Once again this is a
Queen Games production, the pieces are of excellent quality as is all the artwork. The board is maybe a tad larger than it needed to be.
The board is 2-sided which side you play depends on the number of players, this seems to be a new trend in games and is very welcome. Each player controls 2 dock workers and during the game there is an option to hire a 3rd called "Lazy Jack". There is a playing order track and each players docker has a corresponding marker to place there (at random) this then determines the play order. Each player has a hand of cards for each docker with values 1-5, they select one card for each and starting with the first docker on the track they are moved the number of spaces indicated on the card. If another player is on that space they are kicked to the space opposite, if that is filled the players piece is moved back to the next empty square.
In the middle is a series of rooms with barrels in, some are broken, some have coins etc. If after the movement they contain barrels the player places that many barrels on one of the ships in port, if they contain broken barrels they have to be removed from a ship.
Play continues in this manner until all players have emptied there warehouses, if a ship is filled it sails and is scored, at the end of the round the ship is port 1 sails regardless of whether it is empty or part filled and scored. The ships are replaced and the turn track is shifted down one so the last player piece now starts the next round.
Halfway through the game this turn order is randomised again and play then continues until there is only 3 ships during part of the round. I really enjoyed this, yes there is a bit or randomness here but there is also some chance of strategy. On the whole a really enjoyable game that I would certainly play again.
