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With Stonemaier’s newest game hitting shelves, there is a lot to get excited about! First, we had Wingspan, then Wyrmspan, and now it is time for fish to get their moment in the spotlight. Finspan follows a similar format. You have a board, you collect fish, and you play them to your tableau. But there are some twists, like the addition of divers and hatching schools of fish. And that’s just the start!
While we wait to get our hands on it or if you are just into fishy board games, here are some great picks to turn your table into an underwater playground
Conservas by Graham Silvanus
When one thinks of a theme for a game, Spanish-tinned-seafood-delicacies is probably not one that springs to mind. Yet here Conservas is, and it is packed full of bag-building brilliance akin to the tinned sardines you’ll be trying to sell on.
Conservas is a cozy fish-themed game, perfect to unwind with on a midweek evening after a hectic day at work. Fishing is beautifully simulated by drawing wooden, screen printed fish/cans (they’re double sided) out of a bag. If there is a more satisfying, tactile experience in board gaming than drawing forth these wonderful wooden morsels, then I’m yet to discover it.
Conservas allows you to expand your fleet; something you’ll want to do plenty of, since more boats mean more lovely bag draws, and purchase upgrades. It makes for a lovely solo game, as you look to maximise efficiency in creating canned crustaceans.
It may seem barbaric when compared to the celebration of aquatic life in Finspan. Fear not, for at the core of Conservas is conservation. The player may not (indeed, MUST not) overfish, as there are sustainability targets in addition to profit targets in each scenario. This results in a successful player adopting a catch and release policy to ensure the successful spawning of future generations.
Conservas is an awesome aquatic bag builder, albeit one with a gentle difficulty curve, and is a game I keep coming back to for a relaxing half hour. In this role, Conservas performs admirably and is a game I have no roe-grets over adding to my collection.
Pacific Ocean by Favouritefoe
Fishies are fighting for the Stonemaier top spot, and they aren’t afraid to take on the dragons and the birds! To help boost their sea-cred, we are showcasing games that feature these beautiful bubble-makers. And Pacific Ocean is a perfect choice.
Pacific Ocean is a tiny tin which celebrates the enormous beauty and wonder of various species that call the sea home. And there are some gorgeous examples delicately drawn in this game. With marine sanctuaries dotted around the Pacific Basin, you have just 18 cards to try and attract some fine fish to your own watery haven.
In multiplayer mode, it is fun “I cut you choose”, set collection gameplay, and each card can either be used for its icons or as a scoring condition which requires said icons. You know that any card you have to give up has the potential to help your opponent and harm your chance of success. In solo mode, you are playing against an AI that uses a die and can increase or decrease in difficulty to suit your experience level. With only 6 turns in the whole game, every decision counts. I personally love multi-purpose cards, and these ones are not only clever, but so pretty.
Pacific Ocean is small enough to be a perfect portable choice for when you want to play with fishies wherever you go!
Hey, That’s My Fish by David Ireland
This game is a default go to in my mind when someone suggests a fish themed board game. Hey, That’s my Fish is a game for 2-4 people that take control of a colony of penguins to gather as many fish as possible. However, as players are gathering fish the board progressively disappears and the game ends when there is no space left to move.
Hey, That’s my Fish is probably at the opposite end of the gaming spectrum to Finspan but that’s ok. Finspan appears to get into a lot more detail on the marine environment with much greater depth of strategy, and that's exciting. The biggest strategy concern you will have in Hey, That’s my Fish is ensuring your penguins are not cut off from the game board and left to drift away on a piece of ice.
What’s great about Hey, That’s my Fish, is that younger gamers can get involved because it’s a quick, simple game that’s perfect for players with a shorter attention span. Don’t get me wrong though, adult groups will have just as much fun with this one as you look to get one over on your opponents and cut their penguins off from play, you cannot help but be competitive over it, which is amusing because it’s not a serious game.
I love Hey, That’s my Fish and it will continue to be present on our table top. However, I feel Finspan is worth a try at some point, as it looks like a lot of fun.
Fishing by Seb Hawden
There are more games based on fish than you would think, whether it is catching, studying, or even breeding them, there’s a boatload. Here’s my choice - Fishing by Friedemann Friese.
I love trick-taking games and as soon as I heard the ol’ FF was doing one that involved a few weird and wonderful wrinkles, I was in! In Fishing, you are playing standard trick-taking rounds with one major tweak. When you win a trick, it gets you a point but the cards are ‘saved’ and make up your next hand. For every card you are short of the ever-increasing hand size at the start of the round, you get to draw from the ever-increasing power of the ‘special deck’.
