Renegade Game Studios 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle - Raiders of The North Sea - Conquest, 26 x 19 inches, Features Art from The Critically Acclaimed Board Game, Raiders of The North Sea, Age 10 & Up

As with most worker placement games, this one takes a while to explain everything. However, once you get into the game, it’s a surprise hit. My friends keep asking me to bring it back. This is unique among worker placement games because you only ever have one worker. You place that worker, take that action, then pick up another worker and take that action. It’s a really fun mechanic. There’s a few different paths to victory, so the game has never felt stale. You get a lot of game in a surprisingly small box, and all the materials are high quality. Definitely one of the better purchases I’ve made.

The best of the North Sea Trilogy This game is a nice light (if youve played other WP) worker placement game that features vikings! The player turn is as simple as place a viking to take an action, then removing a different viking to take a different action. Youre building your raiding party - raiding the mainland, and trying to impress the Jarl. You will lose vikings, but not to worry!!! Theres victory even in Valhalla and you can still increase your scoring track for lost warriors. Lots of options and lots of fun. Good for 2-4 players. Potentially expandable as there are announced expansions in the works.

One my favorite games. It looks a bit daunting at first with the many different pieces, but its quick to pick up. The quality is above average and the metal coins add a substantial feel to the game. Looking forward to trying out the expansions.

We love this game. We purchased Shipwrights of the North Sea first, and I think I like it a bit more than Raiders, but I thoroughly enjoy this one. The artwork is beautiful and we really like the theme. It’s a great worker placement game. We plan to get the third in the trilogy to complete the set, soon.

Very good game. Worker placement with collection to pay for viking raids. Played it today with one other person it was really great. I would like to play it again with more players and see how it works. I have already kickstarted the 2 expansions for this game.

Easy to learn board game that wil have your group wanting it brought to the table many times.

This game is so fun. It was a little confusing when we started, but after 1 play through it all made sense and its become one of our favorite games.

Awesome game!

Phenomenal game. Fun twist in the traditional worker placement mechanic with fun, easy-to-get rules and moves. Really awesome art as well. Great fun, some thinky-ness, but not too much and can get a game done in 60-90 min easy.

OVERVIEW: Raiders of the North Sea is a worker placement game with a simple rule set, strategic depth, and good variation from game to game. The basic concept of RotNS is that on their turn players will place a worker onto a space on the board, taking the associated action for that space; then pull up a worker from a different space on the board, taking a second action for that space. You may either take actions in town to replenish your supplies and recruit raiders, or you may go out raiding the countryside to plunder resources and gain valor (victory points). AUDIENCE: Among my friends, RotNS has been well received by tabletop hobbyists and casual board gamers alike. This game is very comparable to Stone Age in length, basic mechanics, weight, and especially audience. GAMEPLAY PROS: This game shines in the way the board opens up to new choices as the game goes on. As you raid more powerful settlements, you gain more powerful workers, who will in turn allow you to raid even more powerful settlements. The game is also very well balanced; there are multiple ways to score victory points (or valor points), and though you must almost certainly score points multiple ways to win, those who push on to raid the daunting fortress settlements will usually have an edge if the other players do not keep up. Variation from game to game keeps each session fresh. The way resources are distributed randomly on the board during setup gives each game its own twist, and makes some settlements more desirable than others to raid. Players will acquire raiders from a deck of cards throughout the game, and each raider has unique abilities which heavily impact strategy. There are enough different raiders that the cards each player acquires from game to game will vary. GAMEPLAY CONS: Game sessions can drag on to well beyond the box time if players take too long to make decisions. This will probably be an issue the first couple times you play as everyone figures out the game, but once all players have a thorough knowledge of the rules and a good grasp of the strategy, this isnt as much of an issue, especially because... ...Some reviewers have complained that RotNS does not offer enough choices. It does seem to dictate your actions somewhat at the beginning of the game, but the board opens up very quickly to more choices. You should not expect a buffet of choices at any point in the game, but this is not a problem for three reasons: 1. It keeps the game moving at a fast pace with little down time, 2. Limited options drives up tension and player interaction with multiple players trying to get the same thing, and 3. Though RotNS is a worker placement game, many do not realize just how much the raider abilities (cards) impact the game. Players may recruit raiders for their passive ability, or discard them for an instant benefit. These cards add another layer to the game that is easy to miss at first. But once you realize their impact, deck-digging becomes its own effective strategy, and you may even start to think youre playing a game of Imperial Settlers. It should be said that this just isnt that complicated of a game, and it never claimed to be. Where people seem to get hung up the most is when the two cons Ive listed here affect the same session: I spent two hours playing that? Keep your games moving, and it wont be an issue. Let them drag on, and youll probably get bored. COMPONENTS: These are some great components. The coins are metal, the cards are nicely finished, and there is a bag full of little wooden pieces unique to the game series, (never mind that the Valkyrie skulls look like snowmen heads when you turn them upside down). Best of all the artwork is amazing. Youll find yourself studying the picture on a card before you read the cards text. SUMMARY: Raiders of the North Sea is a solid worker placement game with layers of strategy hidden behind simple gameplay. It can drag on a bit if players are unengaged, but with this artwork and these components you wont be looking anywhere else. The element of cards lifts gameplay from good to great, and the board provides plenty of tension without making you sweat. Those expecting a complicated worker placement game with endless choices will be disappointed, but that is not the game it claims to be. Raiders of the North Sea is good fun for casual gamers and hobbyists alike!