Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
From the end of the American Revolution, commercial vessels of the young United States republic were easy prey for the pirates of the Barbary coast.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Campaign Card Play
Play cards to command conflicts and carry consequences through a campaign.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Hand Management
Time and sequence a limited hand of cards to preserve future options.
Variable Player Powers
Each player has different abilities, restrictions, or strategic advantages.
Solo / Solitaire Game
Provide rules and objectives designed for a single player.
Read the full game description
From the end of the American Revolution, commercial vessels of the young United States republic were easy prey for the pirates of the Barbary coast. In 1801, newly inaugurated President Thomas Jefferson was eager to put an end to this threat and sent a "squadron of observation" to the Mediterranean. As the squadron arrived in Gibraltar, they learned that the bashaw of Tripoli had already declared WAR! The Shores of Tripoli plays out this exciting episode of Early American military history. As the United States, one player will pressure Tripolitania to allow the free movement of American merchant vessels - or face the consequences. As the bashaw of Tripoli, the other player will continue the lucrative piracy of the fearsome corsairs while countering the American threat on land and sea. Beautiful and informative cards represent historical events and leaders from the First Barbary War. Players can move ships, start battles, go on pirate raids, engage in diplomacy and receive reinforcements. Includes over 80 wooden playing pieces, 24 dice and a premium mounted map. —description from the publisher AWARDS Best 2-Player Game of 2020 (New York magazine) Top 15 Games of 2020 (#7, Paste magazine) Game of the Year 2020 Nominee (Meeple Mountain) Best 2-Player Game of 2020 (Meeple Mountain) Top 10 Games of 2020 (#4, Cody Carlson) Best 2-Player Game of 2020 (Rolling Dice & Taking Names) Wargame of the Year (RMN Gamer) Top 6 Solitaire Wargames of 2020 (Wayne Hansen) Top 10 Entry-Level Wargames (#3, Midnight Boardgaming) Top 3 Solo Wargames to Start (#2, Beyond Solitaire) The Spiel Foundation "Spiel of Approval"