Neko Harbour: The Card Game
Neko Harbour: The Card Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Card (63mm x 89mm):
- 64 Action cards
- 32 Period 1 cards
- 32 Period 2 cards
- 4 Overview cards (1 per player) (also turn order card)
- 8 Harbour cards (2 per player)
- 5 Attraction cards
Card (45mm x 70mm):
- 24 Ship cards (6 per player)
- 36 Fish / Goods cards
- 30 Licence / Penguin cards (2VPs cards)
- 30 Captain / 1VP cards
1 Scoring pad
Setup
- Sort all Action cards in 2 different decks: period 1 and 2 respectively (the back of the cards looks different). For each of the 2 decks pick cards as follows:
- 2 player game: 16 cards (with "2 dots" cards only)
- 3 player game: 24 cards (with "2 dots" & "3 dots" cards)
- 4 player game: all 32 cards
Return all cards which are not used to the box. Then shuffle both new decks thoroughly and put them in the middle for the game.
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Each player picks a color. Give each player the 6 Ship cards and 2 Harbour cards in their color, and then place those cards in front of them. Players stack their 2 harbour cards on top of each other so that only level 1 from the bottom harbour card is revealed. Players place the level 1 ship card on top of their harbour and place the 5 remaining ship cards to the left of the harbour as a ship supply.
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Separate Fish/Goods cards, Licence/Penguin cards and Captain/1 VP cards into six different decks and place them handy as a general supply.
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Shuffle the Attraction cards deck face down and pick randomly as follows:
- 2 player: 3 attractions
- 3 player: 4 attractions
- 4 player: 5 attractions
Display the Attraction cards face up in the middle. Return any remaining Attraction cards back to the box.
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The player who has seen penguins most recently becomes the first player and takes the 1st turn order card (= Overview card). Alternatively, the player who can best mimic penguins becomes first. Players distribute remaining overview cards randomly or follow in clockwise order.
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Following the player order established in step 05, players take Fish cards to their supply as follows:
- 2 player: 1, 2
- 3 player: 1, 1, 2
- 4 player: 1, 2, 2, 3
Now you are ready to play the game!
Card Reference Guide
Attraction card, Resource card, Harbour card, Ship card, Action card.
Action Types
- Persistent action (∞): you can use the effect displayed on the card whenever you meet the condition.
- Immediate action: you use the benefit once and immediately (you cannot save it for later). After triggering a action card with this symbol, you can tuck it under any column to upgrade any of your hubs.
- Once per turn: you can use the action / resource icon once per turn in the action phase.
- Ship-moves-in: you can activate the effect once whenever a ship moves to the column.
- Game end scoring (E): You will score the card when the game ends.
Note: For more details on each card please see the explanation of the cards on page XX.
Overview
A game plays 2 periods and each period consists of 2 phases. At the end of each period, there's an intermediate game scoring. After 2 periods, whoever has the most penguin points (victory points, VP) wins the game. After finishing the first game and if you would like to have a more challenging game, please see variants to learn about more modules of the game.
Game Play
Each period consists of a Drafting phase and an Action phase. There's an intermediate game scoring whenever a period ends.
01 Drafting phase
For period 1, pick period 1 card deck and display its cards in the middle creating rows as follows:
Reveal 6 cards in each row. Form each row with three separate sets: 1st set with 1 card, 2nd set with 2 cards and 3rd set with 3 cards. For games of 3 or 4 players proceed in this fashion until there are as many rows as players plus 1. For example, if it's a 3 player game, reveal 4 rows of 6 cards each in 3 sets. Put remaining cards back in the box. (For 2 player game special rules apply, see below).
Starting from the first player and then in player order, each player takes a set of their choice from rows of their choice to their hand in 3 turns total. In the end, each player must have 6 cards in hand. Also, players must not take sets of the same card amount twice. For example, if you already took a 2-card set in your first turn, you must not take a 2-card set again in a later turn.
When each player has 6 cards in their hand, the drafting phase ends and the remaining cards are set aside. For the drafting phase of period 2, pick period 2 card deck instead and follow the same procedure.
