Sail or Die
Sail or Die Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
75 VP (victory point) chunks (you want to keep these):
- 15 VP chunks per player, all of one color. There are five colors, 15 chunks each.
55 cards (you want to get rid of these):
- 7 suits with 7 cards each (49 cards).
- 6 wild cards: 3 cards worth "+1", 2 cards worth "+2", and 1 card worth "+3".
1 shark (this is a starting player marker of sorts).
Setup
Each player puts all 15 VP chunks of one color in front of themselves. Put all unused VP chunks back into the box.
Decide on a starting player. If you are the starting player, put the shark in front of yourself. Then shuffle the 55 cards and deal a hand of cards to each player:
- 2-3 players: deal 14 cards to each player.
- 4 players: deal 13 cards to each player.
- 5 players: deal 11 cards to each player.
Put all unused cards aside (without looking at them). Now, start the first round by playing any one (non-wild) card from your hand.
Continue to play one after the other, in clockwise order.
Cards: Important Basics
- Always play either precisely as many as or exactly one card more than the number of cards that the previous player (who played any cards) played. Do not play fewer cards than the previous player (unless at the start of a new round or directly after a reset).
- Since it is important that everyone can see how many cards of which suit are currently in play, put all cards that you play face up in the middle of the table.
- When you play more than one card, only play cards of a single suit, plus any number of wild cards.
- Never play wild cards without combining them with at least one "regular" card. Each wild card will then count as one, two, or three additional card or cards of the suit that you play. (Careful! If only wild cards remain in your hand, you will not be able to play them any longer.)
- You do not have to play all your hand cards of one suit on the same turn. (You can "break up" larger groups of matching hand cards.)
Your Turn
If it is your turn and there are cards in play already (face up in the middle of the table), pick one of the following four options:
1. You can play precisely as many cards as the last played cards but in a suit that is not currently in play. This option is free!
(A started the first round and played 1 purple card.) B plays 1 orange card.
2. You can play precisely as many cards as the last played cards in a suit that is already in play. Turn the older card or cards of this suit face down and put them aside. This option is not free! Chuck one of your VP chunks into the middle of the table.
C plays another 1 purple card, puts the older purple card aside, and chucks 1 VP chunk into the middle of the table..
3. You can play exactly one card more than the last played cards. These cards can have any (one) suit. Turn all older cards face down and put them aside. This option is not free! Chuck one of your VP chunks into the middle of the table.
A plays 2 green cards, puts all older cards aside, and chucks 1 VP chunk into the middle of the table..
4. You can drop anchor (pass), if you can not or do not want to play any cards. Place all of your remaining hand cards face down in front of yourself. This option is free! Additionally, retrieve all of your VP chunks that are currently in the middle of the table; take them back and put them in front of yourself again. However, all other players who have not dropped anchor yet will continue to play without you. (You can actually rejoin the current round when and if there is a reset.)
(B then played 3 orange cards, put all older cards aside, and chucked 1 VP chunk into the middle of the table. C then then played 3 light blue cards.) A drops anchor, places their remaining hand cards face down in front of themselves, and retrieves their 1 VP chunk that is currently in the middle of the table. (B and C will continue to play without A.)
Reset
As soon as all players but one dropped anchor, there is an immediate reset.
If you are the sole remaining player, you can neither continue to play by yourself nor can you drop anchor any longer (to retrieve your VP chunks). Instead, put all VP chunks that are currently in the middle of the table back into the box. Also, turn all played cards in the middle of the table face down and put them aside. Then, put the shark in front of yourself.
All players who dropped anchor pick up their hand cards again and rejoin the round. If you are the player with the shark in front of yourself, play any one (non-wild) card from your hand.
As before, continue to play one after the other, in clockwise order. (A round can very much reset more than once.)
(B then played 2 green cards and 1 wild "+2" card for a total of 4 green cards, put all older cards aside, and chucked 1 VP chunk into the middle of the table. * C then dropped anchor and retrieved their 1 VP chunk. **)
Now, there is a reset. B puts all VP chunks in the middle of the table back into the box and all cards that are in play aside. (B Loses 2 VP chunks for good.) B puts the shark in front of themselves. A and C pick up their unplayed cards again and rejoin the round. (B will play 1 card next.)
End of a Round
Play like this until the first player has played all their hand cards. If you are the first empty-handed player, announce this fact clearly. If another player has to remind you to do so, chuck one of your VP chunks into the middle of the table.
Continue to play until it would be the turn of the player with the shark again. (If the player with the shark is the first player to play all their hand cards, each other player gets one more turn. If the right neighbor of the player with the shark is the first empty-handed player, nobody gets another turn.) At this point, each player chucks one VP chunk into the middle of the table for each of their unplayed hand cards. (No, a remaining wild card does not cost more than any other card!) Then put all VP chunks in the middle of the table back into the box. (Careful! If you are stuck with a lot of unplayed hand cards at the end of a round, you will suddenly lose a lot of VP chunks for good.)
If you were the first player who played all their hand cards this round, put the shark in front of yourself. Shuffle all 55 cards and deal a full hand of (14, 13, or 11) cards to each player again. Then, start the next round by playing any one (non-wild) card from your hand.
End of the Game
Play three rounds total.
VP Chunks: Unlikely Cases
Alternatively, the game also ends, if any player does not have any VP chunks left at the end of one of the first two rounds.
If you run out of VP chunks during a round, continue to play. (You are not "eliminated" straight away.) You simply can not pick options 2 or 3 while you have no VP chunk left to chuck.
At this point, if you have the most remaining VP chunks, you win. In case of a tie, the tied player who had fewer unplayed hand cards at the end of the final round (i.e. who just had to chuck fewer VP chunks into the middle of the table) wins. In case of another tie, all tied players win.
Reminder
Hand of cards: 2-3 players deal 14; 4 players deal 13; 5 players deal 11.
Your turn:
- Play as many cards in a new suit (equal to the last played cards). Free!
- Play as many cards in an old suit (equal to the last played cards). Not free, chuck 1 VP chunk.
- Play one card more (+1) in any one suit. Not free, chuck 1 VP chunk.
- Drop anchor (pass). Free, retrieve your VP chunks.
Shark:
- Setup: the starting player.
- Reset: the sole remaining player.
- End of a round: the first empty-handed player.