Open Ocean Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Overview
• Setup (3-5 players)
  • Table Set Up
• The Ocean
  • Refreshing the Ocean
  • Attracting Cards
• Playing a Turn
• Ending a Round
• The Cards
  • Card Placement Icons
  • Action Icons
• Building Your Reef
  • Placing Cards
  • Reef Connection Rules
  • Example Reef
  • Connecting Fish Cards in Order
• Sun Cards
  • Coral
  • Starter Coral
  • Coral Color Bonus
  • Anemone
• Fish Cards
  • Tiny Fish
  • Medium Fish
  • Big Fish
• Special Cards
  • Dolphin
  • Shark
  • Sea Turtle
• Ending the Game
• Scoring
• Bonus Goals
  • Habitat Goals
• How to Play 2 Player
  • Ending a Round (2 Player)
• Solo Mode Setup
• How to Play Solo
• House Rules

Contents

6 double-sided Starter Coral Cards, 1 double-sided First Player Card, Sun Cards, Fish Cards (Tiny, Medium, Big) and Special Cards (the printed contents list gives per-type card counts as a grid of numbers that does not extract legibly).

Overview

In Open Ocean, your goal is to rebuild the Reef and create the highest scoring combination of colorful creatures! You will be competing with other players for cards as they are passed around the table. Each turn you will:

• PICK a card from your current hand
• PLAY the card you picked into your Reef
• PASS the remaining cards clockwise to the next player

You score points by placing your cards in a matching and connecting grid pattern to build your Reef.

You will also have the opportunity to attract additional cards from the Ocean, a shared pool of cards in the center of the table.

With a little planning and strategy, you can shift the tides in your favor. At the end of three rounds, everyone will total up the points in their Reef, and the player who earned the most points wins!

Setup (3-5 players)

Remove all the cards from the box and locate the following: 6 double-sided Starter Coral Cards, 1 double-sided First Player Card.

1. Choose a Starter Coral. Each player should choose one Starter Coral and place it on the table in front of them. Then return any remaining Starter Coral back to the box.
2. First Player. Give the First Player Card to the player who last saw a fish (dead or alive).
3. Typhoon Shuffle! Shuffle the remaining cards together to create the deck. (PRO TIP: Put all the cards face down on the table and swirl them together like a typhoon, then stack neatly into a deck!)
4. Deal starting hands. Deal six cards face down from the deck to each player.
5. Set up the Ocean. Deal eight cards face up into the center of the game area to create the Ocean.

You are now ready to begin!

Table Set Up

The table has: each player's Reef in front of them, the Deck, the Ocean cards in the center, and the First Player Card.

The Ocean

The Ocean is a shared pool of cards in the center of the table. There should always be eight cards face up in the Ocean. If there are ever fewer than eight, deal new cards from the top of the deck until there are eight.

Refreshing the Ocean

If there are ever NO FISH CARDS in the Ocean at the end of any turn or any round, discard all cards in the Ocean and deal eight new ones from the deck to replace them.

Attracting Cards

All players have a chance to Attract the cards in the Ocean to their Reef when they play a card from their hand.

If your Action Attracts a card from the Ocean, you MUST connect it to the card you just played. A new card is then dealt into the Ocean to replace it immediately.

Playing a Turn

Open Ocean takes place over three rounds of play, consisting of five turns each. Each turn, you will perform these four steps:

1. PICK cards. PICK one card from your current hand you wish to PLAY this turn. Place it face down in front of you.
2. PLAY cards. Once each player has chosen their card, beginning with the First Player and proceeding in clockwise order, reveal and PLAY your card. Place it into your Reef, and resolve the Action indicated by the icon at the bottom of the card.
3. PASS cards. After each player has PLAYED their card and resolved their Action players PASS their remaining hand (including the First and Second Player Cards) face-down to the player on their left.
4. REPEAT! Players pick up this new hand of cards and the next turn begins. If there is only 1 card remaining, all players discard their last card and end the round.

