Review Shipwrights of the North Sea: Redux

Publisher : Pixie Games
Designer : Shem Phillips
Artist(s) : Mihajlo Dimitrievski
Players : 1–5
Playing time : 60–80 Min
Weight BGG : 2.63

What's this?

“Shipwrights of the North Sea: Redux” takes place in the early years of the Viking Age, around 800 AD. Players take on the role of Viking shipwrights competing to build the largest fleet in the North Sea. They must collect resources (wood, wool, iron), recruit craftsmen, and wisely manage their gold to accumulate the most Victory Points (VP) at the end of the game.

How do you play?

👀 How to play?

Shipwrights of the North Sea: Redux is played in 5 rounds composed of the 5 phases below:

➡️ 1. Reveal the Round card: Reveal a new Round card to know the market price.

➡️ 2. Draft cards: Players draw and draft Village cards.

➡️ 3. Perform Actions:

Players use their Village cards to perform various actions:

– Discard a card for rewards.
– Recruit craftsmen or Jarls.
– Play or recruit Villagers.
– Start or build Boats.
– Build Buildings.
– Place Workers.
– Trade Resources.
– Raid Colonies.

➡️ 4. Earn Income: Earn income from Boats and Trade cards. Return workers to the supply.

➡️ 5. Distribute Hero Cards: Hero cards are distributed to the leaders of the progression tracks. In the event of a tie, no player wins the associated Hero card.

End of Game:

The game ends after 5 rounds. Players calculate their VP by adding up those of Ships, Buildings, Jarls, progression tracks, Hero and Maneuver cards, and Gold tokens.

The player with the most VP wins the game.

Is it good ?

In Shipwrights of the North Sea: Second Wave, resource management and careful planning are essential to winning. Players must skillfully juggle between gathering wood, wool, and iron, and hiring craftsmen to maximize the efficiency of their constructions. Gold, a valuable and versatile resource, must be used wisely to unlock strategic advantages, such as recruiting villagers with permanent effects.

The game is tense: resources are limited and you will often be missing that missing piece to complete your project. Flexibility and opportunism are required to adapt to the cards drawn and seize the best opportunities.

A solitary game? This is an important point to emphasize. Direct interaction between players is limited, each focused on their own strategy and their own board. This may appeal to players who enjoy solitary games, but could disappoint others. In addition, card combos are few and the feeling of progression is less pronounced than in other card table games.

Nevertheless, Shipwrights of the North Sea: Second Wave remains an excellent choice for fans of fast and strategic games. The card drafting mechanic offers interesting depth, and the learning curve guarantees many games to master all the subtleties of the game.

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Review Shipwrights of the North Sea: Redux

7.8

Shipwrights of the North Sea: Redux is a tense resource management game where players must optimize their choices to build their fleet. While the solitary aspect may put some off, the strategic depth and learning curve make it a popular title for those who enjoy fast-paced, thoughtful games.

Positives