Nusfjord

2017

In Nusfjord, a strategic board game, develop your fishing company in a tranquil Norwegian village. Manage resources, satisfy elders, and compete against others!

100
minutes

1 - 5
player(s)

12+

Medium

About the game

In the captivating board game Nusfjord, you are transported to a picturesque fishing village in Norway. This strategic game allows you to step into the role of an elder, steering your own fishing company towards prosperity and success. The rustic charm of Nusfjord, with its majestic fjords and abundant fish, will indeed captivate your senses, as you navigate through the game’s intriguing mechanics and strategies.

The core mechanics of Nusfjord revolve around the concepts of worker placement and resource management. As the head of a fishing company, your primary task is to manage your workers, assigning them to various tasks that will help to expand your operations and increase your wealth. The game’s mechanics are tightly interwoven with its thematic elements, immersing you in the day-to-day life of a bustling fishing village.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Nusfjord is a complex and intriguing board game that centers around the theme of fishing. It comes with a variety of components that each play a role in the gameplay. Here’s a detailed list and description of each component, and how they contribute to the overall game.

1. Game Board: This is the main playing area where players will place their workers and perform actions. It represents the village of Nusfjord and is divided into different sections, each with its own function. For example, one section might be for fishing, while another could be for building structures.

2. Building Cards: These are cards that players can acquire and build on their personal boards. Each building card provides different benefits and can influence a player’s strategy. They interact with the game by providing additional actions, resources, or points.

3. Fish Tokens: These are the main resource in the game. Players earn fish tokens through fishing actions on the game board. They can be used in various ways, such as feeding elders, paying shares, or as a currency to perform certain actions.

4. Elders Cards: These cards represent the elder villagers of Nusfjord. Players can recruit elders to gain special abilities, which can help them to optimize their actions, gather more resources, or score extra points.

5. Forest Tokens: These tokens represent the forests that players can cut down to gain wood. Wood is another important resource in the game, primarily used for building structures.

6. Worker Tokens: Each player has a set of worker tokens, which they use to perform actions on the game board. The number of worker tokens a player has can limit the number of actions they can perform in a round.

7. Personal Boards: Each player has a personal board that represents their own fishing company. Players use their personal boards to build structures, store resources, and manage their workers.

8. Gold Coins: Gold coins are a form of currency in Nusfjord. They can be used to purchase buildings, pay shares, or be saved for end-game points.

9. Share Certificates: These are a unique feature of Nusfjord. Players can issue shares of their company to gain immediate resources, but at the cost of having to share their fish with the shareholders. This adds an interesting strategic element to the game.

10. Ships: Ships are used to increase a player’s fishing capacity, which in turn can lead to more fish tokens. Each ship also has a share value, which is used when issuing shares.

Each of these components interacts with each other and the game board in intricate ways, creating a rich and engaging gameplay experience in Nusfjord.

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

Nusfjord is a captivating board game that transports you to the captivating Norwegian landscape. Follow these steps to set up your Nusfjord game:

1. Set Up the Game Board:

Place the main game board in the middle of your playing area. This board features the market, the fishing area, and the banquet table, which are all important for gameplay.

2. Prepare the Elders:

Separate the elder cards into three stacks according to the symbols on their backs. Shuffle each stack separately and then place them face down next to the main game board. Reveal the top 5 cards from each pile and place them in the designated elder spaces.

3. Organize the Buildings:

Separate the building cards into two stacks: common and personal. Shuffle each stack separately. Deal three common buildings to each player and place the rest face-down next to the main board. Repeat the process with the personal buildings.

4. Assign Player Roles and Resources:

Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding player board, ships, and workers. Each player places two of their ships in the fishing area on their board, and places the workers in the supply area. Additionally, each player receives 1 gold and 3 wood tokens.

5. Create the Fish and Wood Supply:

Place the fish and wood tokens in separate piles next to the main board to form the supply stacks.

6. Set Up the Share and Gold Supply:

Each player receives 5 share cards in their color and places them in the designated space on their player board. The remaining share cards and gold tokens are placed next to the main board to form the supply stacks.

7. Prepare the Forest and Mountain:

Each player fills their forest with 12 wood tokens and their mountain with 3 gold tokens.

8. Random Elements:

The random elements in Nusfjord are the elders and the buildings. These are shuffled and drawn at the beginning of the game, ensuring a unique setup for each game.

Now, you are all set to start your journey in Nusfjord. From fishing to building, may the best strategist win!

