Preserves
🐸 Dettagli da BoardGameGeek
Consiglio BGG sul numero di giocatori
Categorie
Meccaniche
Design & Art
Lingua
Si abbina bene con
The FroGames Card
You have three boats, a bag of fish tiles, and one month to reach your quota. But if you empty the sea to balance the books, you'll have nothing to can next season. And the game punishes you.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
Manage a cannery on the Spanish coast. The ocean is your capital.
Designed by Scott Almes (Tiny Epic, Harbour) and illustrated by Jorge Tabanera Redondo, Conservas is a pure solo bag-building game set in the Mediterranean. You manage boats, fish tiles from a bag, can conservas, and sell them in markets. But each month the game asks you to meet different objectives: financial, environmental, social. Making money isn't enough.
The bag represents the sea. Inside are fish tiles (sardines, tuna, anchovies) and water tiles. Each turn you draw, choose what to keep for canning, and what to throw back into the sea to allow species to reproduce. If you fish too much, you deplete the bag. If the bag runs out of a species, you have failed your mission. The balance between profit and sustainability is at the heart of the game, and 12 different scenarios present you with ever-changing conditions.
What they say abroad
"A delightful puzzle where the ocean pushes back."
A delightful puzzle where the ocean pushes back.
— Meeple Mountain
Conservas is an intelligent and honest solo game. It immediately tells you if you're doing something wrong: the bag empties, species disappear, the game ends. No illusion of total control. Each scenario changes priorities and forces you to rethink your strategy. It's not a game to be beaten once: it's a system to be learned.
— FroGames
Conservas
Conservas is designed ONLY for solo play. There is no multiplayer mode. Your opponent is the bag (the sea) and the variable monthly objectives. Each scenario introduces new markets, boats, and victory conditions. It's a pure management puzzle, without an automa.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and gameplay sessionsYour arsenal
Boats, fish tiles, and variable markets
The boats
You start with a basic boat. Each boat has different capacities (how many tiles you fish, how far you go). You buy new boats with money, and each has unique stats. The boat deck is randomized each game.
The sea bag
Fish tiles (sardines, anchovies, tuna) and water tiles. You draw, choose what to keep for canning and what to throw back. The tiles thrown back reproduce (you put new tiles in the bag). If you deplete a species, you lose.
The conservas
The fish tiles you keep are canned in your facility. Each market asks for different combinations (e.g., 3 sardines + 1 tuna). You sell the conservas for money and objective points. Each scenario has unique markets.
Monthly objectives
Each month (each game) has three objectives: financial, environmental, social. You must achieve all three to win. It's not enough to make money: you must also maintain biodiversity and meet specific market demands.
Recommended sleeves 78 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with clear sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 75 × 105 mm | 78 |
| Total cards | 78 |
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each round
A round is a day at sea. You fish, can, sell, then restock the sea.
Choose a boat, draw as many tiles as the boat allows (usually 3-5). Look at what you've caught: fish tiles (sardines, anchovies, tuna) and water tiles. Water tiles are useless, they should always be thrown back.
Decide which fish tiles to keep for canning and which to throw back into the sea. Thrown-back tiles trigger reproduction: for each tile thrown back, add a new tile of the same species to the bag. This restocks the sea. If you never throw back, the bag empties.
The fish tiles you kept go into your facility (limited space). When you have the right combination for a market (e.g., 2 sardines + 1 anchovy), you sell: you get money and mark the market as served. Each market can only be used once per game.
With money, you can buy new boats (fish more or better) or upgrade cards (e.g., larger facilities, sales bonuses). Available boats and upgrades are randomized each game. End of round: repeat until you run out of rounds or reach (or miss) the objectives.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
You prepare the bag
Put the fish tiles in according to the scenario. The bag is full, the sea is abundant. Read the monthly objectives: 15 coins, no species extinct, 4 sales to different markets. Sounds easy. The setup gives you a basic boat and some money. You draw the first handful of tiles.
First turns: fill the facility
You draw tiles, keep some fish, throw back water and some sardines to help them reproduce. You can the first conservas. Markets ask for simple combinations at first. You sell, get money, buy a second boat. The flow is clear and fast. You feel in control.
Mid-game: the bag empties
You've caught too much of one species. The bag now has few sardines and too many anchovies. The markets you wanted to serve require sardines. You must decide: do you keep fishing hoping for luck or change strategy and focus on other markets? Each draw becomes a gamble. The environmental objective starts to weigh heavily.
