Carcassonne South Seas - General game info
Carcassonne South Seas
2-5 players, 8 years and older
AuthorKlaus-Jürgen Wrede
IllustratorHarald Lieske
Published byHans im Glück
Z-Man Games
Online since 2016-04-17
Developed by (BloodyMary)
Boardgamegeek147303
Yucata.de owns a license for the online version of this game. A big "thank you" to the copyright owners (publisher and/or author and illustrator) who make it possible to have this game for free online here!
Carcassonne South Seas - Rules
If you are reading these rules for the first time, ignore the text along the right hand side. These rules serve as a summary to help you quickly familiarize yourself with the game.

Show → summary only → detailed version only → both summary and detailed version

Carcassonne Südsee

→ original rules (pdf)

South Seas – Clear blue waters flow effortlessly around seemingly countless islands all connected by a sophisticated network of bridges. It is here that the busy people who inhabit this heavenly paradise frolic around to gather the gifts granted to them by nature. Fish from the sea, bananas from the islands, and the bridges are crowded with shell collectors showing off their latest find. From time to time, even merchant ships will dock at the island in search of cargo: the islander that supplies the merchants with the wares they seek is well rewarded for their trouble.

Deviation in english and german rules:

The english original rules states that retrieving an islander is only possible if a player has zero Islanders in their supply. The german rules states that retrieving is possible, if no islander was placed that turn. The implementation at yucata follows the german rules.

Game components
73
Sea tiles (including 1 Start tile)
24
19
Fishing boat tokens
60
wooden Ware tokens (10 large and 10 small of each type)
20
wooden Islanders (4 each in 5 colors)
1
rulebook
Game setup
  • The Start tile is placed in the middle of the table. The remaining tiles are mixed and placed in several stacks so that each player may easily draw tiles.
  • The Ship tokens are mixed separately and form a face-down supply. Draw and reveal 4 Ship tokens and place them face up on the table within easy reach of all players.
  • Each player receives 4 Islanders in their chosen color and places them in front of themselves as a supply.
  • The starting player is determined randomly.
Playing the game

Play proceeds clockwise from the start player. Each player carries out their turn in the following sequence:

  1. The player must draw one sea tile according to the Sea tile placement rules.
  2. The player may place 1 Islander from their supply on the tile they just placed
    OR
    retrieve 1 Islander from a Sea tile and place it back in their supply.
  3. If the placed tile causes 1 or more occupied Bridges, Islands, Sea Regions or Markets to be completed, OR a Fishing Boat is added to an occupied Sea Region, an evaluation occurs and Wares or Ships are awarded.
  4. The player may now deliver Wares to 1 of the face up Ships and score the corresponding points.

Then, the next player takes their turn.

1. Draw and place a tile

The rules are similar to those of the original Carcassonne game.

The first action a player must take on their turn is to draw a Sea tile from a face-down stack and place it connected to previously placed tiles. The following placement rules must be observed:

  1. The new tile must connect one or more of its four sides to those of previously placed tiles. A placement that connects only by corners is not allowed.
  2. New tiles must always continue pre-existing Bridges, Islands and/or Sea Regions.

In the rare case that a newly drawn tile may not be legally placed, it is removed from the game and the active player will draw a new tile to continue their turn.

2a. Place an Islander

The rules are similar to those of the original Carcassonne game.

After a player has placed a Sea tile, they may place an Islander according to the following rules:

  1. Only 1 Islander may be placed.
  2. The Islander must come from the player’s supply.
  3. The player must choose on which part of the newly placed tile they wish to place an Islander.
  4. The player may not place an Islander on a Bridge, Island or Sea Region if it is connected to a Bridge, Island or Sea Region that already contains one or more Islanders (even if some or all of the pre-existing Islanders belong to the active player).

If a player does not have any Islanders available in their supply, they do not have the option of placing one.

Retrieve an Islander

If a player has placed no Islander, they may instead retrieve one of their Islanders from the board and return it to their supply. No Wares or Ships are awarded.

A player may choose to neither place nor retrieve an Islander.

3. Completed Bridges, Islands, Sea Regions and Markets are evaluated

When evaluating a completed feature, a player receives no points. Instead, Wares are awarded. Each type of feature gives a player a different type of Ware, or a Ship in the case of a completed Market.

Sea regions will be evaluated, too, if a Fishing Boat is added to a sea region with at least one fish in it.

If an evaluation of a sea region is triggered by adding a Fishing Boat, one group of 2 fish in the corresponding Sea Region is covered with a boat. If no groups of two fish are available, a single fish is covered.

A Market is complete when it is surrounded by 8 Sea tiles. The player with an Islander on the market immediately gets the ship with the highest value from the ship display. If there are more than one, they choose one of them. Afterwards, the ship display is replenished to 4 ships.

If more than one Islander occupy a bridge, island or sea region only the player with the most Islanders present gets the wares. In case of a tie, all tied players receive the Wares.

After an Evaluation, all Islanders present at the completed feature are returned to their owners’ supplies, so that they may be used on a following turn.

When evaluating a completed feature, a player receives no points. Instead, Wares are awarded. Each type of feature gives a player a different type of Ware, or a Ship in the case of a completed Market.

Upon completion of a Bridge, Island or Sea Region, the player whose Islander occupies the completed feature receives Wares. Each player receives 1 Shell, 1 Banana or 1 Fish for each corresponding symbol present in the completed feature.

A completed bridge gives shells

A Bridge is complete when it is terminated on both ends, either by a junction (identified by the presence of a junction stone), an Island or a Market, or if the bridge forms a closed loop. This can result in bridges being very small or very large.

