# Nusfjord: Big Box ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2024 - **BGG Rating**: 8.3 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 1-5 (Best with: 3) - **Duration**: 60-120 min - **Weight**: 3.03 / 5 - **Designers**: Uwe Rosenberg - **Artists**: Patrick Soeder - **Publishers**: Lookout Games, Hobby Japan - **Categories**: Economic - **Mechanics**: Worker Placement ## Verdict If you love resource management with a salty twist, Nusfjord will reel you in fast.smooth worker placementimmersive nautical themeexpansions bundledcan feel cramped with five playersstock market action adds tensionnot the best starter for absolute beginnersHIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description Nusfjord: Big Box transports you to the picturesque fishing village of Nusfjord in the Lofoten archipelago, northern Norway. In the past the area buzzed with sailing ships and spawning cod; today the village is more a museum, yet the rivalry among fishing magnates remains fierce. Each player takes on the role of a major fishing company owner, tasked with developing the harbor, clearing forests, expanding the fleet and erecting buildings while keeping the village elders happy. The core mechanic is Worker Placement: you start with three workers and place them on central spaces to perform actions such as cutting timber, buying boats, or constructing structures. Spaces are limited, making placement planning crucial. Money is scarce, and the quickest way to earn it is to put shares of your own company on the market; buying them yields profit, but if an opponent acquires them they benefit from your catches. Elders may also demand a cut of your fish, so you must balance expansion with diplomacy. The big‑box includes the base game and four expansion decks – Plaice, Salmon, Trout and Besokende – plus extra components like guest meeples, offering plenty of variety and replayability. With 1‑5 players, games run 60‑120 minutes and have a moderate weight of 3.0, perfect for those who enjoy economic strategy without overwhelming complexity. The artwork captures the serenity of Norwegian fjords, while wooden pieces and fish tokens add a satisfying tactile feel. Fans of Uwe Rosenberg titles like Agricola or Ora et Labora will feel at home, but Nusfjord brings its own maritime charm and a solo‑play option for lone strategists. ## How to Play Game Objective In Nusfjord, in the Lofoten archipelago, you are the owner of a large fishing company. Your goal is to develop and expand your harbor and the surrounding landscape. To do this, you will need to persuade the elders of the council to support you, which will unlock special actions. Your three workers will help you develop your fishing company. In the end, the player with the most points wins. Preparation (Setup) We will explain the rules for 2-5 players first. The rules for the solo game can be found in the manual. General Components 1 Action Board 308 Building Cards (divided into seven decks of 44 cards, containing 18 "A" Buildings, 12 "B", and 14 "C" each) 1 Ship and Elder Supply Board 2 Building Supply Boards 1 Feast Table 1 Imitation Tile 1 wooden First Player Ship 32 Guest Tokens (for the Besøkende deck) 100 Fish Tokens 50 Wood Tokens 25 Elder Cards 19 Ship Tiles (6 Sloops, 6 Cutters, 7 Schooners) 27 Forests 4 Raft Tiles (for the promotional Elder "Castaway") 15 Turn Order Tiles 36 Cardboard Coins (30x "1 gold", 3x "5 gold", 3x "10 gold") 50 Wooden Coins (35x "1 gold", 15x "5 gold") 9 Multiplication Tiles (3x "5 fish", 3x "10 fish", 3x "5 wood") For each of the five player colors: 1 Harbor Board 1 Elder Council 1 Personal Supply Board 3 Worker Discs 5 Share Tiles 1 Overview Card for the Besøkende deck Central Display Flip the Action Board to the appropriate side, according to the number of players (indicated by a symbol), and place it on the table. One side is for 1-2 players; the other side is for 3-5 players. In 4 and 5 player games only: Flip the Imitation Tile to the appropriate side, according to the number of players (indicated by a symbol), and place it along the bottom edge of the Action Board. The 4-player side shows one space; the 5-player side shows three spaces. Place the Feast Table to the left of the Action Board, so that it is next to the "Serve Fish" action space. Fill a number of plates on the Feast Table with 1 fish each, according to the table (one plate less than the number of players). Fill the appropriate number of plates in ascending numerical order, starting with the smallest plate. Example: In a 4-player game, there are 3 fish on the Feast Table at the start. Place the Ship and Elder Supply Board to the right of the Action Board. Separate the Ship Tiles by type and place a number of each type on the designated spaces of the Supply Board, according to the table (one more than the number of players). *Note that there are seven schooners, but you still only use six in a 5-player game. The seventh schooner may be needed for the "Wharf" building (from the Herring deck). Example: In a 4-player game, there are 5 sloops, 5 cutters, and 5 schooners. Find the appropriate Elder Cards, according to the number of players (indicated by a symbol). Place these Elders face up on the designated spaces of the Supply Board. Each space will hold up to two Elders: first place Elders numbered 1 to 6 on the spaces. Then place Elders with numbers 7 to 12 on top (if used), as shown on the spaces. In 5-player games, note that there are six Elders that are not shown on the spaces. Example: In the top left space, place the Builder (#7) on top of the Contractor (#1). In 5-player games only: Shuffle the remaining six Elders (#13-18) that are not shown on the spaces and place one face down at the bottom of each of the six Elder stacks. Place the two Building Supply Boards next to the Ship and Elder Supply Board. Choose one of the Building Decks (each showing a different illustration on the back) and return the rest to the game box. Separate the chosen cards by letter into "A" Buildings, "B", and "C" and shuffle each pile