Game flow Round and round we go

Nusfjord is a worker placement style board game where players take on the roles of fishing company owners in the Norwegian village of Nusfjord. The game is structured into seven rounds, each of which is further divided into six phases. Here is a detailed breakdown of each round and phase:

Round Structure:

Refresh Phase: In this phase, all players remove any remaining fish tokens from their personal supply board and return them to the general supply. Next, players will refill the fishing boats on the game board with fresh fish from the general supply.
Work Phase: This is the main phase of the game where players will place their worker tokens on various action spaces on the game board in order to perform different actions. The turn order is clockwise, starting with the first player, and continues until all players have placed all of their worker tokens.
Feeding Phase: In this phase, players must feed their elder cards and workers by removing fish tokens from their personal supply board. If a player cannot feed all of their elders and workers, they must take a debt marker which will count against their score at the end of the game.
Income Phase: During this phase, players will earn gold based on their income track on their personal supply board. The income track is increased by building buildings and fulfilling certain elder card abilities.
Building Phase: In the Building Phase, players can choose to build a building by paying the cost in wood and gold. Building buildings can provide players with various benefits and victory points at the end of the game.
End of Round Phase: In this final phase, players will remove their worker tokens from the game board and prepare for the next round. The first player marker is passed to the next player in clockwise order. After the seventh round, the game ends and players calculate their final scores.

Each of these phases presents unique strategic choices and opportunities for players to grow their fishing companies. The player with the highest final score after the seventh round is declared the winner of Nusfjord.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the game ‘Nusfjord’, players assume the roles of elder fishermen, trying to make the most out of their fishing companies. Each round in the game represents a year, and during each year, players can perform a variety of actions. Here is a breakdown of what can happen during a player’s turn:

Placing a Worker

A player’s turn primarily consists of placing one of their three workers on the available spaces on the board. The spaces a worker can be placed include the following:

Fishing: This action allows a player to add fish to their personal supply.
Building: This action allows a player to build a building from their personal supply, which can give them ongoing benefits.
Serving Fish: This action allows a player to serve fish to their elders, which can provide them with unique benefits.
Reserving a Building: This action allows a player to reserve a building for future construction.
Clearing Forest: This action allows a player to remove trees from their personal board, making room for new buildings.

Resolving Actions

Once a player has placed a worker, they then resolve the action associated with that space. The resolution of these actions can lead to a variety of strategic choices:

Fishing: Players have to decide how many fish to keep for themselves and how many to distribute among the other players. This can influence the actions other players take on their turns.
Building: Choosing which building to construct can greatly affect a player’s strategy. Some buildings provide ongoing benefits, while others provide a significant number of points at the end of the game.
Serving Fish: Serving fish to elders can provide a player with unique benefits, but it also depletes their supply of fish. Players will have to weigh the potential benefits against the cost of fish.
Reserving a Building: Reserving a building prevents other players from constructing it. This can be used to disrupt other players’ strategies or to ensure a player can construct a specific building in the future.
Clearing Forest: Clearing space for future buildings is crucial, but it also costs resources. Players have to decide when is the best time to clear their forest.

Ending a Turn

After resolving their action, a player’s turn ends, and the next player in clockwise order takes their turn. Play continues in this manner until all players have placed all of their workers. At this point, the year ends and players prepare for the next round.

Strategic Choices

‘Nusfjord’ is a game about balancing short-term gain with long-term strategy. The choices a player makes on their turn can greatly affect the outcome of the game. For example, serving fish to elders can provide immediate benefits, but it also depletes a player’s supply of fish, which could limit their options in future rounds. Conversely, building buildings and clearing forest can provide long-term benefits, but they require a significant investment of resources.

Ultimately, the key to success in ‘Nusfjord’ is to adapt to the changing game state and make the most of the opportunities that present themselves.

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

The game of ‘Nusfjord’ ends after the seventh round. At the end of the seventh round, all players will have finished their turns and the game enters the final scoring phase. There are no sudden victory conditions in ‘Nusfjord’ – the game always lasts for seven rounds, no matter what actions players take during the game.

Before final scoring, players must perform a few steps:

Harvest: All players must perform a final harvest. This includes collecting fish from their elder and fishing fleets, and paying out shares to any shareholders.
Feed Elders: Each player must feed their elders one fish each. Any elders that cannot be fed are removed from the player’s tableau and will not score points in the final scoring.
Clear Forest: Players gain one gold for each forest tile they have completely cleared of trees.

In the final scoring, the following elements are scored:

Buildings: Players score points equal to the total value of all buildings they have constructed during the game.
Elders: Players score points for any elders they have on their tableau. The points value for each elder is printed on its card.
Ships: Players score points for their ships. The number of points depends on the type and size of the ship, as indicated on the ship tile.
Gold: Each piece of gold a player has is worth one point.
Shares: Each share a player has in their colour is worth one point. However, each share in their colour that other players hold will deduct one point from their final score.
Forest: Each player scores one point for each forest tile they have completely cleared of trees.