A completed Island gives bananas

An Island is complete when all of its borders are complete and there are no internal gaps. This can result in Islands being very small or very large.

A completed sea region gives fish

A single Sea Region can consist of numerous tiles. A Sea Region evaluation can be triggered in two different ways:

  1. When a Sea Region is completely enclosed (by Bridges and/or Islands) and there are no internal gaps.
  2. When a Sea tile featuring a Fishing Boat is placed in an occupied Sea Region.
    Important: No evaluation will be triggered, if
    • no fish is in that area.
    • a fish is added to a Fishing Boat.
    • a previously placed Fishing Boat is connected to the Sea Region.
    After Fish are awarded due to the placement of a Fishing Boat, the player covers one group of Fish in the corresponding Sea Region. If any groups of two fish are available, one of them must be covered. If no groups of two fish are available, a single fish is covered instead. Fish that have been covered by boats are not available to be gained during future evaluations.

A completed market gives a ship token

A Market is complete when it is surrounded by 8 Sea tiles.

The player whose Islander occupies the completed Market immediately gains the Ship token with the highest value, without delivering any goods. This token is placed face-down in front of that player and will give them points at the end of the game. If there is more than one Ship token with the highest value, from these, the player takes one of their choice. The face-up supply of Ship tokens is then replenished to 4.

If several Markets are completed simultaneously, each player will receive the Ship token(s) they are owed in clockwise order from the active player. Replenish the face-up supply of Ship tokens to 4 after each token is awarded.

Multiple Islanders on one completed bridge, island or sea region

Through clever placement of Sea tiles and Islanders, it is possible for several Islanders to occupy the same Bridge, Island or Sea Region.

When a feature with multiple Islanders is completed, only the player with the most Islanders present receives the depicted Wares. In case of a tie, all tied players receive the Wares.

Returning Islanders to a player's supply

After a Bridge, Island, Sea Region or Market is completed and evaluated, all Islanders present at the completed feature are returned to their owner’s supply, so that they may be used on a following turn.

4. Deliver to a Ship and gain points

At the end of a player’s turn, they may deliver Wares to exactly 1 Ship.

any indicates a Ware of the player’s choice, type A type B indicate identical Wares of the different types

At the end of a player’s turn, they may deliver Wares to exactly 1 Ship. A player may choose from the supply of 4 face- up Ships. The Wares a player must deliver are depicted on the sail of each Ship. To deliver to a Ship, the player returns the appropriate Wares to the supply, and places the Ship face-down in front of them.

A new Ship is then drawn so that there are again 4 face-up Ships (unless the pile is empty).

The number depicted at the bottom right of the Ship indicates the number of points it is worth at the end of the game.

Some Ships require particular combinations of Wares, while other Ships denote a flexible requirement:

  • any indicates a Ware of the player’s choice
  • type A type B indicates identical wares of different types

Now, the player’s turn is over and the next player clockwise may begin their turn.

Game end and winner

The game ends after the turn in which the last Sea tile is placed or the last Ship has been acquired.

All incomplete Bridges, Islands and Sea Regions are evaluated as though they had been completed. Players receive Shells, Bananas and Fish as they would have during the game.

Each player receives 1 point for each 3 remaining Wares.

Whoever has the most points wins the game.

The game ends after the turn in which the last Sea tile is placed or the last Ship has been acquired.

Evaluation of incomplete features

All incomplete Bridges, Islands and Sea Regions are evaluated as though they had been completed. Players receive Shells, Bananas and Fish as they would have during the game.

Important: Incomplete Markets offer no reward.

End game scoring and winner

Now we total each player's points:

  • Each player receives points for their acquired Ships.
  • Each player receives 1 point for each 3 remaining Wares, regardless of type.

Whoever has the most points is crowned King of the South Seas and wins the game.

Appendix

*: This art is also on the Start tile.

The Sea tiles and Ship tokens pictured above feature differing assortments of Wares.

If a player chooses a ship to deliver with Wares, the delivery will take place automatically. The Wares needed will be removed and the points added.
If a ship requests Wares of the player's choice (any) or equal Wares of different types (type Atype B), the delivery will only be automatic, if there is no choice for the Wares to be delivered. Otherwise a dialog for choosing Wares will open up.
Clicking on the talon for sea tiles opens a popup with the remaining tiles.
Clicking on a player's infobox will highlight the meeples of that player. Clicking again will undo the highlighting. That makes it easier to spot the meeples on a small display.
The value in parentheses displayed behind one player's points is the current end-score for that player. Clicking on the points opens up a popup with a breakdown of these points.
Clicking on a meeple in the playing area will show a popup with the points the meeple would currently score.
Clicking on a tile in the playing area opens up a popup displaying that tile in large-scale. This is also possible when placing a tribe member making it easier to hit the desired area.
If the playing area does not fit into the display area, you can drag it using your mouse pointer.
Clicking on the button with the 4 arrows to each corner (near the slider for zoom) will adjust the size of the tiles, so that all tiles including a border of one tile width will fit into the playing area.

Possible settings:

initial zoom setting: device dependent, standard: 50%
This factor will be used to calculate the size of the tiles when opening the game window.
automatic zoom: device dependent, standard: checked
If checked, the size of the tiles will automatically be changed so that all tiles including a border of one tile width will fit into the playing area.
view in 2D: device dependent, standard: not checked
2-dimensional view of the tiles only needs 25% file size compared to the 3-dimensional view with beveled border. Those caring for bandwidth or not liking the beveled border may just check this setting...
show animations: device dependent, standard: checked
Getting a ship will be animated, if this option is checked.
 
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