Each Player becomes a Tribe Leader trying to gain control over the mythical island of Erin while simultaneously fighting off the relentless demon like Fomori. The new cats that are included in the Late arrivals expansion make it possible to play with more players. More interestingly they are in different shapes than the original which means more options for filling your boat in the best way possible. The more choices the better as far as I’m concerned. Even if you are happy playing with a smaller player count, I think this adds to the game play. But if the Tribes occupy more locations than the Fomori, everyone prevails. For every fortification, each Tribe Leader receives a bonus determined by the Province in which it was built. All Tribe Leaders add up their remaining tiles and again receive one Honor for every three remaining. The player with the highest Honor wins The Arrival! The player takes one Shield disc and places it in the same Province where the player has at least one fortified location. A Province cannot hold any more than that number found in the Province (referred to as the “Province Bonus”). The same number is also used at the end of the game to possibly award additional Honor Points. The game ends when a certain number of rounds have been played or somebody reaches the corruption limit.

In a time long forgotten, the cruel Fomori rule over Érin, the green island. They praise their king Balor, who reigns from his fortifications in the north with an iron fist.The players face a dilemma: Do they spread across the island aggressively at the risk of growing more corrupt and strengthening the power of the Fomori, or do they proceed more carefully, potentially losing ground to the Fomori and the other Tribes. Collect Swords: The player collects a number of Sword discs equal to the total number of Sword icons shown on their Earning card row. This adds extra layers of strategy and tactics to the game. Lessons also enforce the opportunity for players to change their initial plans and take risks! The player takes one of their collected Building discs and places it on the Map creating a new fortified location or strengthening an already claimed location. Players can place a Building disc on a location connected via a “road” that is connected to a previously placed Building token they own. The player can also place a Building token on any available Port space if they have a previously placed Building disc on a Port space, too. Good game? You bet. Great game? Afraid not. It still did well enough to earn everyone’s respect, from the Child Geeks to the Gamer Geeks and everyone in between. That is, by far, the real story here. The game satisfied everyone who pushed away from the table. Do give it a try when the opportunity presents itself to see if The Arrival leaves you feeling like you have landed on something worthwhile or you eagerly begin looking for the next opportunity to leave.

Passing immediately ends the player’s turn for this round. They cannot take a second action or any free actions if their first action was to pass. There are additional discovery cards that are only used when playing with 5 or 6 players. However, the lesson modules can be used with any number of players.Easily, The Isle of Cats is one of the best polyomino adventures that the boardgame industry has to offer, yet it is so much more than just a polyomino puzzle. What is The Isle of Cats? Each turn is divided into two phases, the Earning phase and the Action phase, all players do one part then the other, rather than one player doing both and then moving on. Strategy beyond cramming cats in a boat lies within card drafting and the various effects these cards award. The card types are as follows: Lesson, Rescue, Treasure, and Anytime cards. The Isle of Cats also features a solo mode which mimics the layered aspects of the multiplayer game. The opponent simulation style of play features multiple difficulties, and the progression within this game mode is very rewarding. You may also wish to help the Fomori spread, especially to an area occupied by your opponents. One tile is placed in a new area that is directly connected to an existing Fomori encampment. Shields can also be deployed as an action, protecting everyone in that province. Shields must be removed before Fomori can advance and each region has a printed number that is the maximum number of shields that may be placed there.