Stats:
No. of players: 2-4
Amount of time to play: 30 min
Age requirements: 13+
Set-up time: minimal

Fleet Wharfside is a card game of hand management and set collection. You must collect fish, complete contracts to score VPs and win.

Fleet Wharfside Rules Description:

In Fleet Wharfside you are a fisherman and must catch fish and fulfill contracts to earn victory points (VPs) to win. The game ends once one player has completed four or five contracts depending on the number of players.

To complete contracts you must allocate three to five specific fish to them. Until they are completed contacts offer you special bonuses. You may only have a maximum of three incomplete contracts at any time. When you complete a contract you gain a trophy depending on the number of fish it required to complete. Trophies are worth VPs at the end of the game but there are only two for each fish requirement.

On your turn you have two options, use the wharf or use the market. If you use the wharf you can allocate up to two fish cards to a contract and complete contracts. You can also use an uncompleted contract’s bonuses or store King Crab.

When you use the market you may gain new contracts or purchase a building. There are always three contracts to buy. You purchase them by discarding a certain number of fish. For the purposes of buying contracts there is a ranking to the fish (like in poker). So you can substitute a higher set for a lower valued one. When you buy a contract you refill the market. The card you use to refill the market tells you which price cad to turn. Thus every time a contract is bought the price for things in the market changes. Buildings can also be bought and bring you VPs at the end of the game. They are considered finished upon purchase but take up one of the three contract slots you have. The top building you can purchase is worth the most VPs.

You also have a captain. Each captain gets a bonus VP for each specific fish they use to complete contracts. For example one gets a VP for each shrimp he uses to complete contracts.

Once one player triggers the end game you total the VPs for your completed contracts and buildings, trophies, captain’s bonus. Then add 2 VPs for each uncompleted contract you have and 1 VP for each of your stored King Crab. Lastly you get 1 VP for each card matching the largest set in your hand. The player with the most VPs wins.

A Quick Review of Fleet Wharfside:

Fleet Wharfside is a fun, light card game that requires some good decisions and luck to win. You

The cards are durable and well made. The art is nothing exciting but fits well with the theme. The rulebook reads fine but the font is a little small. This is not a deal breaker but if you have bad eyesight you might need a magnifying glass.

The way the market works with new cards changing the price of contracts is cool. It keeps you on your toes and you need to pay attention to what you need to collect.

The captains are another nice touch. Wanting to gain extra VP for using a specific type of fish can influence what contracts you want.

Be aware since this is a card game it can be pretty swingy. Some games you might get very few chances to grab King Crab or an especially useful contract just because the luck of the draw.

I am also not sure the special abilities are balanced. Some let you keep an extra card when completing that contract. While others let you draw an extra card from the deck and keep it if that card matches a card in one of the wharfs. This really helps you get cards for purchasing buildings and the final largest set scoring.

If you are looking for a fun card game that plays well with two to four players, try out Fleet Wharfside. It has enough moving parts to keep gamers happy and yet most non-gamers will get the hang of it fairly quickly.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 4 out of 6
Luck 5 out of 6
Player Interaction 3 out of 6
Replay Value 4 out of 6
Complexity 3 out of 6
Fun 4 out of 6
Overall 4 out of 6