How to Play Namiji: Aquamarine

Objective of the Game

Namiji: Aquamarine is an expansion for the base game Namiji. It introduces several modules that can be played independently or combined to create a more complex experience. Players continue their journey as fishermen in Japan, aiming to manage their catch, visit stations, and complete their goals to achieve the highest score. The game remains a competitive experience where strategic placement and resource management are key to victory.

Preparation (Setup)

To prepare the expansion, follow these steps:

• Custom Whirlpool: Place the Custom Whirlpool board on top of the regular game board. Ensure the side matching your player count (2-3 or 4-5 players) is face up.
• Rainbowfish: Add all 8 Rainbowfish tokens to the School of fish.
• Additional Cards: Add the 3 new Dock cards to the Dock deck and the 3 new Sacred Rock cards to the Sacred Rock deck.
• Printed bag: Use the Printed bag instead of piling Fish tokens on the board. Place all Fish tokens and Special Crustacean tokens inside the bag. Draw 1 Fish token to place face up on the School of Fish to begin.

Game Flow

The game follows the structure of the base game Namiji, with the expansion modules integrating into the existing turn sequence. When you land on a Whirlpool station, you must place your Offering on the empty Whirlpool space farthest from the center. This immediately triggers the effect associated with that space. When drawing Fish tokens or Crustacean tokens, use the Printed bag to draw them as required by the game rules.

Actions and How to Play

When you trigger a Whirlpool station, you may resolve one of the following effects based on the space occupied:

• Move Fish: Move any Fish token from your Rack to any other available space.
• Panorama: Draw any level-1 Panorama card you do not already own.
• Sacred Rock: Draw a Sacred Rock card, look at it, and choose to keep it or discard it. If you keep it, you must discard another Sacred Rock card you possess.
• Net: Draw a Net token. You may place it in your Rack (replacing two adjacent Fish tokens or a Net token) or release it back under the pile.
• Crustacean: Draw one Crustacean token and add it to your Trap.
• No Effect: Simply set your Offering afloat.

Rainbowfish: These tokens are considered blue, green, and orange simultaneously. When drawn, flip 3 other fish face up instead of one.

Special Crustaceans: These are drawn when landing on a Crustacean Trap station:

• Shrimp + Crab: Counts as both; worth 2 victory points, but may nullify your catch if you already drew a Crab this turn.
• Gray Shrimp: Each pair is worth 5 victory points; a lone token is worth 0.
• Sea urchin: End your draw immediately, but add all tokens drawn this turn to your Trap.
• Rock: Worth 0 points.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends according to the standard rules of Namiji. Scoring is calculated based on your Rack and Trap contents:

• Rainbowfish: Count as all three colors (blue, green, and orange) for scoring purposes.
• Special Crustaceans: Points are awarded based on the specific rules for Shrimp + Crab, Gray Shrimp, Sea urchin, and Rock as detailed in the Actions section.

Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.

Tips for Winning

• Strategic Rainbowfish Use: Use Rainbowfish to complete both rows and columns simultaneously, as they count as all three colors, maximizing your scoring potential for those lines.
• Manage your Trap: Be mindful of the Sea urchin; while it ends your draw, it allows you to keep all tokens drawn up to that point, which can be a safe way to secure points if you have already drawn valuable tokens.
• Optimize Whirlpool Actions: Use the Move Fish action to create "holes" in your Rack, allowing you to better organize your fish for future scoring opportunities.