Explorers of the North Sea (2016) Board Game

Explorers of the North Sea’ is a board game designed by Shem Phillips and released in 2016 by Garphill Games. It is set in the Viking era, where players take on the roles of explorers seeking to discover new lands, raid villages, and transport goods back to their home settlements. The game features beautiful artwork by Mihajlo Dimitrievski and offers a mix of strategy and resource management.

Game Components of Explorers of the North Sea

Game board featuring the North Sea

Longship miniatures

Crew member cards

Resource tokens

Raid cards

Home board for each player

Various markers and tokens

How To Setup Explorers of the North Sea

To set up the game, each player chooses a home board and places their longship on the starting location. Each player receives a set of crew member cards and a handful of resource tokens. The game board is placed in the middle, and the raid cards are shuffled and distributed face down on designated spaces on the board. Players then place their markers on the tracking boards to monitor their progress.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Action Point Allowance System: Players have a limited number of actions per turn.

Area Control: Players compete to control and raid various locations on the board.

Hand Management: Players manage their crew member cards to optimize actions.

Objective: The goal is to earn the most victory points by raiding monasteries, exploding barrels, and collecting resources.

Player Experience

**Explorers of the North Sea** offers a challenging and immersive experience, requiring strategic planning and efficient use of resources. Players must balance their actions between raiding, resource collection, and expanding their crew. The game’s thematic elements, such as navigating the North Sea and managing crew members, add a layer of depth and engagement.

Pros

Strategic Depth: The game offers complex decision-making and planning.

Thematic Engagement: The Viking theme is well-integrated and engaging.

Replayability: The random distribution of raid cards ensures each game is unique.

Component Quality: The miniatures and game board are of high quality.

Cons

Learning Curve: The game has a moderate to high complexity, which can be daunting for new players.

Setup Time: Setting up the game can take some time due to the numerous components.

Luck Factor: The draw of raid cards can introduce an element of luck that affects gameplay.

Personal Thoughts on Explorers of the North Sea

**Explorers of the North Sea** is ideal for players who enjoy strategic games with a strong thematic presence. It is particularly suited for fans of worker placement and area control mechanics. The game is best for players looking for a challenging yet rewarding experience, and it is not recommended for those who prefer light, casual games.

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