Skora

Skora is an easy to play hand-management game released in 2020 by graphic designer Rory Muldoon. It’s quick to learn, and quick to play, with each game lasting around 20 minutes. The cards and game components are well made which add to an overall enjoyable play experience.

Overview

In Skora you take on the role of a clan battling for control of three separate fishing grounds. The game is divided into two phases, baiting and fishing. Each player will have their own unique goal which will guide their decisions during the baiting phase. Then, once players have placed boats and played their cards they will use the fishing phase to compete and collect the fish they most desire. Once players have collected all they can, the winner is the player with the most points.

Gameplay

Setup for Skora is fairly quick, the gameplay takes place around the ocean board, which contains three different fishing locations (A, B and C). Each player is given six boats and a set of Catch Cards, each card tells you the type of fish, point value, creature type and action that you must take when you play that card. Additional catch cards are then dealt to players at random, and one catch card is placed face up at each fishing location. Once the players have their hands and the board is set up, each player is then given two Decree Cards. These cards describe a unique objective that the player can try and accomplish during the game. Players can choose which of the two Decree Cards they wish to keep and discard the other one. At the end of the game if the player has achieved the criteria on the Decree Card they will earn a certain number of bonus points, the value of which is listed on the card.

With the setup complete phase 1, Baiting, begins. Players take turns to place cards at the different fishing locations and complete the action listed on that card. Actions allow players to place boats at that fishing location or move cards from other locations on the board. Once you have played a card you have the option to move one of your boats from one location to another. Placing cards isn’t random; by placing a card on top of a card of the same colour you can collect Axe Tokens which can give you an edge in phase 2. Likewise, during this phase of the game you will begin to build your strategy; the player with the most boats at a given location will get to go first in the second phase. Players then take turns playing cards and placing boats until all cards have been placed on the board. Unfortunately you only have six boats, which means that every time you place or move a boat you could be giving up an opportunity.

Once all cards have been played phase two begins – fishing. During this phase each location (A, B and C) is fished in order, with the player with the most boats going first. When a player fishes they choose one card at that location and remove one of their boats. Play then proceeds with the player with the second most boats going next, and so on until there are either no boats or no cards left at that location. If there is ever a tie the player with the most Axe Tokens goes first. When picking a card you might be tempted to choose the card worth the most points, but you have to remember that your unique objective set out by your Decree Card might be worth more than just the value of one individual card. You also can’t count on what an opponent might do; their objective might be similar to yours, which means you could be competing for the same cards.

Once all boats have been collected the game ends and players add up their final point total. This is based on the point value of individual cards that were collected and at this point you can reveal what your Decree objective was and, if you have achieved it, how many points you earn. The player with the most points wins!

Final Thoughts

Upon opening this game the first thing I noticed was the high quality and amazing design. The box feels sturdy, is beautifully designed and holds all the game components easily, and both the box and game are reasonably small which makes it a good game to travel with. All of the cards, ocean board and boats are well made and the whole design has a strong Nordic aesthetic which I enjoy.

In terms of gameplay it is straightforward and fairly quick to learn, within one 20 minute playthrough our group understood the premise and were ready to play again. The setup for the game is quick and easy and on the surface there isn’t much to this game. But there is a hidden level of difficulty which lies in the limited number of resources you are given. With only six boats to place every decision you make has weight; one misplaced boat and an opponent could beat you to a card and cost you a dozen points.

This creates a great sense of tension when competing with other players. You can ignore what other players are doing and just try to score as many points as you can, but sometimes your strategy will overlap with theirs and you’ll have no choice but to compete for the same cards.

A lot of the gameplay is determined by the Decree Card that you choose; the points you gain from completing this objective can be the difference between winning and losing. With 9 Decree cards this adds some replayability, however some of the Decree Cards are worth a lot of points while others aren’t worth that much. At times this can make the game feel a little unbalanced; unless a player gets every single high scoring card on the board they might struggle to achieve the same points as someone with a high scoring Decree Card. Likewise, I feel that once you have played the game enough and have seen all of the Decree Cards there is a risk the game would be repetitive. Once you know the strategy needed to maximize the number of points for that card you have a decent chance of winning.

Overall, Skora is a beautiful well made strategy game that has a simple and great premise, only limited by a minor lack of replayability and the occasional risk of unbalanced gameplay.