2 player special rules: shuffle all 16 cards and draw 8 cards to display in the middle for the first drafting. The first player takes 1 card from display and then the second player takes 2 cards from display. After this, the first player takes 2 cards and then the second player takes 1 card. After the first drafting, each player has 3 cards in hand. For the second drafting, display the remaining 8 cards. The second player takes 1 card and the first player takes 2 cards. And then the second player takes 2 cards, the first player takes 1 card. After the second drafting, each player has 6 cards in hand.
02 Action phase
Starting from the first player and following in player order, each player plays a turn. When it's your turn, you must play a card to your preparation line and thereby activate action columns. When activating a column, players can perform any related free actions. Otherwise free actions can only be performed after performing all action columns. This phase lasts until every player has no card in their hand.
Play a card to your preparation line and activate action columns (mandatory)
When it's your turn, play a card and put it into your preparation line. You can decide to add it to an action column or deactivate the card to upgrade any of your hubs.
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Adding a card to an action column
The first card you play must be placed on the right side next to your harbour. Cards played in later turns must be adjacent to the previous card if they are different kinds of cards. If it's the same kind of cards, tuck under the corresponding column making only the effect box visible. A column of the same kind of cards is called an action column. The card effect is available for you immediately and lasts until the game ends.
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Upgrading a hub
If you decide to deactivate a card, tuck it under any column making only its hub area visible. If you do so, take 2 fish cards from the supply. By doing so, you are upgrading the hub level of that column.
Activate action columns
After playing a card, activate the action columns from left to right, column by column in your preparation line. Each column provides you specific actions and the effect can be accumulated if there are several cards in a column.
Note: even a single card in the preparation line can form a column.
Free action (optional)
You can perform specific free actions only when you perform a related action column. If you don't have a related action column in your preparation line yet, you are only allowed to activate the free action after you activate all of your action columns in your preparation line.
Each time when you spend resources to do specific actions, they must first come from the icons you have in your preparation line. If you don't have enough icons, then you can spend your resource cards to fill the insufficient icons.
Note: Free actions may be performed any number of times.
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Free Licence action (related to Licence action card (Permit Office))
- Upgrade Harbour: spend 2/3/5/8 licences to upgrade your harbour to the next level. Immediately gain a reward.
- Upgrade a ship: each level that you upgrade costs you 1 Licence. You can only upgrade the ships in your preparation line. Each time you upgrade a ship, you must have a ship of corresponding level in your supply, you then swap the two ships. Or, must have on the flipside of the ship itself (the levels on opposite sides of a ship card sum to 7, just like the values on opposite sides of a die). For example, if you want to upgrade a level 1 ship to level 6, you need to spend 5 Licences and may then flip the Ship card on its other side.
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Free Coin action (related to Coin action card (Tourist Center))
- Buy a ship: buy a ship from your supply and place it on top of your harbour. You spend two times its level in coins. For example, a level 3 ship costs you 6 coins.
- Buy a Licence: spend 3 coins to buy a Licence card. Take a Licence card from general supply and place the card into your supply.
Note: each fish can be used as 1 coin or 1 fuel. You can use them during executing any free action.
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Free Fuel action (related to Fuel action card (Supply Vassel))
- Move a ship: Each fuel you spend, you can move your ship one step forward, to an attraction or move between attractions.
a. Moving a ship in preparation line
Depending on how much fuel you have, you can move your ship several steps forward in your preparation line (you can even split them over different ships). When you arrive at a station (column), the hub may activate: If the hub level is higher than the sum of your ships' levels on that column, you immediately get a reward from the harbour. If you have upgraded the harbour, you can always choose the harbour reward of a lower level or the same level.
Important! when determining if you trigger the harbour reward, add the levels of all ships on that column.
End of your turn
The resources you earn in a turn from activating some action cards or attraction cards or getting rewards from your hubs cannot be used in the same turn. After you finish your turn, take all the resources you earned in this turn to your supply. We suggest that you gather all the resource cards you earn in a turn on top of your play area to avoid confusion. After this, your turn ends.
Following the player order, the next player plays their turn. Play in this fashion till each player has no card in their hand, then this period ends.
Important! When your turn ends, you cannot have more than 8 resources cards (Fish, Goods and Licence) in your supply. You must discard excessive cards till you have only 8.
