Northwest Passage Adventure Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Contents
• Object of the Game
• Setup: 4 Player Game
• Game Turn Order
• Game Turn
• Actions
  • Advance
  • Recover Token
  • Drop Iceberg
  • Raid
• Fresh Water
• Treasure Cards
• Character Cards
• End of the Game
• Setup: 2 Player Game
• Setup: 3 Player Game
• Another Game Mode: Sirs vs Explorers
• Symbols
  • Treasure Cards
  • Character Cards

Game Contents

72 scenario tiles:

• 24 scenario tiles size 4, for 2 or more player games
• 24 scenario tiles size 2, for 3 or more player games
• 24 scenario tiles size 2, for 4 player games

20 scenario-specific tiles:

• 10 iceberg tiles
• 10 water tiles

112 advance tokens (28 in each color). Each color consists of:

• 1 straight line advance token size 4
• 1 L-shaped advance token size 4
• 1 inverted L-shaped advance token size 4
• 1 inverted zigzag shaped size 4
• 1 straight line advance token size 3
• 4 straight line advance token size 3
• 3 curved shaped advance token size 3
• 5 straight line advance token size 2
• 5 advance tokens size 1
• 6 Incursion advance tokens

4 tokens (1 in each color)

60 treasure cards:

• 30 treasure cards for 2 or more player games
• 15 treasure cards for 3 or more player games
• 15 treasure cards for 4 player games

14 character cards

Object of the Game

The object of the game is simple: To be the first to find the Northwest Passage. For that, players will only have their boat and their wits to rely on. Players will have to trace their route as the scenario unfolds in front of them. They will have to manage their advance tokens and take advantage of their character card. They will have the aid of any found treasure cards. The player to reach the last row of the scenario, number 24, will be the winner.

Setup: 4 Player Game

Setup for a 4 player game is explained here. At the end of the rulebook the differences for a 2 and 3 player game are outlined.

Each player takes all the advance tokens and boat in his color.

Character cards are shuffled and two of them are given at random to each player. Each player chooses one of the cards and returns the other to the character deck, which is again shuffled. Players reveal their chosen character cards simultaneously.

Treasure cards are shuffled.

All the size 2 scenario tokens are mixed and divided into two equal piles. At the beginning of the game they are revealed and placed until completing four rows of size 8. Each row is made of a size 4 tile and two size 2 tiles on each side, as depicted in the image (1st to 4th scenario rows).

First player is the one who has travelled more times by boat.

Game Turn Order

Players take their turn clockwise.

Game Turn

Each turn players have four action points, which can be spent (totally or not) for different actions. Additionally players can use one single treasure card per turn.

• Actions (up to four action points)
  • Advance
  • Recover token
  • Drop iceberg
  • Raid
• Fresh Water
• Play a treasure card (maximum one per turn)

Actions

Advance

The player moves his boat on the board. Hexes through which the boat moves are marked by an advance token (one or a combination of several).

There are four different types of terrains: water, land, snow and iceberg. Each has different action points cost, as indicated below:

• Water: 1 Action Point
• Land: 2 Action Points
• Snow: 3 Action Points
• Iceberg: 4 Action Points

NOTE: Moving over our own previously crossed route costs one action point (since the boat already opened the route previously, it is considered now water).

NOTE: Unless raiding, players cannot enter another player's route.

Advance tokens come in different sizes and shapes. Smaller sizes are more versatile.

The boat is moved every time we use an advance token.

No two boats can occupy the same tile at the same time. If we want to cross paths with an opponent's boat we need to use a size two or bigger advance token to avoid landing on that space.

It is possible to use treasure cards before and after using advance tokens.

Every time a boat advances, players check if there are four visible rows in front of it. If that is not the case, rows will be added, as indicated in the setup section, until there are four rows in front of the boat further up ahead.

Recover Token

It costs four action points to recover an advance token over which there are no other tokens and/or boat.

Drop Iceberg

Spend three action points to place an iceberg from the reserve in the tile behind your boat on your past route.

Raid

In order to step on a route previously placed by an opponent players will need to use the special advance tokens. The cost is two action points.

