Namiji: Solo Pack
Namiji: Solo Pack Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 2 double-sided Automa Collection mats
- 16 Automa Action cards
- 8 Difficulty Level cards
General Rules
This rulebook allows you to play Namiji alone against 2 Automas (artificial opponents) who take the place of 2 human players, or to add 1 Automa to a 2-player game as an alternative to the core rulebook's 2-player rules.
- All game rules not explicitly overridden in this rulebook are still in effect. This means, for example, that the starting order of the boats is determined randomly because that game rule isn't overridden here.
- The Automas are considered players in the game.
- You play by the normal game rules, but the Automas are renegades who often do as they please.
Note for Funforge editions: Namiji exists in multiple editions by 2 different publishers. The solo rules are the same except that if you have a Funforge edition and play without the Aquamarine expansion (which is integrated in the Stonemaier Games edition), then a couple of rules should be ignored. These are called out in boxes like this one. This will make the game slightly harder.
Setup
Follow the setup instructions for 3 players in the game's rulebook, but instead of getting a Boat board, each Automa gets an Automa Collection mat (place it next to the game board "Normal" side up).
- Place 1 Offering token on the empty bottom space of each track on the Collection mat. These tokens don't function as Offerings; they're simply used as markers for the progress of the Automa's collection.
- Give the Automa the Boat token and Score counter corresponding to her mat.
- If you want an easier or harder challenge than the default, read Difficulty Levels.
Whether you use 2 Automas (1 human player) or 1 Automa (2 human players), shuffle the Automa Action cards to form the face-down AUTOMA DECK and leave space next to it for a discard pile.
The Fish Queue
When you turn Fish tokens face up, keep them in a horizontal queue where the leftmost one is the one that was most recently turned face up and the rightmost is the one that was turned face up the longest time ago. This is the FISH QUEUE.
Rainbowfish: When playing solo (2 Automas, 1 human player), don't flip additional Fish tokens after gaining a Rainbowfish.
Funforge edition note: If you play using a Funforge edition without Aquamarine, then there are no Rainbowfish.
Automa Collections & Ranks
An Automa doesn't collect cards and tokens the way you do; instead, the tokens on her Collection mat move upwards to represent her growing collection. The 8 columns on the mat represent the 8 station types in the game other than the Port and Docks.
The first black number above a token is the RANK of that station for the Automa, which is used to guide her movement decisions. Some Automa Action cards show the icon of a station type along with "=9", in which case that station type has rank 9.
- Panorama stations: Once an Automa has completed a panorama column it will ignore stations of that panorama type, so that rank becomes irrelevant.
- Dock stations always have rank 0, except when the drawn Automa Action card shows a Dock icon "=9".
- The Port always has rank 0; there's no icon that increases it.
Example 1: Ranks
The Collection mat is shown with its station columns. The Rank printed under each station column reads, from left to right: Rank 1, Rank 2, Rank 4, Rank 2, Rank 1, Rank 9, Rank 2, Ignored.
This action card temporarily increases the rank of the Whale column to 9. Since the action card doesn't have a Dock icon "=9", the rank of the Docks is 0.
The blue numbers in brackets on the Collection mats indicate how many points the corresponding Automa has scored from that station type. They have no gameplay impact but allow you to confirm the Automa's points on the Score track. To calculate an Automa's score, sum the blue number above each of the tokens and then add any points from Bonus cards and the Early Bird token.
Example 2: Calculating the Collection Value
You're unsure whether you've tracked the pink Automa's points correctly during the game, so you recalculate it using the blue numbers in brackets.
The pink Automa has scored 0+1+6+1+0+1+1+6 = 16 points from her collection so far.
Automa Turns
When it's an Automa's turn, follow this procedure:
- Draw an Automa Action card and place it face up on top of the Automa discard pile.
- Determine her RANGE: The "●···○···○···③" line on the card indicates the maximum number of unoccupied spaces (1-3) the Automa is willing to move this turn. Occupied spaces are ignored as are stations for Panoramas she has completed.
- Move the Automa's Boat token to the space within range that has the highest rank (closest such space in case of ties). She doesn't gain the normal benefit of that space.
- Resolve the effect(s) that correspond to the station she moved to, from the following list.
Station Effects
- Dock: Place her Boat token on the available slot that's closest to the Sea Route.
- Any non-Dock/Port station: Find the corresponding track on the Automa's Collection mat. The Automa scores points equal to the black number above the token on the track, then move the token 1 space up.
- Angling: Flip 1 Fish token face up and add it to the Fish Queue (Automa doesn't gain a token). If there's a fish-removal icon on the Automa Action card (a row of three fish tokens with a red X), remove from the game the rightmost token in the Fish Queue.
- Crustacean: No additional effect.
- Net Casting: No additional effect.
- Panorama (Octopus, Whale or Dolphin Panorama, each shown by its own icon): If the Offering token moved to the topmost space of the collection column, the Automa gains the corresponding Bonus card if it's available.
- Sacred Rock: No additional effect.
- Whirlpool: Place a Fish token face down (without looking at it) instead of an Offering token. Automa doesn't gain the bonus (if any) from this.
Funforge edition note: Ignore the Whirlpool rule if you're playing with a Funforge Edition without Aquamarine.
Designers' note: The Automas score almost all their points during the game, while some of your scoring might not happen until the end of the game, so the relative positions on the Score track can be misleading.
Example 3: Boat Movement
The pink Automa is to move and the Boats are positioned as shown (moving leftwards). She has the Collection mat shown in Example 1.
- If the Automa Action card marked A is used, the range is 2. Both stations within that range (Octopus Panorama and Whale Panorama) have rank 2, so you move her ship to the closer of the two, which is the Octopus Panorama.
- If the card marked B is used, the range is the same, but the Whale Panorama now has a rank of 9, so you must move Automa's Boat there.
- For the card marked C, the range is 3. She has completed the Dolphin Panorama so that station is ignored, therefore the Net Casting station is in range. It has a higher rank (4) than the other stations in range (2 and 2), so you must move Automa's Boat to the Net Casting station.
Docks
When you draw Dock cards, keep them in the order drawn. Among those an Automa can choose between, she will take the card that was drawn first.
Automas don't gain anything from the card, so you can simply discard it.
After everyone has arrived at a Dock, shuffle all Automa Action cards to form a new Automa deck.
Ending the Journey
The Automas grab and score Early Bird tokens as usual, but other than that, they don't score any additional points at the end of the journey.
Difficulty Levels
To make the game easier, follow these steps to make the Automas skip the benefits of their first moves:
- During setup, give each Automa 3 Difficulty Level cards (doesn't matter which) with the side marked with a red prohibition symbol (⊘) up.
- Every time an Automa is to move a token up in a collection column and she has a Difficulty Level card, discard the card instead of giving her points and moving the token. Note that her Boat moves as normal.
- You can fine-tune the difficulty by altering the number of cards.
To make the game harder, follow these steps for each Automa to give her points and collection advances before starting the game:
- During setup, shuffle the Difficulty Level cards with the side marked with a red prohibition symbol (⊘) up and give the Automa 3 cards.
- Flip and discard each card and check which station type is shown: The Automa scores and advances on the corresponding collection track as if she had moved to a station of the indicated type. Do not move the Boats or resolve the rules for the stations depicted on the cards.
- You can fine-tune the difficulty by altering the number of cards.
To make the game substantially harder use the side of the Automa Collection mats marked "Hard". That side can be combined with the Difficulty Level cards to further tune the difficulty level.