So, for example, if you won 0 tricks in the first round, your entire hand in the next round will be drawn from the ‘special’ deck. This deck has higher cards than the starting deck, trump cards and even special power cards. Not only that but they get more and more powerful as you progress through the game. When you win and lose tricks, what the tricks contain and what cards are on offer are the meat and potatoes of Fishing and it’s a trick-taking game like no other.
Fishing is fun, a little chaotic and has a little bit of self-balancing with drawing from the special deck. Every game I have played has been close, which makes picking the right tricks to win even more vital. Fishing is brilliant, everyone should give it a try.
Coldwater Crown by Roger Bell West
This 1-4 player game by Brian Suhre simulates competitive fishing. I know nothing about competitive fishing, but I still enjoy the game.
The centre of it is the worker placement system. You have a token disc, with “1” and “2” sides, and your first action is to place it on one of the available spaces and take that space’s action. Then pick up the token on a different space, do that space’s action, and flip the token as you take it back to your play area. A “2” action is better than a “1” action, but taking it leaves the “2” in place for the next player to use…
Most spaces let you discard bait of a particular colour from your bait box. When you empty one of the four compartments, you catch a fish from the area with that colour (red andblue, green and purple, yellow and black), and the same zone in your box (e.g. if you empty your top left compartment you catch a fish from the top left zone). Why does this matter? Because you ideally want to catch one fish of each of the twelve species, when someone has twelve fish the game is over, and so as play goes on the number of fish you actually want to catch declines sharply.
The one special space is the Harbour, where you can refill your bait box, or take Master Angler cards—which you fill with the bait you discard, and when they’re full they score you more points.
It’s a snappy game that doesn’t outstay its welcome, but there are always interesting decisions to make: not just what do I want to do now, but how do I want to leave the board for my opponents, and how can they then leave it for my next turn?
As in Finspan you’re aiming to collect sets of fish, but the focus here is on getting hold of them rather than hatching and growing.
Oceans by Dan Hilton
I have not experienced the renowned world of Wingspan yet. Or Wyrmspan. But I do love fish. I love looking at them, watching documentaries on them, devouring them etc. And if you are looking for another game to appease your fishy cravings then there is one that will sate that hunger for sure.
Oceans is a game all about evolving your created ocean dwelling creatures in ways that will keep them alive within the collective ecosystem. The ecosystem of course being the pool of creatures you and your opponents have evolved. And if you have watched as many documentaries as I have, you will know that every organism needs to feed. And that process includes getting rid of other competitors so that there is more for you to feed on. If by any chance you aren’t picking up on what I am laying down, the fish in Oceans are the food source. They look pretty though.
Oceans looks like a colourful, playful, and inviting game. But it is actually an imposing simulation of how cutthroat evolution can be. I presume. I have never personally evolved. You will need to use the limited fish resources to feed your evolving creatures. Depending how you evolve them will dictate how much feeding they require. Adding in The Deep cards also makes the game incredibly rich, interesting, and much more diverse as every card in The Deep is completely unique which adds a lot to the core experience. I recommend checking out Oceans for sure.
Sunny Day Sardines by Sophie Jones
Stuck on a train, waiting for a coffee, or just need a quick game to fill the time? Sunny Day Sardines is a great one to reach for. With its compact tin, it’s highly portable, making it easy to take anywhere.
This fishy delight is all about collecting different types of sardines and fulfilling specific orders to earn the most points. Each turn, you’ll need to decide which fish to collect and when to complete an order, adding a light but fun layer of strategy. It’s easy to learn but offers just enough challenge to keep things interesting, making it great for all ages and abilities.
While it may not have the same depth as Finspan, it shares the same core mechanics; card collection, completing objectives, and aiming for the highest score. The difference? Sunny Day Sardines keeps things quick and snappy, perfect for when you only have a few minutes to play.
If you love fast, engaging games with a fun theme, this one’s definitely worth a go. I guess the only downside is that these fish are heading for a tin rather than swimming free… but hey, that’s the game!
With Finspan on the horizon, it’s clear that fish are making a splash in the world of board games. Whether you prefer the strategic depth of Oceans, the tactile satisfaction of Conservas, or the quick-paced fun of Sunny Day Sardines, there’s something for every kind of gamer.
From trick-taking to tableau-building, these games showcase just how versatile an aquatic theme can be. And while we eagerly await Finspan’s release, why not reel in one of these fantastic fishy games and turn your table into an underwater adventure?
What are your favourite board games about fish - Does Finspan make the list? Let us know by heading over to our Instagram!
About the author:
Sophie is a gamer, blogger, podcaster, and book lover with a passion for solo narrative video games. When she's not immersed in games or writing, she's probably out hiking. Her favourite board games feature worker placement, nature themes, and smart tableau-building mechanics.
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