The player with the highest total score wins the game. In case of a tie, the player with the most gold wins. If there is still a tie, the player with the most fish wins. If there is still a tie, the victory is shared.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Nusfjord’, points are awarded in a variety of ways. The final scoring system can be broken down as follows:

1. Buildings

Each player earns points equivalent to the sum of the victory points denoted on all of their buildings. Points are inscribed on the upper right corner of each building card.

2. Ships

Points are also awarded based on the number of ships that a player owns. Each ship is worth one point.

3. Fish

For every five fish tokens a player has in their personal supply, they receive one point.

4. Gold

Each gold token is worth one point. Gold tokens are obtained by various means throughout the game, including through the action of certain buildings.

5. Forests

Each player’s forest tiles are also worth points. Each undeveloped forest is worth one point, while developed forests are worth two points.

6. Elders

Each elder card a player has is worth one point.

After all points have been tallied, the player with the highest total is the winner. In the event of a tie, the game has a specific set of tie-breaking rules:

Most Gold

The player with the most gold tokens wins. If still tied, the next rule is applied.

Most Fish

The player with the most fish tokens wins. If still tied, the next rule is applied.

Most Ships

The player with the most ships wins. If a tie persists, the game is shared between the tied players.

These are the full rules for scoring and tie-breaking in ‘Nusfjord’. The game rewards strategic planning and resource management, as there are many ways to earn points and secure victory.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Nusfjord is a complex board game with many rules, and it’s important to understand some of the rarer or special rules, exceptions, and clarifications to fully enjoy the game. Here are a few:

1. Building Placement: When placing a building, it can be placed in any of the three building spaces. It’s not necessary to follow a left to right order. But once a building is placed, it can’t be moved or replaced.

2. Fish Tokens: If the general supply of fish tokens runs out during the game, use an appropriate substitute to keep track of additional fish.

3. Elder Cards: Elder cards should always be face up and visible to all players. However, you cannot use the same Elder twice in a round, even if you have enough fish to pay for it.

Forest Spaces: Forest spaces cannot be deforested if there is a building on them. Also, when deforesting, remember that you can only deforest your own forest spaces.
Shares: You can only buy shares if there are any available in the general supply. You cannot buy shares directly from other players. However, players can sell their own shares to the general supply during the Shares phase.
End Game Scoring: At the end of the game, don’t forget to add the points from buildings, ships, shares, and any leftover resources. However, fish in the personal supply are not counted as points.

4. Special Buildings: Some buildings have special effects or rules. For example, the Smokehouse allows you to exchange 1 timber for 1 smoked fish once per round. This is an action and therefore requires the placement of a worker. Similarly, the Bank allows you to buy shares from the general supply at any time, even outside of the Shares phase.

Building Bonus: Some buildings provide a bonus when they are built. This bonus is only received once, at the time of building, and not every round.
Building Costs: Some buildings have a fish cost in addition to a timber cost. This fish must be paid from your personal supply and not from your share of the fish distribution.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Nusfjord is a complex board game that requires strategic planning to maximize your resources and points. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, there are some strategies and common mistakes to avoid in order to optimize your gameplay. Here’s a breakdown:

Advanced Strategies:

Focus on buildings that will provide you with continuous benefits. A good strategy is to build structures that give you resources every round or give you points for the resources you have.
Always keep an eye on the Elder cards available. They can provide you with powerful bonuses or abilities, but are limited in number. If you see one that fits your strategy, be sure to pick it up before someone else does.
Plan your forest clearing carefully. Clearing forests not only gives you wood but also opens up building spots. However, once cleared, you can’t grow back the forest, so decide wisely.

Beginner Tips:

Start by focusing on resource gathering. This will allow you to build more buildings and take more actions in the later rounds.
Don’t overlook the importance of fish in the game. They’re not just for feeding your workers, but can also be used for certain actions or to fulfill orders.
Try to diversify your buildings. Having a variety of buildings can provide you with multiple options and strategies.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Not planning ahead. Nusfjord is a game of strategy, and you need to think a few turns ahead to maximize your points and resources.
Overlooking the importance of Elders. They are a limited resource and can provide you with significant advantages.
Ignoring the forest. While it might seem like a good idea to clear all your forests at the start for the wood, remember that they also provide building spots.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Keep track of what your opponents are doing. If you see them focusing on a particular strategy, try to counter it with your own actions.
Use your resources wisely. It’s easy to run out of resources in Nusfjord, so make sure you’re using them in the most efficient way possible.
Try to keep a balance between short-term gains and long-term strategy. It’s tempting to go for quick points, but don’t lose sight of your overall strategy.