Fishing — How to Play

Goal of the Game

In Fishing, you compete to catch as many tricks as possible over 8 rounds. Each captured card is worth 1 point, and the player with the most points at the end wins. The challenge lies in managing your draw pile, using cards captured in previous rounds and supplementing with cards from the ocean deck when necessary.

Setup

1. Each player receives 1 fisherman card, 1 boat card, and a reference sheet.
2. Separate the game cards by stars (0 to 5) into 6 piles. Shuffle the 1 to 5-star piles separately to form the ocean deck, placing the 5-star cards at the bottom and the 1-star cards on top.
3. Prepare the starting cards (no stars) according to the number of players:
   • 3 players: remove cards with "1", "2", and "3" blue/red values. Deal 10 cards per player.
   • 4 players: remove cards with "1" value. Deal 9 cards per player.
   • 5 players: deal 8 cards per player (no removals).
4. Place the round card and the round control card visible to everyone.

Game Flow

The game consists of 8 rounds. Each round consists of a series of tricks:

1. At the start of each round, players draw cards from their draw pile (or from the ocean deck, if cards run out).
2. Players compete in tricks by playing cards following the rules of leading, following suit, or discarding.
3. At the end of the round, the captured cards are shuffled and placed face down in the boat, forming the draw pile for the next round.

Actions and How to Play

Trick Rules

• The first player leads a suit by playing any card. Others must follow suit if possible, or discard any card.
• Whoever plays the highest value card in the led suit wins the trick and collects the cards for their fisherman.

Special Cards

• Trump cards (green): Always beat suits. If a trump is led, others must follow.
• Cards with "end of trick" effects: These activate before capture. Examples:
  • "Take 1 other card": Add an extra card to your fisherman.
  • "-3 points": Mark -3 points immediately (but the card still counts for 1 point at the end).
• Cards with "for the next trick" effects: Examples:
  • "Call the suit": Sets the mandatory suit for the next trick.
  • "Lowest value wins": Reverses the standard rule.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends after the 8th round. Each card in the fisherman is worth 1 point (including "-3 points" cards). The player with the most points wins. In case of a tie, it is a shared victory.

Exception: If the ocean deck does not have enough cards for everyone to fill their hands, the game ends immediately, and current points decide the winner.

Tips for Winning

• Prioritize high value cards in common suits to win tricks.
• Use trump cards strategically to steal important tricks.
• Monitor your draw pile to avoid relying too heavily on the ocean deck.