Friendly Fishing

Overview

Friendly Fishing is a semi-cooperative set collection game in which all players share the same fishing boat.

On your turn:

• Move the boat to a new tile.
• Collect the tile you land on.
• Try to leave good opportunities for the next player.

There is one important twist:

• In a 3–5 player game, your final score is your own Fishing Score plus the Fishing Score of the player on your left.

The game ends when the boat can no longer move.

Components

• 1 Double-Sided Game Board
• 1 Boat Token
• 31 Basic Fish Tiles
• 18 Special Fish Tiles
  • 6 sets of 3
• 5 Action Tiles
  • 1 of each type

Setup

1. Choose the Board Side

Place the Game Board in the center of the table.

For a 5-player game:

• Use the side with the Large Central Island.

For other player counts:

• Use the Small Central Island for a shorter game.
• Use the Large Central Island for a longer game.

2. Prepare the Tiles

Choose Special Fish sets based on the board side:

Add the chosen Special Fish Tiles to:

• All 31 Basic Fish Tiles
• All 5 Action Tiles

Mix all tiles face-down.

Place them randomly on the water spaces of the board.

3. Place the Boat

Place the Boat Token on the Central Island.

4. Choose the First Player

Choose any starting player.

For example:

• The player who most recently went fishing may go first.

Gameplay

Players take turns moving the shared Boat Token and collecting tiles.

On your turn:

1. Move the Boat.
2. Collect the Tile.

Then play passes to the next player.

Move the Boat

At the start of your turn:

• Move the Boat from its current space to a tile in an adjacent water space.

Normally, the Boat must move to an adjacent tile.

Exception: Skipjacks allow a special non-adjacent move.

Collect the Tile

After moving onto a tile:

1. Remove it from the board.
2. Place it face-up in front of you.

Keep your collected tiles visible so everyone can see how many of each type you have.

If you collect an Action Tile:

• Resolve its effect immediately.

Returning to the Central Island

If there are no possible moves from the Boat's current space:

1. Return the Boat to the Central Island.
2. Move the Boat from the Central Island to an adjacent tile.

This is the only way the Boat may return to the Central Island.

Central Island

The Central Island counts as one single space.

Depending on the board side:

When moving from the Central Island:

• You may move to any adjacent tile.

Action Tiles

Action Tiles score 0 points.

Whenever you collect one:

• Resolve it immediately.

Swap 2 Fish

Take 1 Basic Fish Tile from another player and give them 1 of your Basic Fish Tiles, if possible.

Swap 2 Tiles

Choose any 2 tiles still on the board.

• Swap their positions.

Slide a Tile

Choose 1 tile on the board.

Move it to a new space through any number of connected open water spaces.

Remove a Tile

Choose any 1 tile anywhere on the board.

• Return it to the box.

Double Points

Place the Double Points Tile beside one of the colored Common Fish icons in a corner of the board.

During final scoring:

• That Common Fish color is worth double points for every player.

Basic Fish Tiles

There are two types of Basic Fish:

• Common Fish
• Crayfish

Common Fish

Each Common Fish color scores according to how many fish of that color you collected.

There are 6 fish of each Common Fish color.

Remember:

• The Double Points Action Tile may cause one Common Fish color to score twice its normal value.

Crayfish

There are 7 Crayfish.

The players with the most and second-most Crayfish score:

If players tie for either position:

• All tied players receive the full points for that position.

Special Fish Tiles

Each Special Fish set contains 3 matching tiles.

Only the Special Fish sets chosen during setup are used.

Kingfish

Instant Win

If you collect all 3 Kingfish:

• You immediately win the game.

In a 5-player game:

• You only need to collect 2 Kingfish.

This victory is not shared with another player.

Lunkers

Only the Last Lunker Scores

Whenever you collect a Lunker:

• Every other player who already has a Lunker must discard it to the box.

As a result:

• Only the most recently collected Lunker remains in play.

The remaining Lunker is worth:

• 5 points

Dinkers

Dinkers are worth:

• 2 points each

Whenever you move onto a Dinker:

• You may collect it normally

OR

• Leave the Dinker where it is and immediately move the Boat again.

You may only continue moving if another legal move is available from the Dinker's space.

Skipjacks

Skipjacks are worth:

• 5 points each

Skipjacks provide a special Boat move.

You may collect a Skipjack by moving:

• In a straight line
• Through any number of connected open water spaces
• Directly onto the Skipjack

You may not move through:

• Another tile
• The Central Island

Important:

This is the only way to move the Boat to a non-adjacent tile.

Shiners

Shiners score differently depending on how many you collect.

Collecting only 1 Shiner loses points, but collecting additional Shiners can make them valuable.

Junk

Each Junk Tile is worth:

• -3 points

Game End

At the start of a player's turn, first check whether the Boat has a legal move.

If no move is possible:

1. Return the Boat to the Central Island.
2. Check again for a legal move.

If the Boat is on the Central Island and still cannot move:

• The game ends immediately.

Skipjack Reminder

If Skipjacks are in play:

• Check whether a legal Skipjack move is available before ending the game.

A Skipjack may still be reachable even when no adjacent tile is available.

Final Scoring

When the game ends, calculate each player's Fishing Score.

For games with 3–5 players, also calculate each player's Final Score.

Fishing Score

Your Fishing Score is the total value of all scoring tiles you collected.

Include:

• Common Fish
• Crayfish
• Special Fish
• Double Points effects
• Negative points from applicable tiles

2-Player Game

In a 2-player game:

• Compare Fishing Scores directly.

The player with the higher Fishing Score wins.

Final Score: 3–5 Players

In a 3–5 player game:

Your Final Score equals:

Your Fishing Score + the Fishing Score of the player on your left

Example:

• Your Fishing Score = 21
• Left neighbor's Fishing Score = 24
• Final Score = 45

The player with the highest Final Score wins.

This means helping the player on your left can improve your own final result.

Ties

If players tie for the highest winning score:

• They share the victory.

Scoring Summary

Clarifications

• The Boat normally moves only to an adjacent tile.
• The Central Island is one space, regardless of its physical size.
• The Boat only returns to the Central Island when no legal move exists from its current location.
• When returning to the Central Island, the active player must continue their turn by moving to an available tile.
• Skipjacks may provide legal moves that are not adjacent.
• Action Tiles are resolved immediately when collected.
• Action Tiles are worth no points.
• Collected tiles remain face-up and visible to all players.
• The Double Points Action affects every player during scoring.
• The Kingfish victory happens immediately and bypasses normal final scoring.

Strategy Tips

• Your own collection is only part of your score in a 3–5 player game.
• Pay close attention to the player on your left—their Fishing Score contributes directly to yours.
• Leaving a useful tile available can sometimes benefit you more than collecting the best tile yourself.
• Action Tiles can dramatically change future movement paths.
• Be careful when moving tiles near the Central Island; they may affect how long the game lasts.
• If Skipjacks are in play, remember that seemingly isolated areas may still be reachable.
• Kingfish can create an immediate threat that may need to be blocked.

Credits

• Game Design: Bruno Faidutti and Alex Randolph
• Development: Paul Salomon
• Illustration: Alisha Giroux
• Graphic Design: Jon Merchant
• Rulebook & Editing: Jason D. Kingsley
• Playtesting: Miles Bensky, Valérie Chassé, The Haveman Family, Chris Moase, Darren Neely, Tommy O’Brien, Mark Wisdon, Pete Wissinger, and more