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?
Swordfish is a German game on the fishing and the commerce of swordfish. Close to the North Atlantic continental shelf is a group of shallow underwater plateaus called Grand Banks.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Pick Up and Deliver
Collect goods at one location and transport them to another for rewards.
Set Collection
Gather related items that become more valuable when scored together.
Worker Placement
Commit limited workers to action spaces before opponents occupy them.
Point-to-Point Movement
Move along explicit connections between named locations or nodes.
Variable Phase Order
The order of phases changes according to player choices or game state.
Read the full game description
Swordfish is a German game on the fishing and the commerce of swordfish. Close to the North Atlantic continental shelf is a group of shallow underwater plateaus called Grand Banks. This area is unique because the cold Labrador Current mixes with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. The mixing of the streams and the shape of the ocean bottom lifts nutrients to the surface, helping to create one of the richest fishing grounds in the world – but it is also the cause of violent storms that happen in the best fishing zone of this area: the well-known Flemish Cap of The Perfect Storm. The players will have to manage their victory points when they are on the coast to hire boats, engage captains and crews, and buy the proper quantities of fuel and bait so as to sail the Ocean at their best and fish the heaviest and most profitable swordfish of the world. Only the most skilled and bravest seamen will be able to take to the open sea without fear through the storm, find the "triple markers", and sell the catch in order to have the most victory points at the end of the season.