The critical moment
You have 12 coins, need 15. You've sold to 3 out of 4 markets. The bag is almost empty of tuna. If you draw the last tuna tile and don't throw it back, the scenario tells you that you've made the species extinct: game over. Throw everything back, add new tiles to restock. But time is running out (rounds are limited). You need to finish.
End of month: check objectives
Last two turns. You fish cautiously, sell the last conservas. You count: 16 coins (ok), 4 markets served (ok), no species extinct (ok). Victory. Close the book, read the scenario flavor text. Next month will be harder: new markets, different boats, tighter objectives. Conservas never truly ends: it has 12 months to play.
🐸Good to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know beforehand
Three things you need to know
Fishing is blind
You don't know what you'll fish from the bag. You can manage probabilities (by throwing back and restocking), but a series of unlucky draws can ruin your plan. If you're looking for total control, Conservas will frustrate you. It's part of the theme: the sea cannot be controlled, it must be managed.
Steep difficulty curve
The first 3-4 scenarios are accessible. From the fifth onwards, the objectives become very tight and precise strategies are needed. It's not a game to beat on the first try: you'll replay the advanced scenarios multiple times. If you're looking for a solo game to complete in one evening, stick to the first few months.
It's not a narrative game
Conservas has a strong theme and evocative flavor text, but it's an abstract management puzzle. There are no emergent stories, characters, or linked campaigns. Each scenario is a numerical challenge with different conditions. If you're looking for narrative immersion like Robinson Crusoe, this is not the game.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Each scenario has three objectives that must ALL be met simultaneously. If you miss one, you lose.
Victory
- Reach the financial objective (e.g., 15 coins, varies per scenario)
- Reach the market objective (e.g., sell to 4 different markets)
- Maintain environmental sustainability (no extinct species, biodiversity above threshold)
Defeat
- Extinct a species (you draw the last tile of a type and don't throw it back)
- Run out of rounds without achieving one of the objectives
- The bag empties completely before the end of the month
Conservas is a solo game that makes you feel responsible for the balance you create or destroy. It's not the most complex game in the world, but it's honest, replayable, and teaches you something about the balance between profit and sustainability. Even if it's just cardboard and tiles.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Conservas
How long does a game last?
Between 25 and 40 minutes, depending on the scenario and how long it takes you to decide what to throw back. The first scenarios are faster (25-30 minutes), the advanced ones approach 40 because the choices are more complex.
How many scenarios are there and how different are they?
12 scenarios (called 'months'). Each scenario has different objectives, unique markets, and variable setups. The first 4 are introductory, then the difficulty increases. It's not just numerical difficulty: the special rules of each month change the strategies. Replayability is high.
Is it a difficult game?
Depends on the scenario. The first few months are accessible even for those who don't usually play solo (weight 2.2/5). From the fifth onwards, planning and optimization are needed. You will lose the advanced scenarios multiple times before beating them. But the short duration makes failure acceptable.
What mechanics does Conservas use?
Bag-building (managing a bag of tiles that you draw and restock), resource management (money, space in the facility, boats), set collection (fish combinations for markets), multiple objectives (financial, environmental, social). It's a light eurogame with a strong environmental theme.
Is it available in Italian?
This is the English language edition. The text on the cards is minimal (icons and numbers), but the rulebook and scenario flavor texts are in English. Language dependence is low: once you understand the rules, you play by looking at the icons.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Conservas is a solo board game of bag-building and resource management designed by Scott Almes for 1 player, ages 10+, lasting 25-40 minutes. Set on the Spanish coast, it puts you in charge of a cannery and asks you to balance profit and marine sustainability across 12 scenarios with variable objectives. Published by Salt & Pepper Games, the game uses a bag-fishing and restocking system that simulates the ocean ecosystem. Each scenario introduces unique markets, different boats, and multiple victory conditions. Available on FroGames.it.
Preserves
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
The photos on the website often come from BoardGameGeek and are intended to give you an idea of the game. They may vary slightly from the version you receive. The content declared by the publisher is always binding.
📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
We always strive to provide the correct content, but minor variations are possible due to reprints or updates. The information comes directly from the publishers. If you have any questions, please contact us!
⏳How do pre-orders work?
Pre-order the game before release, payment is immediate, and the game is reserved for you. As soon as it arrives, we'll ship it right away! If there are any delays, we'll update you promptly.
🔒Can I trust buying here?
Absolutely! Secure payments, tracked shipments, and a team that loves board games as much as you do. If something goes wrong, we'll do our best to fix it.
🛠There's a problem with my order, what should I do?
Write to us now! Whether it's a missing part, damage, or an error, we'll help you resolve it as soon as possible. Your experience truly matters to us.