Once on the enemy's route, movement costs only one action point (a water path is considered previously opened).

At any point, players can leave the opponent's route without additional cost. In order to come back to that route, players will need to go back where they detoured from the opponent's route, or raid again.

Fresh Water

If at the end of a player's movement, its boat is on an enemy's route and one tile behind that opponent's (it must be a scenario row behind, not just next to it), the player will have two additional action points, which can only be spent for advancing.

Fresh water is considered a special action. After taking it, no other action can be performed, and the player's turn ends.

Treasure Cards

There are some scenario tiles with treasures on them. Whenever a player's route passes any of these scenario tiles while they are visible (there is nothing else on top of them), that player will draw a treasure card.

Only one treasure card can be played per turn. Cards cannot be played during an opponent's turn. At the end of a player's turn, if the player has over three cards, he must discard down to three.

Character Cards

Character cards have permanent powers that will benefit players in the course of the game. The characters depicted were real adventurers who tried to discover the Northwest Passage.

End of the Game

The first player to go beyond the last scenario row (Number 24) is the winner.

Setup: 2 Player Game

Only size four scenario tiles are used. The width of the board is, therefore, 4.

Only treasure cards marked with a "2+" in the lower right corner are used.

Setup: 3 Player Game

Only size 4 scenario tiles and size 2 marked with a 3+ are used. The board size is therefore 6.

Only treasure cards marked with a "2+" and "3+" in the lower right corner are used.

NOTE: Sometimes only an odd number of size 4 scenario tiles have been placed. Lateral tiles are only placed when two size 4 tiles have been added.

Another Game Mode: Sirs vs Explorers

Only playable with 4 players, which will compete as 2-player teams. Rules are the same as the standard game except for the following:

• One team of players will represent the Sirs and the other, the explorers. If players cannot agree on taking sides, make it random.
• Character Cards are separated in two different piles: Sirs and not-Sirs.
• 4 cards are dealt to each team and together, they decide which character card will be played by whom. The other two cards are returned to its corresponding pile.
• Players take and play their turns individually, alternating a Sirs' turn and explorers' turn.
• Players can consult and coordinate their strategy, but cannot show nor tell their cards to their partner.
• A partner is considered an opponent for card effects purposes.
• When a player goes beyond the last tile of the scenario, his team wins.

Symbols

Treasure Cards

• Discard an opponent's card of your choice.
• An opponent of your choice cannot play cards during his next turn.
• You can play two more cards during this turn.
• You cannot be raided until your next turn.
• Eliminate an advance token from the scenario without anything on top or from any player's reserve.
• Place an iceberg tile from the common reserve on a scenario tile without anything on top.
• -1 action point to an opponent of your choice/-2 action points if the opponent is first (on his own).
• Rotate 180° a scenario tile with nothing on top.
• Draw an opponent's card of your choice.
• A player puts his character card back in the character deck. After shuffling it, he draws a new character card.
• Return an advance token without anything on top back to your reserve.
• Place an advance token worth 3 action points in the scenario if you are in last place (on your own).
• Swap two scenario tiles of the same size and with nothing on top. 180° rotation is allowed.
• Place a water tile from the common reserve on a scenario tile without anything on top.
• +1 action point/+2 if you are last (on your own).

Note: Being first or last is only considered such if no other player is in the same scenario row.

Character Cards

• If your route crosses an iceberg or snow, you have an additional action point.
• Moving through snow costs only two action points.
• Dropping Iceberg costs only two action points.
• If an opponent raids your route he has one less action point.
• If you raid an opponent's route you draw a card.
• You only draw treasure cards when an opponent draws treasure cards from water tiles.
• You have one extra action point each turn. You cannot play any cards.
• If your route crosses an iceberg, you have two additional action points.
• Moving through iceberg costs only three action points.
• Every time you place a scenario tile due to your advance you can choose one of them and rotate it 180°.
• If an opponent raids your route, you draw a card.
• Moving over your own traced routes costs you no action points.
• You only draw treasure cards when an opponent draws treasure cards from land or snow tiles.
• You can use the Fresh Water action in the normal way, or when you are one more tile behind, earning three action points in that case.