Intermediate scoring and preparation for next period
Each ship that is at the end of the preparation line scores points corresponding to its level. For example, a level 5 ship scores 5 points. Each remaining ship that is not in harbour but in the preparation line scores 1 point. After scoring, move all the ships in the preparation line back to the harbour. Record the scoring on the scoring pad.
The player who has the highest total level of ships in their harbour will be the 1st player for the next period and take the 1st turn order card. Second highest will be the 2nd player and take 2nd turn order card, etc.
Now you are ready to play the second period. After the second period, before executing the intermediate scoring, players may use any remaining Fish, Goods or Licence cards they have like performing free actions. And again, you cannot use the resources that you just gained from the last action, but they could probably bring you victory points when the game edns. After finishing the last action, execute intermediate scoring.
Game end and Final scoring
After the second intermediate scoring, the game ends. Score Penguin Points (Victory Points) as follows and record the scoring on the scoring pad:
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Score for each attraction card. The player who has the highest total level of ships wins the full amount of VPs from the card. The player who has the second highest total level wins half the amount of VPs from the card (round down). If there's a tie, the player whose ships are at a higher place wins the tie.
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Scoring cards. Some scoring cards might give you extra VPs when the game ends. (see explanation below)
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Each penguin card scores 2 VPs.
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Each unused captain card scores 1 VP. Flip over your captain card to 1 VP side. This way, it's easier to calculate.
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Each goods card scores 1 VP.
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If you have level 5 or 6 ships in game, you score 1 or 3 points for each ship respectively.
Add all VPs and the player who has the highest VPs wins the game. If there's a tie, the player who has a lower total ship level wins the game. If there's still a tie, the player who has more remaining resources wins the game. If there's still a tie, share the victory.
Card Explanation
Permit Office (Pink)
- 1st period: Once per turn, you gain 1 licence.
- 2nd period: Once per turn, you gain 2 licences.
- 2nd period: When the game ends, every set of 3 Permit Office cards you have, scores 8 points. This card counts in for the set as well.
Seaside Town (Lake Blue)
- 1st period: Take a goods card from general supply whenever a ship arrives at this column.
- 2nd period: Take a goods card from general supply whenever a ship arrives at this column. Increase your supply capacity by 2. In this case, you can store more resources (normally the limit is 8).
- 2nd period: When the game ends, every goods card you have scores 1 point.
Shipyard (Orange)
- 1st period: Each time when a ship arrives at this column, upgrade 1 level for this ship.
- 2nd period: Immediately score one point for each ship you have in game. Take 1 or 2 VPs cards from supply until you have the needed amount of points.
- 2nd period: When the game ends, score as many points as the amount of levels your harbour is at. For example, if your harbour is at level 4, score 4 points.
Supply Vessel (Green)
- 1st period: Once per turn, you gain 1 fuel.
- 2nd period: Once per turn, you gain 2 fuel.
- 2nd period: When the game ends, every set of 3 Supply Vessel cards you have, score 6 points. This card counts in for the set as well.
Tourist Center (Yellow)
- 1st period: Once per turn, you gain 2 coins.
- 2nd period: Once per turn, you gain 4 coins.
- 2nd period: When the game ends, every set of 3 Tourist Center cards you have, score 4 points. This card counts in for the set as well.
Research Station (Red)
1st period:
- Whenever you deactivate a card, take 1 fish card and 2 licence cards.
- You gain 2 more coins or a fuel in a turn. You can add it to a coin or fuel action column when you activate a corresponding column.
- You always get the better available reward when your ship reaches an attraction. Still each ship can only get an attraction reward once.
- You can spend 2 coins to buy a licence card instead of 3 coins.
2nd period:
- Whenever you upgrade your harbour, you get a penguin card.
- You can flip over a fish card or a licence card in your supply.
- Each time when you move a ship to a level 6 or higher level hub, you get a goods card.
- When the game ends, each captain card you have scores 1 more point.
- Always move your ship to the highest place when reaching an attraction. That means when the game ends, if there's a tie for an attraction, you always win a tie.
KS exclusive:
1st period:
- Each time when you can not trigger a harbour reward, take a fish card instead.
2nd period:
- During the game, your supply capacity has no limit.
Harbour card
When upgrading your harbour, pay the needed licences and then move the top harbour card one step left to reveal the next level. Gain the captain card(s) immediately.
