Friendly Fishing
Friendly Fishing Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 Double-Sided Game Board
- 5 Action Tiles (1 of each)
- 31 Basic Fish Tiles (common fish in four colors, 6 of each color, plus 7 crayfish)
- 18 Special Fish Tiles (6 sets of 3)
- 1 Boat Token
Game Setup
A reel and a rod, some friends, and a boat... is there anything more relaxing? Let's spend the day together, fishing this pond. And hey, I'll help you catch that big fish you've been after!
- Place the game board in the center of the table.
- For a 5-player game, use the side with the LARGE central island. For other player counts, decide whether to use the side with the SMALL central island (for a shorter game) or the side with the LARGE central island (for a longer game).
- Prepare the fish tiles:
- Choose 2 sets of special fish tiles to use (6 tiles). If you are using the side of the board with the LARGE central island, choose 4 sets of special fish tiles (12 tiles total).
- Add the chosen special fish tiles to the 31 basic fish tiles and 5 action tiles. Mix up all the tiles face down, then place them randomly on the water spaces of the game board.
- Place the boat token on the central island space of the board.
- Choose any player to take the first turn, maybe the player who most recently went fishing should go first!
Gameplay
Collect the Tile
In Friendly Fishing, players take turns by simply moving the boat to a new space and collecting the tile they land on. When this is no longer possible, the game ends.
After moving onto a tile, take it from the board and place it face up in front of you. Then play passes to the next player. Other players should be able to see how many of each type of tile you have collected. When you collect an action tile, you must immediately perform the associated action (see Action Tiles).
Move the Boat
At the start of your turn, you must move the boat from its current space onto a tile in an adjacent water space.
Game End
If there are no possible moves from your current space, return the boat to the central island, then move the boat from there. This is the only way the boat can return to the central island space.
If the boat is on the central island and there are no possible moves, the game ends.
Note: The Skipjack tile adds a special boat move (see Skipjacks). If it is in play, double-check if the boat can move.
Central Island
The central island is one single space. Depending on which side of the board you are using, the central island is either adjacent to 8 water spaces (small) or 10 water spaces (large). When moving the boat from the central island, you may move to any adjacent tile.
Move Example
On Noah's turn, all of the spaces next to the boat are empty. Because there are no possible moves, he first returns the boat back to the central island. He decides to move to the blue fish and adds it to his collection. Arden's turn is next. She can now choose to either move the boat to the adjacent yellow fish or red fish.
Action Tiles
Action tiles are not worth any points at the end of the game, but they do allow you to pull off some fancy maneuvers! Whenever you collect an action tile, use it immediately.
- Swap 2 Fish: Take a basic fish tile from another player and give them one of your basic fish tiles, if possible.
- Swap 2 Tiles: Choose any 2 tiles on the board and swap their positions.
- Slide a Tile: Choose 1 tile on the board and move it to a new space through any number of connected open water spaces.
- Remove a Tile: Choose 1 tile from anywhere on the board and return it to the box.
- Double Points: Place this tile beside one of the colored fish icons in the corners of the board. This common fish color is worth double points for all players during scoring.
Slide a Tile Example
On Gabrielle's turn, she moves the boat onto the special action tile, Slide a Tile. She decides to slide a Shiner tile over open water to a new space where she hopes she can get it later.
Basic Fish Tiles
Common Fish
Each color of common fish (6 per color) scores points depending on how many fish tiles of that color you have collected.
| Fish | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 21 |
Note: Remember that one action tile can double the points of one common fish color during scoring.
Crayfish (x7)
The two players with the most crayfish score points: Most = 8 points, Second Most = 4 points. In the event of a tie in either category, the tied players score full points.
Special Fish Tiles
Kingfish (x3)
"You'll be a legend if you catch 'em all." If you collect all 3 Kingfish, you immediately win the game! In a 4- or 5-player game, you only need to collect 2 Kingfish. (This win is not shared with any other player.)
Lunkers (x3) - Last Lunker: 5 points
"Big prize fish are hard to hold on to." When you collect a Lunker, any other player with a Lunker must discard it (return it to the box). In this way, only the last Lunker that is collected scores.
Dinkers (x3) - Each Fish: 2 points
"It's so small. Maybe you should throw it back." Each time you move onto a Dinker, you may choose to leave the Dinker in place and move again (as long as there is a possible move to another tile from there).
Skipjacks (x3) - Each Fish: 5 points
"I see a big one over there. Let's chase it down!" You may only collect a Skipjack by moving in a straight line through open water (empty spaces). You may not move through the central island space or other tiles.
Important: This is the only way to move to a non-adjacent tile.
Shiners (x3)
"Oooh, shiny! Are there more?" Finding one of these fancy fish distracts you, losing you points, but if you can find more, they might be worth the effort.
| Fish | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | -2 | 5 | 12 |
Junk (x3) - Each Tile: -3 points
"Oh, come on! Not again!" Worthless. In fact, maybe worse than worthless... but the next one will be a catch for sure!
Skipjack Example
On Arden's turn, there is only one tile adjacent to the boat, but she sees a Skipjack a few open spaces away. Instead of moving to the action tile, she moves in a straight line to the Skipjack and adds it to her collection.
Final Scoring
The game ends as soon as the boat has no possible moves at the start of a player's turn, even after returning the boat to the central island. Then, each player calculates their fishing score and final score. If there is a tie, the tied players share the win.
Fishing Score: Your fishing score is simply the points earned from the tiles in front of you. In a 2-player game, the player with the higher fishing score is the winner!
Final Score: Your final score is determined by adding your fishing score to the fishing score of the player on your left. In a 3-5 player game, the player with the highest final score is the winner!
Scoring Example (3-Player Game)
Special fish tiles: Skipjacks, Shiners. On Gabrielle's turn, there are no adjacent tiles and no available Skipjacks, so she returns the boat to the central island. Because there are still no tiles available (even after checking for Skipjacks again), the game is over and scoring begins.
Gabrielle has the most crayfish, and Noah and Arden are tied for having the second-most crayfish. The double-points tile is on the yellow fish.
Fishing scores: Noah 24, Gabrielle 18, Arden 21.
Final scores: Noah 24 + 18 = 42; Gabrielle 18 + 21 = 39; Arden 21 + 24 = 45.
Even though Arden does not have the highest fishing score, her final score is the highest because she really helped her friend Noah. Arden is the winner! What a great day of Friendly Fishing!
Scoring Summary
- Common fish (x6 each color): 1 / 3 / 6 / 10 / 15 / 21 points for 1 through 6 fish.
- Crayfish (x7): Most 8, Second Most 4 (shared ties).
- Kingfish (x3): collect all 3 to win (or 2 for 4+ players).
- Lunkers (x3): 5 points; only the last Lunker scores.
- Dinkers (x3): 2 points each; may leave behind and move again.
- Skipjacks (x3): 5 points each; must move in a straight line through open water.
- Shiners (x3): -2 / 5 / 12 for 1 / 2 / 3; collect more than one Shiner to score points.
- Junk (x3): -3 points each; always worth negative points.