Shipyard is a board game designed by Vladimír Suchý and published by Czech Games Edition in in 2009. The game falls under the categories of economic, industry/manufacturing, and nautical themes. Players take on the role of shipyard owners competing to build the most successful fleet of ships.
Game Components of Shipyard
Action Cards: Players use these to select their actions each turn.Ship Cards: These include bows, middle sections, and sterns, which are assembled to build ships.Crew Members: Four types – Captain, Soldier, Stoker, and Businessman – each with specific requirements.Equipment: Various components such as life buoys, cabins, smokestacks, and propellers.Canal Tiles: Used for the shakedown cruise to score points.Freight Trains: Loaded with raw materials.Employee Tiles: Provide ongoing abilities and scoring opportunities.Action Track: A mechanism to manage player actions and the game’s timer.Player Boards: For assembling ships and managing resources.Gilders: The game’s currency.
How To Setup Shipyard
To set up Shipyard, players first arrange the Action Track on the board, placing the Action Cards in their designated spaces. Each player receives a personal board and a set of player cubes. The Ship Cards, crew members, equipment, and canal tiles are placed within reach of all players. The game starts with a randomly selected player.
Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective
Action Selection: Players choose actions from the Action Track, moving their cube to the selected action and advancing the previous action to the front of the line.Ship Building: Players assemble ships using Ship Cards, ensuring each ship has a bow, middle sections, and a stern, along with required crew and equipment.Crew Recruitment: Players hire crew members, with each ship needing at least one Captain.Equipment Manufacturing: Players produce equipment such as smokestacks and propellers to enhance their ships.Canal Rental: Players rent canals for the shakedown cruise.Shakedown Cruise: Completed ships are sent on a test voyage through the rented canal, scoring points for speed, crew, equipment, and safety.Government Contracts: Players aim to fulfill contracts to earn bonus points.Game End: The game ends when the countdown marker reaches the finish space or when players run out of Ship Cards. The player with the most points wins.
Player Experience
Playing Shipyard is an engaging and strategic experience. Players must carefully manage their actions, ensuring they build ships efficiently and equip them well to maximize points during the shakedown cruise. The game requires a balance between short-term needs and long-term strategies, such as fulfilling government contracts and managing resources. The gameplay is quiet and methodical, punctuated by moments of excitement when ships are completed and sent on their test voyages.
Pros
Deep Strategy: Offers a rich and complex gameplay experience.Resource Management: Players must manage resources, crew, and equipment effectively.Variety of Actions: Multiple actions available each turn, allowing for diverse strategies.Thematic Integration: The game’s theme is well-integrated into the mechanics.
Cons
Complex Setup: Initial setup can be time-consuming and complex.Lengthy Gameplay: Games can last up to 120 minutes.Steep Learning Curve: New players may find the rules and mechanics challenging to learn.
Personal Thoughts on Shipyard
Shipyard is ideal for fans of economic and worker placement games who enjoy strategic depth and thematic coherence. It suits players who appreciate building and optimizing systems over time. While it may not be the best fit for casual or new board game enthusiasts due to its complexity, Shipyard offers a highly rewarding experience for those willing to invest the time and effort into mastering its mechanics.
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