Compete with rival clans and try to gain control over the fishing grounds of Norsica!
2-4 players, ages 8+
Playing time: 15-20 minutes
Design & Artwork: Rory Muldoon
Publisher: Inside the Box Board Games
http://itbboardgames.com/
Skora is played over the course of two phases:
First, players take turns playing one of their Catch cards to one of the three locations. There are 3 different types of cards: Claws, Fish and Sharks, and when players cover a card of the same type, they receive an Axe token. Players also must execute the action of the card: this allows them to place boats, or move cards to one of the other locations. Additionally, they may also move one of their placed boats to a different location.
Once everyone has played all their cards, the game moves on to the second phase.
For each of the 3 locations, the fishing order gets determined: the player with the majority of boats has first pick of the Catch cards, then the second most, and so on. In case of a draw, the player with the most Axe tokens wins, after which he flips one token face down.
At the end of the game, these Catch cards will gain you the points shown on them, but you’ll also have to keep in mind the secret goal shown on your Decree card, which scores you additional points, for example for each pair of different sets.
Skora is a light and fast paced game that comes in a small box and quality components. I really love the neat design and the artwork on the cards that feels very original.
The gameplay itself feels very abstract and I feel like the theme could’ve been anything, but it didn’t really bother me while playing.
The battle over a specific fishing ground can be quite fierce, especially when more players have their mind set on the same combination of cards or when lots of the high-value cards are concentrated in one location. The Decree cards give you something to work towards, and definitely add to the replayability of this game.
I’m not a big fan of the 2-player variant that comes with the game, especially since a lot depends on the area majorities in the second phase. But the game really shines with 3 or 4 players, it’s an excellent lightweight game with almost no setup and also perfect to play as a filler or to end game night with.
Tabletopping 