Shipwrights of the North Sea

Plan your cards, gather oak, wool and iron, and build the best Viking fleet on the North Sea.

Designer: Shem Phillips
Published by: Garphill Games
Editions by: Renegade Game Studios, Schwerkraft-Verlag, Pixie Games

Early Viking Age, around 900 AD: you are a shipwright, and the yard with the most impressive fleet wins. You need oak, wool and iron, plus craftsmen willing to climb aboard and help, and gold is precious, so spend it wisely. The town is full of colorful characters, some bad and some worse, so you had better hope they are on your side. Every day follows the same rhythm, planning your cards in the morning and working in the afternoon. You score by constructing ships and buildings, and the game ends after the round in which a player completes their fourth ship. A 2014 game for two to five, around an hour.

Morning planning, afternoon workOak, wool, iron and gold to manageShips and buildings score points

Who it's for

You like economic card games with a clear daily rhythm and a Viking-shipyard theme.

Not for you if…

You want aggressive conflict or a heavy strategy game. This is a moderate trade-and-build race.

Vibe's take

Practical and crafty. You plan each morning, scramble to get materials in the afternoon, and watch a rival snatch the craftsman you needed.