Fishing would be much easier if there wasn't all of this ice and other Viking Clans with axes. 

SKORA (2020)
Designer(s)	Rory Muldoon, Rose Atkinson	Artist(s)	Rory Muldoon	Publisher	Inside the Box Board Games
	2-4		8+		15-20m

Winter is rough even for Vikings. Food is a limited resource, and once the ice begins to melt, each Viking clan rushes to three popular fishing spots hoping for a big harvest for their clan. To their surprise, other clans also had the same idea and have started moving their boats in search for their big score. Will you be able to bring home the fish or will you be left empty handed? Let's find out in SKORA.  

Box and Components

The box is very sleek looking and is part of the publisher's "Lunchbox" series; there is even a graphic on top of the box that looks like a lunchbox handle. There are only two games currently in this series based on the website (believe the other game was a limited print run), but I would assume the goal of those games are to be light games in similar small boxes, which I really like. If I am being honest, the quality of the box is almost too good for the small game. That isn't saying the game isn't fun because it is; it is just the box is very nice and similar in quality to AEG's War Chest in the way the way it opens, the box's thickness, and overall great appearance.

The game comes with the following components:

• One Ocean Board: There are three sections on this game board representing different fishing spots (A, B, C) players will be visiting to collect food. 
• Four sets of 6-matching color Wooden Boats (Pink, Yellow, Grey, Purple): These will represents the players influences and ability to fish in the three sections of the game board. 
• 24 Catch Cards: These are used in both phases of the game. Initially, they are used for their printed actions and later as the catch they are fishing for. There are 6 unique types of cards numbered 1-6 (all 1's are the same, all 2's are the same, etc) and are part of one of three Catch Types as shown with a unique symbol in the upper left (Fish, Claws, or Sharks). 
• Nine Decree Cards: These are secret objectives that will award additional points at the end of the game for their owner if completed. 
• 24 Axe Tokens: Used as tie breakers for influence during the fishing phase. 
• One Rulebook

The Game Board and Axe Tokens are on very thick cardboard; much like the box, I wasn't expecting them to be so nice for a light game like this. Another interesting touch is the fact that the boats have white paint on the sided with each color having a unique pattern that should help colorblind players. 

The cards are good with a nice matte finish rather than the typical glossy feel. They opted for dark backgrounds with light text which matches the box and looks great. The only potential issue I could see for some players with worse eye sight may have issues with the smaller text.

Needless to say, I am very impressed by the presentation of the game; this definitely has me intrigue for their other games.  

Mechanics

The goal of this game is to have the most points by collecting high value Catch Cards and by completing your secret Decree card. 

Setup

1. Each player will take a set of matching color boats. 
2. Place the Ocean Board in the center of the table. 
3. Shuffle the Decree Cards and deal two to each player; players will keep one and return the other to the game box. Unused Decree Cards should remain secret from all players. 
   • Some decree cards are for higher player counts and will need removed before shuffling. 
4. Separate the 1, 2, and 3 cards from the Catch Deck; give each player a set with one of each of those numbers. Left over sets will be placed back into the box. 
5. Shuffled the remaining Catch Deck (4, 5, and 6). Place one Catch card from the top of the deck into the sections marked A, B, and C of the Ocean Board. 
6. The remaining Catch Cards are dealt evenly to the players; there may be left over cards that will be returned to the box. Players should have the following number Catch Cards:
   • 7 cards in a two player game
   • 6 cards in a three player game
   • 5 cards in a two player game
7. Place the Axe tokens nearby. 

The game is ready; select a first player and begin. 

Player Turns

The game is played over two phases: Baiting and Fishing. Each Phase is very straight forward and should be pretty quick. 

1. Baiting: During this phase, players will take turns playing one of their Catch Cards on top of one of the stacks of Catch Cards around the Ocean Board. This phase ends once all players have played all of their Catch Cards.  
   • Play a Catch Card onto a stack of Catch Cards and perform the actions described on the card. 
     1. Beacon Fish: Place 3 Boats at this location. 
     2. Leaping Lobster: Place 2 Boats at this location.
     3. Rope Shark: Place 1 Boat at this location.
     4. Shaman Shark: Move any catch card clockwise from its location.
     5. Berserker Card: Move any catch card counter-clockwise from its location.
     6. Great Swordfish: No special action. 
   • If the card you placed matches the Catch Type (color/symbol in upper left), then you also receive an Axe token.
   • Optionally, you may move any one of your boats to another Fishing Spot. 
2. Fishing: During this phase, players will take turns claiming Catch cards with the boats at each fishing spot. 
   • Starting with Location A, the Fishing Order will be decided by the following:
     • Players will be ordered by who has the most boats down to who has the least. 
     • In the event of a tie at a location, the person with the most axe tokens will have priority for that position and must discard one of their Axe Tokens. 
       • For example, Brian and Amanda both have 2 boats at location A. Amanda has 3 Axes while Brian only has 2 Axes. Amanda will go ahead of Brian, but she must discard one Axe Token leaving her with 2. This is important as it could impact future Location order. 
     • If there is still a tie, then whoever was sooner in the Phase 1 turn order will go first and must discard an Axe Token. 
   • In turn order, players will claim one of the Catch Cards at Location A and remove one of their Boats. Players may only draw cards from a Location if they have a boat remaining there. This continues until all boats or Catch Cards are removed from that location. Remove any excess of either that may remain. 
   • Repeat this process for Locations B and C.  

End Game

 Once all cards/boats are removed from the Ocean Board, players will determine their final score.

• Each Catch Cards is worth the value in the upper right corner. 
• If you completed the requirements of your Decree Card, add that value to your score. 

Whoever has the most points wins! If there is a tie, the player with the most cards win! If there is still a tie, play again!

Two Player Rule Modification

There is also a special rule in two player games that affects the Fishing Phase. When a player claims a Catch Card, they also remove one Catch Card from the same location. The removed cards are returned to the game box. 

Final Thoughts

Let me repeat what I said earlier, I am very impressed by the presentation of this small game. When I read the description of the game before receiving it, I had in my mind what to expect from reviewing and buying a lot of other smaller games like this one. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I got the game. I like the simple yet unique art on the cards; some like the Great Swordfish look cool and really stands out. Really, it is a very quality product from a production standpoint. 

In terms of the game, it is a simple and fun game. It is really easy to learn to a point it may seem too easy, but once you play a couple games, you can see where the different strategies can come into play. I had fun playing the game and believe it is a good filler game. My only negative comment would be with the Axes. I understand they are basically to help the area control aspect of the three locations, but I did feel like it mostly pushed you to match cards during the baiting phase. Maybe more could have been done with the Axes, but of course, that would have complicated an otherwise simple game. Again, it really isn't a negative, but something I realized while playing. 

If you are a fan of small games like this and like the light Viking theme, consider picking up a copy of SKORA. 

Links/Media

SKORA Board Game Geek Page

Publisher Product Page

Disclosure

We received the product in order to write an honest review; all reviews reflect the honest opinions of the writer.