Shipyard

About this board game

Shipyard is a board game for 2–4 players about building ships in the 19th century, with play lasting about 120 minutes. Players take on the role of ship manufacturers as sea transport grows increasingly important to corporations and naval forces.

On each turn, choose one available action from the Action Track. The chosen action provides something useful for constructing your ships. On your next turn, move that Action Card ahead of the others before selecting a different action, causing the line of available actions to advance throughout the game.

Develop your ship by combining cards that depict bows, sterns, and middle pieces. Add equipment or crew where possible, and hire employees, buy accessories, seek the favor of evaluating committees, or rent a canal to help bring your plans to completion.

• Construct ships from bow, stern, and middle-piece cards.
• Acquire employees, accessories, equipment, and crew.
• Use the Action Track to manage changing opportunities.
• Take completed ships on shakedown cruises through a canal.
• Score bonuses for Government Contracts.

When a ship is completed, it goes on a shakedown cruise in a canal. During the voyage, it may score points for speed, crew, equipment, or safety, rewarding different aspects of your finished vessel.

As the lead Action Card reaches the Starting Space again, the countdown marker moves down one space. The game ends when that marker reaches the finish space, or earlier if the Ship Cards run out. After Government Contract bonuses are scored, the player with the most points wins.

With its rotating action choices, ship construction, and multiple ways to score during cruises, Shipyard turns industrial ambition into a focused race for points.