Ending a Round

Once all cards are chosen and played, the final cards are discarded, and hands are empty, the round is over.

Refresh the Ocean if needed. Deal a new hand of six cards to each player and the next round begins! (After completing three rounds, proceed to "Ending the Game.")

The Cards

Each card in Open Ocean consists of a few main parts: Artwork, Point Value & Placement, Action Icon, and Card Name.

Card Placement Icons

The number in the upper left is the point value of the card at the end of the game. The arrows surrounding the number indicate how the card connects to other cards in your Reef.

• Surrounding placement: A card may be placed into any of the eight surrounding spaces.
• Bordering placement: Cards must share an edge with another card to be connected.

Action Icons

Each card in Open Ocean has an Action that you get to take when you are playing the card from your hand. This Action is represented by the icon in the lower right corner of each card. Here are all the Actions you can take:

• ATTRACT one Tiny Fish from the Ocean to your Reef and connect to this Sun Card.
• ATTRACT one Medium Fish from the Ocean to your Reef and connect it to this Tiny Fish.
• ATTRACT one Big Fish from the ocean to your reef and connect it to this Medium fish.
• EXCHANGE the Dolphin for any one Fish card in another player's Reef, and play it immediately into your Reef, taking any Actions on the new Fish.
• EXCHANGE the Shark for one Fish card in the Ocean, and play it immediately into your Reef, taking any Actions on the new Fish.
• REFRESH the Ocean. Then take one of the new cards and PLAY it into your Reef, taking any Actions on the new card.

These actions are all listed on the Quick Reference Cards in case you forget!

Building Your Reef

Your Reef begins with your Starter Coral and will expand from there in a connecting grid pattern as you PICK and PLAY cards from your hand each turn.

Starter Coral are unique because they represent the bottom of the sea floor. When placing cards into your Reef, you may never expand below the Starter Coral and they can never be removed or replaced by another card Action.

Placing Cards

You may PLAY a card into your Reef, by connecting it along one edge to another card in your Reef. It may not be moved except by the Action of another card. If the card becomes disconnected from your reef, it remains where it was played.

Reef Connection Rules

1. SUNS MUST CONNECT TO SUNS. Sun cards must connect to any surrounding Sun Card to be played into your reef. They may be connected in any direction including diagonally.
2. FISH CARDS CONNECT IN ORDER. Fish Cards may be connected in order from smallest to largest off of a Sun Card when PLAYED into your Reef. The easiest way to remember the order is Sun-1-2-3. Fish cards must always border another card, and may not be placed diagonally.
3. FISH MAY SCHOOL BY TYPE. Fish may also be connected by type to form a School. To create a school, place a Fish Card into your Reef bordering a Fish Card with matching name and artwork. Fish in Schools score bonus points at the end of the game! Each Fish in a School is worth 1 extra point when scoring.
4. SPECIAL CARDS ANYWHERE. Dolphins and Sea Turtles are special cards and may border any card in your Reef after their Action is resolved.

Example Reef

The example shows: a Fish School "schooled" by type; Sun cards connecting to other Sun cards; Special cards, which may be placed anywhere (e.g. a loggerhead sea turtle); and Fish connected in order.

Connecting Fish Cards in Order

• Order by points: The number of points on your cards will connect in ascending order: it's as easy as SUN - 1 - 2 - 3!
• Artwork & action icon: The number of fish in any Action icon is the same number of fish in the artwork on all fish that you can connect to it!

Sun Cards

Coral and anemones are home to the reef's life-sustaining algae, which give them their brilliant color, and are reliant on the sun.

Coral

• Icon: Each Sun card has the Sun icon indicating its point value and placement direction.
• Placement: Each Sun card MUST connect to another Sun Card in your Reef. It may be placed in ANY of the eight spaces surrounding another Sun Card.
• Action: Each Sun Card Attracts one Tiny Fish from the Ocean when played; the Tiny Fish must be connected to that Sun Card.
• Connecting: You may connect another Sun Card or a Tiny Fish directly to a Sun Card already in play.

