Objective
The objective of Packeis am Pol (Ice Floes at the Pole) is to collect as many fish tokens as possible with your family of seals and retain them until no more seals are in play. The winner of the game is the player who has the most fish on their collected tokens at the end.
Components
- A game board made up of hexagonal tiles (ice floes)
- Seal figures in different colors
- Fish cards
Setup
- Board Setup: Randomly assemble the hexagonal tiles into a game board. Each tile displays one or more fish.
- Place Seals: Each player chooses a color and places their seal figures on the tiles. Seals cannot be placed on the same tile.
- Prepare the fish cards for scoring.
Gameplay
- The game proceeds in rounds, with players taking turns.
- Seal Movement: On a player's turn, they move one of their seals in a straight line over the ice floes, ensuring no other seal blocks the path.
- Collecting Fish Tiles: The ice floe from which a seal moves away is removed from the board, and the player gains the fish printed on it as points. The seal must stop on another tile.
- Strategic Movement: Players should aim to clear ice floes to make it difficult for opponents to move, while securing the best fish for themselves.
End of the Game
- The game ends when no more seals can be moved, when they stand on an isolated floe, or there are no legal moves left.
- Final Scoring: Each player counts the number of fish on their collected tiles.
- Winner: The player with the most fish wins the game.
Tips and Strategies
- Pay attention to tiles with many fish and place your seals so that these remain accessible.
- Try to make your moves in such a way that denies other players the opportunity to collect fish tiles.
- Plan ahead to place your seals in advantageous positions for the end of the game.
Packeis am Pol is a straightforward game that rewards observation, strategy, and a bit of forward planning. Enjoy playing!
