combat, players can choose to commit as many or as few of their pack birds as they wish. However, once committed, these pack birds are not available for use again until the player’s next turn.

4. Reading Quests:

When reading a quest, the player to the reader’s right should be the one to read it out. This is to keep the reader unbiased in their decision making.

5. Artifact Cards:

Artifact cards can be used at any time during a player’s turn, but not during another player’s turn. Once used, these cards are discarded.

6. Reputation Track:

Players should remember that the first player to reach the end of the Reputation Track does not automatically win the game. The game only ends when a player places their last tent.
If a player’s reputation falls below the start of the Reputation Track, their marker stays at the start of the Track. They do not lose additional reputation points.

7. Mining:

When mining, remember that the mine is not replenished until the start of the player’s next turn. This means that other players cannot mine in the same location during their turns.

8. Trade Routes:

Trade routes can only be built in town spaces. If a player has a trade route, they can use it to build a tent in a town space even if another player’s character is present.

9. Skill Tokens:

Skill tokens are limited. Once they run out, no more can be collected until some are returned to the supply.

10. Camp Placement:

If a player places a camp on a space with a quest, they can choose to do the quest before any other action.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:

Always keep an eye on the journey track. It can provide a lot of points if you plan your actions carefully. It might be tempting to rush to the end of the track but remember, the game ends when someone reaches the end, so make sure you’re ready.
Try to balance your reputation. It’s a great source of points but can also make you a target for other players. Keep it high enough to get the benefits but not so high that you draw unnecessary attention.
Focus on completing as many quests as possible. They provide a significant number of points and can help guide your strategy throughout the game.

Beginner Tips:

Start by focusing on building a strong team. Get a good mix of characters with different abilities. This will give you more flexibility and options as the game progresses.
Don’t ignore the town actions. They might seem less exciting than exploring, but they’re crucial for setting up your future turns and building a strong foundation for your game.
Try to plan your turns in advance. This will help you make the most of your actions and prevent you from wasting valuable time.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Don’t rush to the end of the journey track. It can be tempting to push forward as quickly as possible, but doing so can end the game before you’re ready and leave you with fewer points than you could have earned.
Avoid focusing solely on one aspect of the game. Near and Far rewards balanced play, so make sure you’re not neglecting any areas.
Don’t forget about reputation. It’s easy to overlook, but it can be a significant source of points at the end of the game.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Plan your turns in advance. This will help you to make the most of your actions and prevent you from wasting valuable time.
Keep a close eye on what other players are doing. This can give you insight into their strategies and help you to anticipate their moves.
Take advantage of town actions. They can help you to build a strong foundation for your game and set up your future turns.