Starter Coral

Starter Coral are unique because you may not expand your Reef below them and they can never be removed or replaced by another card Action.

Coral Color Bonus

Players score bonus points at the end of the game for having a variety of colors of coral in their Reef. The more colors you collect, the more points they are worth!

Colors	Bonus
1	0 points
2	1 point
3	3 points
4	6 points
5	10 points
6	15 points

Example: This purple coral may be played into any of the spaces surrounding the blue coral, but may not be connected below the Starter Coral.

Anemone

Protection: Anemones connect to another Sun card and Protect all fish in the surrounding eight spaces from the Actions of other cards.

Example: All of the fish surrounding the anemone are protected. The second Banggai cardinalfish is not protected because it is not in a surrounding space.

Fish Cards

Hundreds of fish make their homes in the coral reef and feed on the algae and plankton found there. Together they form a vibrant connected ecosystem.

• Icon: All Fish Cards have the blue icon indicating their point value and placement direction.
• Placement: All Fish Cards MUST border the card they are connecting to in your Reef. They cannot be connected diagonally.
• Action: Some Fish Cards let players Attract another Fish Card from the Ocean.
• Connecting: Players may connect a Fish Card in order or to a School already placed in your Reef.

Tiny Fish

There are three fish in the Tiny Fish artwork and "attract Tiny Fish" icon.

• Placement: Place bordering a Sun Card or School with same type Tiny fish.
• Action: Attract one Medium Fish from the Ocean to your Reef and connect it to this Tiny Fish.

Medium Fish

There are two fish in the Medium Fish artwork and "attract Medium Fish" icon.

• Placement: Place bordering a Tiny Fish or School with same type Medium Fish.
• Action: Attract one Big Fish from the Ocean to your Reef and connect it to this Medium Fish.

Big Fish

There is only one fish in the Big Fish artwork and "attract Big Fish" icon.

• Placement: Place bordering a Medium Fish or School with same type of Big Fish.
• Action: NONE

Special Cards

Many other species make their homes in the reef as well, not all of them friendly. Sharks and dolphins patrol the shallow waters in search of prey, and sea turtles ride into the reef on the current, bringing with them new life to the ocean!

• Icon: All special cards have a white icon with their point value, and a white border to indicate cards can't connect to them.
• Placement: Special cards are either placed anywhere in your Reef, or into the Ocean.
• Action: Special cards let players take cards from the Ocean or another player's Reef.
• Connecting: Special cards will either be placed anywhere in your Reef or placed into the Ocean.

Dolphin

• Action: Exchange the Dolphin for any one Fish card in another player's Reef, and play it immediately into your Reef, taking any Actions on the new Fish.
• Placement: Dolphins are given to the player whose fish you are taking. They may be placed anywhere in their reef bordering another card.

Players may not connect new cards directly to the Dolphin.

Note: Players may NOT take a Fish Card from the Ocean with a Dolphin's Action.

Shark

• Action: Exchange the shark for one Fish Card in the ocean, and play it immediately into your Reef, taking any Actions on the new Fish.
• Placement: Sharks are placed into the Ocean. If there are ever three sharks in the Ocean, immediately trigger a Feeding Frenzy.
• Feeding Frenzy: each player discards the largest unprotected fish from their reef. Then refresh the Ocean.

Note: The value of a fish for FEEDING FRENZY is determined by the printed value on the card.

Sea Turtle

• Action: Refresh the Ocean, then take one of the new cards, placing it into your Reef and taking any Actions on the new card.
• Placement: The Sea Turtle is placed into your Reef, bordering the card you took with it.

Each player may only play up to three Sea Turtles per game. Players may not connect new cards directly to the Sea Turtle.

Note: A player may play a Sea Turtle and then choose another Sea Turtle from the Ocean and play it immediately.

Ending the Game

Once everyone has completed three rounds of play, the game is over and players total their scores.

