How to Play Nusfjord | Rules & Setup Guide

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Place the Action Board

Put the Action Board in the middle of the table with the appropriate side up based on player count, adding the Imitation Board for 4/5 players

Set up the Banquet Table

Place the Banquet Table next to the "Serve Fish" Action Space, where each plate can only hold 1 Fish at a time

Add starting Fish to plates

Place 1/2/3/4 Fish on plates for 2/3/4/5 players, starting with the lowest numbered plate

Position the Elder/Ship Board

Place the Elder/Ship Board to the right of the Main Action Board

Sort Ship Tiles

Sort the Ship Tiles into 3 types and place 3/4/5/6 Tiles per Ship type for 2/3/4/5 players

Prepare Elder Cards

Remove Elder Cards not used for player count, place Cards 1-6 faceup on the 6 Elder spaces, then place Cards 7-12 face-up on top if required, and shuffle Cards 13-18 placing 1 facedown at the bottom of each stack if needed

Set up Building Boards

Place the 2 Building Boards next to the Elder/Ship Board

Prepare Building decks

Choose one of the 5 Fish decks and separately shuffle the A, B, C Cards into 3 piles

Create building market

Flip 9 'A' and 6 'B' Cards to form the building market (in 2-player games, return remaining A/B Cards to the box)

Distribute player components

Each player takes 1 Harbour Board, 3 Workers, Elder Board, 5 Shares, and a Personal Supply Board

Arrange player boards

Place the Elder Board above your Harbour Board, near your Personal Supply Board

Prepare Shares

Turn 3 of your 5 Shares to the neutral side showing -1

Place Forest Tiles

Take 4 Forest Tiles; stack 2 horizontally covering the top right 2 building spaces, place 1 in each of the 2 spaces directly below, and the last 1 in the bottom right

Determine first player

Give the Ship tile to the 1st player with '1' facing them, distribute tiles to other players based on the sides of this tile

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Collect Fish

Take a number of Fish into your hand as shown by your "haul" on the Fishing Track

Feed Elders

Place 1 Fish on each Elder you possess; if an Elder ever has 3 Fish, return 2 to the general supply and put 1 in your personal supply

Supply Shares on main board

Place 1 Fish on each of your Shares on the main Action Board, then 1 on each of your Shares owned by other players

Supply your own Shares

Place 1 Fish on each issued Share in your own colour that you own

Fill Reserve

Place remaining Fish into your Reserve on your Harbour Board (maximum 8 Fish)

Discard excess

Any Fish that cannot fit in your reserve are lost to the general supply

Collect from Shares

Move Fish from Shares in front of you into your Personal Supply, and discard Fish on Shares on the main Action Board into the general supply

Place Workers

The 1st player places 1 Worker and takes the Action immediately, then play moves clockwise until all players have placed 3 Workers

Check space availability

Each Action Space shows how many Workers it can hold before it is blocked

Valid actions only

You may not take an Action which doesn't change anything in your player area

Pass option

You may "pass" which forfeits a Worker, but you may play again on your next turn

+1 Gold

Take 1 Gold from the general supply and put it in your personal supply

Transfer Reserve

Move ALL Resources from your reserve to your personal supply (Wood may be lost if exceeding 12 Wood capacity)

Serve Fish

Starting with the lowest empty plate, fill plates by paying Fish depicted, placing 1 Fish on the plate and discarding the rest; earn 1 Gold per plate filled

Build Building

Take 1 Building from the Building Board or a 'C' Card from your hand, pay the cost, and place it on an open Harbour Board space

Issue a Share

Take 1 unissued Share, flip it to the issued side, place it on "NEWLY ISSUED SHARES" on the Action Board, and take 2 Gold

Buy All Shares

Buy ALL Shares at this location for 1 Gold each (save $1 total in Rounds 4-5, save $2 total in Rounds 6-7; minimum 0 Gold)

Deforest

Remove 1 Forest Tile from your Harbour Board and take 5 Wood from the general supply

Reforest

Take 2 Forest Tiles from the general supply and place them stacked horizontally on an open double space on your Harbour Board

Thin Out

Take 1 Wood for each Forest Tile you have into your personal supply (maximum 12 Wood in personal supply)

Build a Ship

Build 1 of the 3 available Ship types, pay its costs, and place it on the furthest-left free space on your Fishing Track

Take an Elder

Take 1 Elder and place on an empty Elder Board spot; if facedown, flip faceup; may immediately use its Action by taking 1 Fish from the highest Banquet Table spot onto the Elder Card (maximum 5 Elders)

Use an Elder

Take 1 Fish from the highest Banquet Table spot, place on an Elder Card (if 3 Fish result, move 1 to Personal Supply and 2 to General Supply), place 1 Worker on the Elder and use its Action

Copy an Action

In 4-player games, use once to access a blocked space; in 5-player games, use up to 3 times but only once per column directly above the space

Retrieve Workers

All players take back their Workers

Pass first player

The first player Ship moves counter-clockwise

Round 3 trigger

For 3-5 players, add 'A' buildings equal to player count

Round 4 trigger

For 2/3/4/5 players, each player draws 4/3/2/2 'C' Buildings facedown

Round 5 trigger

For 3/4/5 players, add 2/2/3 'B' Buildings to the Building Board