Goal
Five bays lie along the coast. Three times the tide comes in, and each time
the gatherer with the most markers in a bay takes what it is worth.
Most points at the last tide wins.
Your turn
- Place a marker on any empty cell. That is your turn.
- Shift (optional, before you place): move one marker you already have
one cell along (including across into the next bay) for
one shell. You still place a marker afterwards, so a shift costs you
nothing but the shell. Once a turn, and only twice in the
whole game.
Shells
Landing a marker next to a rival's marker (up, down or across to the next
bay) costs one shell. Landing anywhere else (including beside your own
markers) is free.
You start with 3 shells and get 2
more after each of the first two tides, plus 2 on top if you
have gathered the fewest points. That is all you will ever have, so a shell spent
shoving into a rival's bay is a shell you cannot spend later.
The tide marks
The tide comes in three times. Every bay pays out at each one, and it pays
more each time: .
- Each bay shows its pearls. A bay pays pearls × the tide's value.
- Whoever has the most markers there takes it. A tie splits it, rounding down.
- An empty bay pays nothing.
- The tide carries one marker back out of every bay it just paid for:
the marker nearest the water. Being paid for a bay loosens your grip on it, which is
why nobody can simply sit on a good bay all game.
The third tide ends the game. Most points wins; if that is level, the most
shells left wins.
Who goes first
After a tide, the gatherer with the biggest haul sets out first next round,
so whoever has gathered least has the last word before the next tide comes in,
and picks up spare shells besides. Being ahead early is worth far less than it looks.
On screen
- The strip above the coast shows the three tides and how many turns until the
next one.
- Each bay's heading shows its pearls and who leads it right now.
- Tap a glowing cell to aim, then ✓ Place. A cell that costs a shell is
marked with a shell badge.
- To shift a marker, tap one of your markers and then a glowing neighbour.
It costs a shell, and you still place a marker afterwards.
- What happened lists the last few turns in plain words. ⋯ → Game
info has every bay's tally and the full log.
- Rivals too quick or too slow? ⋯ → New game → Rival speed.
Tips
- A bay you lead by one is not safe: count how many turns are left before the tide.
- The last tide is worth the most. Being ahead early is worth far less than being
ahead at the end.
- Spreading into a fifth bay can be worth more than piling up a sixth marker in a bay
you already lead.