separately, placing them face down on the table. Tip: For your first game, we recommend using the Herring deck. These cards are numbered 101 to 154. Flip 9 "A" Buildings and 6 "B" Buildings face up and place them on the appropriately sized Building Supply Boards. Set aside the remaining "A" and "B" Buildings, as well as the "C". In 2-player games only: Only set aside the "C" Buildings. Return the remaining "A" and "B" Buildings to the game box — you will not need them. Place the goods (wood, fish, and gold) and the Forests within reach in a general supply. When playing with the Besøkende deck, you will also need the Guest Tokens. Game Flow Refer to the manual for details on this section. Actions and How to Play Players will use their workers to perform various actions. Here are some of the available actions: Build a Ship: Allows building a ship. Transfer Reserve: Allows transferring resources to your reserve. Serve Fish: Allows serving fish. You gain 1 gold per plate served. Build a Building: Allows building a building. Issue a Share: Allows issuing a share. You receive 2 gold and use it immediately. Newly issued shares are Unissued Shares. Take an Elder: Allows taking an Elder and using them immediately. Buy All Shares: Allows buying all shares for 1 gold per share (in rounds 4-5: -1 gold, in rounds 6-7: -2 gold). Clear-cut: Removes 1 forest and gains 5 wood. Thin Out: Gains 1 wood per forest. Reforest: Places 2 forests on a free double space. Special Elder Actions Elders offer special actions that can be used: Builder: Removes 1 forest, gains 1 wood, and then Builds a Building. Harbormaster: Trades 1 ship: sloop or cutter, or cutter or schooner. Fish Farmer: Gains 3 fish and 1 fish per Elder. Contractor: Pays 3 fish and removes 0, 1, or 2 forests, and then Builds a Building. Investor: Removes 1 building, gains 1 gold, and then Builds a Ship or Builds a Building. Tour Guide: Gains 1 fish per building you own. Designer: Adds an A or B building to the display, and then Builds a Building. Shipowner: Sells 1 sloop/cutter/schooner for 2/4/7 gold. Sponsor: Issues a Share, receiving 2 gold and 3 fish for it. Forester: Gains 3 wood and places 1 forest on a free or forested double space. Fish Deliverer: Transfers Reserve and then Serves Fish (1 gold per plate served). Carpenter: Removes 1 forest, Builds a Ship or Builds a Building. Architect: Builds a Building. Engineer: Builds a Ship (for 1 less wood) or Builds a Building. Silviculturist: Gains 1 wood and Thins Out or Reforests. Steward: Gains 2 wood and Transfers Reserve. Sailor: Serves Fish (1 gold and 1 wood each per plate served). Forest Manager: Removes 2 forests, gains 5 wood and 1 gold. Lake Builder: Distributes 4 fish plus 1 fish per building, as you would during the fishing phase. Constructor: Builds a Ship or Builds a Building. Fishing Phase The Fishing Phase occurs in a specific order for fish distribution: Elders Your shares in foreign possession Your shares in personal supply Reserve General supply The Fisherman's Cabin card changes this order to: 3., 2., 1., 4., 5. Building Effects Some buildings offer special effects: Arboretum: Immediately: Reforests up to 2x. Wood Trade: At any time: 4 wood for 1 gold and/or 1 gold for 3 wood. Joinery: After Building a Building: 2 wood to your reserve. Resource Trade: At any time: 5 fish for 3 wood. Fish Market: Immediately: 5 gold. Worker's Cottage: After Reforesting: Clear-cut. Ship Broker: At any time: sells sloops for 2 gold and/or cutters for 4 gold. Nursery: At the end of the game: covers negative VPs on building spaces with wood from your supply. Refuge: After Reforesting: 1 gold and 2 wood. Harbor Park: Once you have 3 elders: 3 wood and 2 gold to your reserve (only once). Carver: 1 VP per building showing a wood cost. Goldschmiede: After performing an action: 1 gold for each of your own shares in your supply. Tümpel: Immediately: 4 fish. Moot Hall: Immediately: removes all your forests, gains 1 wood and 1 guest per forest removed. Guest Abilities (Besøkende deck) Building Buildings/Ships: Hand in 1 guest as many times as you want to reduce building costs by 3 fish or 2 wood. Serve Fish: Hand in 1 guest as many times as you want to fill 1 plate with 1 fish from the general supply. At any time: Place a guest from your personal supply on a ship tile without a guest. At fishing time: In the 3rd step, gain 1 fish to your personal supply per guest on a ship. End of Game and Scoring The game ends after a number of rounds (not specified in the context). The player with the most points wins. Points are counted as follows: Each share is worth one point. Unissued shares are worth negative points. Each gold is worth one point. Ships are also worth points. You lose points for empty spaces (cleared by clear-cutting). The Nursery building allows covering negative VPs on building spaces with wood from your supply at the end of the game. The Carver building grants 1 VP per building showing a wood cost. ## FAQ ### How many players can join? 1 to 5 players, including a solo mode. ### What is the typical playtime? Between 60 and 120 minutes, varying with player count and expansions used. ### How complex is the game? Medium weight of 3.0 – moderate strategy, approachable for those who have played Agricola or Ora et Labora. ### Does the box contain all expansions? Yes, the Big Box includes the base game, Plaice, Salmon, Trout and Besokende decks, plus extra components like guest meeples. ### Can I play it solo? Absolutely, it includes complete solo rules for a well‑balanced single‑player experience. ### Do I need a large table to set it up? The box is sizable, but components are compact; a medium‑sized table is usually enough. ### Who is the ideal audience? Fans of economic games, lovers of nautical themes, and players who enjoy Uwe Rosenberg’s designs. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 58.39 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5821124&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/44276/nusfjord-big-box?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com