Scoring

Each player totals their score counting up the points they earned on the cards placed into their Reef. Total up points by:

• BASE POINTS - Total the number of points printed on the cards in your Reef.
• SCHOOLS - Add +1 point for each Fish in your Reef that is in a School.
• CORAL COLOR BONUS - Total the number of different color coral in your Reef and add the bonus to your score (1 color = 0, 2 = 1, 3 = 3, 4 = 6, 5 = 10, 6 = 15 points).
• BONUS GOALS - If you are playing with any additional bonus goals, add your completed goal points to your score!

After everyone adds up their score, the player with the highest score wins!

If there is a tie, the tied player who had the largest reef wins!

If there is STILL a tie, both players share the win. Nice job!

Bonus Goals

Bonus goals add an extra dimension of play and variability to Open Ocean.

Habitat Goals

Habitat Goals care about the placement of specific fish bordering other cards. There are 2 ways to play with goals:

• PRIVATE - Deal each player 1-2 Habitat Goals face down. Players look at their goal in private. If at the end of the game a player has achieved their goal, they score the bonus points indicated.
• PUBLIC - Deal 3 Habitat Goals face up to one side of the Ocean. Each player may attempt the goal and if at the end of the game a player has achieved their goal, they score the bonus points indicated.

How to Play 2 Player

Deal each player a hand of seven cards and deal eight cards into the Ocean.

A two-player game of Open Ocean takes place over three rounds of play, consisting of seven turns each. Each turn you will perform the following 5 steps:

1. PICK cards. PICK one card from your hand you wish to PLAY this turn, and place it face down in front of you.
2. PLAY cards. Once each player has chosen a card, reveal and PLAY your card beginning with the First Player. Place it into your reef, and resolving the Action indicated by the icon at the bottom of the card. If a chosen card is unplayable, it is placed into the Ocean.
3. DISCARD a card. After the second player has PLAYED their card, they choose 1 card in the Ocean and DISCARD it, then deal a new card from the top to the deck into the Ocean to replace it.
4. PASS cards. Now, pass your remaining hand including the First and Second Player Cards face-down to the other player.
5. REPEAT! Pick up your new hand of cards and the next turn begins. (You will now have a smaller hand to choose from.)

Ending a Round (2 Player)

Once all cards have been chosen and played, and hands are empty, the round is over. Refresh the Ocean if needed. Deal a new hand of seven cards to each player and the next round begins!

Once you have completed three rounds of play, the game is over and players total their scores.

Solo Mode Setup

1. REMOVE DOLPHINS & SHUFFLE. Remove all the Dolphins from the main deck and then shuffle the cards.
2. DEAL CARDS. Deal yourself 9 cards, and then deal eight cards into the Ocean.
3. SET UP HABITAT GOALS. Shuffle the Habitat Goals together and then deal them into three facedown piles to the side of the Ocean. Turn the top card of each pile face up. These will be your goals as you play.

Now you are ready to start!

How to Play Solo

1. PLAY A CARD. PICK one card in your hand, PLAY it, and take any actions immediately.
2. DISCARD CARDS. DISCARD one card in your hand, then choose 1 card in the Ocean and DISCARD it. Finally deal a new card from the top to the deck into the Ocean to replace the card you eliminated.
3. COMPLETING GOALS. Once you complete a goal, remove it from the top of the stack and place it facedown below your Reef. Then reveal the next goal card in the stack.
4. ENDING A ROUND. Once you have played and discarded all cards in your hand (should take five turns), deal yourself a new hand of nine cards and begin a new round.
5. ENDING THE GAME. After you have completed three rounds or exhausted the deck, the game ends. Count up the number of goals you completed to see how you did!

House Rules

The designer's family comes up with house rules and new cards all the time; the rulebook leaves space for your own ideas.

• Rainbow Reef (Lily, 7) - If a player has all six colors of coral in their Reef at the end of the game, they score 20 bonus points. (...this actually got incorporated into the Coral Color Bonus later in development!)