Cpatain card
Each captain card allows you to upgrade a hub by 2 levels. If you do, tuck the captain card on top of the column you choose. Each unused captain card scores 1 VP when the game ends.
Attraction card
- Penguin Island: Immediately gain 1 fish card / No card
- Elephant Island: Immediately gain 3 licence cards / Immediately gain 1 licence card
- Coulman Island: Immediately gain 1 penguin card / Immediately gain 1 goods card
- King George Island: Immediately upgrade a ship 3 levels / Immediately upgrade a ship 1level
- Livingston Island: Immediately gain 2 fish cards / Immediately gain 1 fish card
KS exclusive:
- Half Moon Island: Immediately gain 1 resource card you choose or 1 victory card and 1 fish card / Immediately gain 1 fish card
- Pléneau Island: Immediately gain 1 captain card and 1 goods card / Immediately gain 1 captain card
- Neko Harbour: Immediately gain 2 cards from any combination between resource card and penguin card / Immediately gain 1 penguin card.
Special scoring: When the game ends, the victory point count of the attraction is the total amount of the ships' levels. For example, if there are 3 ships which respectively have 4, 2 and 5 levels, then the victory point count for the attraction is 11 points. Follow the same fashion to resolve the scoring for the card.
Special mini modules
01 Extra cards (5 cards in total)
There are new KS exclusive attraction or research station cards in the game. Just shuffle them with their own deck during setup if you decide to involve them in a game.
02 Fishing Boat (10 cards in total)
Set up
After setting up for the game, sort all fishing boat cards in 2 different decks: period 1 and 2 respectively. Reveal all period 1 fishing boat cards and display them in a row in the middle to let everyone see it. Set period 2 fishing boat cards aside, you will use them in period 2.
How to use
After the first intermediate scoring, calculate all of your coins in your preparation line. Each fish card counts as 1 coin as well and you don't need to spend them. If you have the most coins, choose a fishing boat from the middle. Then the player who has the second most coins chooses one fishing boat card from the middle, etc. Follow the way until each player takes one fishing boat card.
If there's a tie, the player who has more ships in game chooses first. If there's still a tie, the player who has a later turn order chooses first. Put remaining fishing boat cards back in the box.
After you take a fishing boat card, immediately put it in your preparation line as a new column, or you can deactivate it, taking 2 fish and upgrading one of your hubs.
After the first intermediate scoring, reveal the period 2 fishing boat cards and display them in the middle. During 2nd intermediate scoring, distribute the fishing boat cards as explained above.
Card explanation
- Each time when a ship arrives at this column, you can swap a captain card with a licence card, or vice versa.
- Each time when a ship arrives at this column, you can swap a captain card and a fish card with a goods card, or vice versa.
- Each time when a ship arrives at this column, you can swap 4 fish cards with a 2VP card, or vice versa.
- Each time when a ship arrives at this column, you can swap a 2VP card and a fish card with a captain card, or vice versa.
- Each time when a ship arrives at this column, you can swap 3 fish cards with a licence card or a goods card, or vice versa.
- When the game ends, each victory card (2VP) you have scores 1 point.
- When the game ends, each licence card you have scores 1 point.
- When the game ends, each goods card you have scores 1 more point.
- When the game ends, each captain card you have scores 1 more point.
- When the game ends, choose a hub. Each hub level scores 1 point. The hub you choose should consist of a maximum 3 cards.
Ghost ship (4 cards in total) - Special promo
Set up
Deal each player a ghost ship card during step 02 and put it on top of their harbour.
How to use
During your turn, you can move your ships in game including ghost ship. A ghost ship is like your normal ship, but it has level 0. That means, when determining if you trigger the harbour reward, it won't add levels to the ships on that column if there is at least one ship. With the ghost ship, it's easier to get the harbour reward.
Moving a ghost ship one step forward costs you 2 fuel. You can't move a ghost ship to an attraction, can't upgrade a ghost ship and can't apply any effect on them.
Game end
When a period ends, if you have moved your ghost ship to the end of the preparation line, flip it over and place it in your supply. When the game ends, you score 8 points from the ghost ship. If you can't manage to move the ghost ship to the end of the preparation line before the game ends, you score nothing.
Contract - Special Promo
(The source document lists this heading with no rules text.)