Fishing 2
🐸 Dettagli da BoardGameGeek
Consiglio BGG sul numero di giocatori
Categorie
Meccaniche
Design & Art
Lingua
Pairs well with
FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
You have four cards in your hand, but you drew three of them two turns ago. The fifth trick is always won by the person who shouldn't. And in the end, everyone looks at the central deck wondering why they didn't draw earlier.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Every card you draw is one you won
Fishing 2 is the new trick-taking game by Friedemann Friese, the designer of the green hat and the always-green boxes. It's not an expansion of Fishing; it's a standalone game that shares the basic idea but flips the mechanics. Illustrations by Maren Rache, a box that smells of the sea and cards that slide across the table like fish.
You play 8 rounds of tricks. Every card you win becomes part of your hand for the next round. If you haven't drawn enough, you fill up from the central ocean deck. Two trump colors, the pufferfish that changes everything, and buoys that give you unexpected advantages. It's not a classic trick-taking game: here you build your deck trick after trick.
What they say abroad
"This is like Fishing, but completely different."
It's like Fishing, but completely different.
— Ordinary seaman Ronald (playtester)
The beauty is you never know if you've done well until you see what you have in hand the next turn. Every trick is an investment.
— FroGames
Fishing 2
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and play sessionsWhat you end up with
The cards that make the difference
Pufferfish
Changes the rules of the trick it's played in. It's not just a wild card: it reverses card order, nullifies trumps, and messes up everyone's plans. When the pufferfish comes out, the table stops.
Two trump suits
Not just one trump suit like in classic trick-taking games, but two active at the same time. You have to figure out what your opponent is playing, what you're saving for later, what you're sacrificing to draw better.
Buoys
Special cards that provide asymmetrical advantages: extra draws, changing play order, protecting a trick. Each buoy is a small tactical move that can win you the round or save you from defeat.
Ocean deck
The central deck you draw from if you haven't won enough tricks. It's your safety net, but also a variable: you never know what's coming, and sometimes it's better than what you would have won.
In the end, you wonder if you should have won that trick or let it go. With Fishing 2, you only find out the answer the next turn.
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The starting hand
Everyone looks at their initial cards, trying to figure out which trump to play, which suit to keep. The first two tricks are cautious; no one yet knows what the others are building. The pufferfish is still somewhere in the deck.
The first pufferfish
Someone plays the pufferfish and the table goes silent. The trick that seemed won goes to another, the cards you counted on having vanish. From this moment, everyone knows that Plan A is dead, and they start thinking about Plan B.
Round 4-5: hands diverge
Someone has built a hand full of trumps, someone else has drawn poorly from the ocean and is playing with what they find. Buoys come into play, changing the order, overturning priorities. Every trick becomes a choice: do I win now or let it go for something better later?
Round 6-7: the perfect hand that never arrives
You have the right cards, but someone plays the second pufferfish and takes the trick you needed. Or you win everything, but your hand for the next round is full of cards you no longer need. This is the moment you realize that you don't control the game, you chase it.
Round 8: counting points
End. Each card you won is worth 1 point. You count the piles, someone won by one card, someone else lost because they drew too much from the ocean. You review the key tricks and everyone knows exactly which one was decisive.
How to play
The flow of each round
Eight rounds identical in structure, but each time with a different hand you have built yourself.
The active player plays a card. Others must follow suit if they can, otherwise they play trump or discard. Trumps (two active suits) beat everything, the pufferfish changes the rules.
Whoever played the highest card (or the right trump, or the pufferfish in the right way) wins the trick and takes all cards played. Those cards go into their personal pile.
At the end of the round, your hand for the next round is made up of the cards you won. If you don't have enough, draw from the central ocean deck until you have the correct number of cards.
After 8 rounds, each card you won is worth 1 point. Whoever has the most cards wins. Simple, but getting there requires winning the right tricks at the right times.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Tricks become your hand
You don't play with a fixed deck. Every card you win becomes part of your hand for the next round. This means every trick is a choice: win now or let go to get better cards later. It's a trick-taking game played on two levels: the immediate trick and building the future hand.
Two active trump suits
Not just one trump, but two. This means you have to read which ones others are using, which ones you keep for decisive tricks, which ones you sacrifice. Trumps are not just an advantage: they are a limited resource that you must manage over 8 rounds.
The pufferfish that turns everything upside down
A special card that changes the rules of the trick it is played in. It can reverse the order of cards, cancel trumps, send the trick to someone who shouldn't win it. When the pufferfish comes out, all plans must be reviewed. And you never know when it will appear.
Buoys that provide asymmetric advantages
Special cards that grant small powers: extra draws, changing play order, protecting a trick. They are not game-deciding cards, but specific tactics that can help you win a key round or save you when you've drawn poorly. Each buoy is a choice: use it now or save it for later.
The central ocean deck
If you don't win enough tricks, you draw from the central deck to fill your hand. It's not a penalty: sometimes the ocean deck provides better cards than those you would have won. But you don't control it, and this is the tension: do you risk drawing or try to win one more trick?
Eight fast rounds
Each round lasts 3-5 minutes. Eight rounds in total, a complete game in 40-60 minutes. There's no downtime, no dead phases. You play, win or lose the trick, build the next hand, start again. The pace is intense, the tension is always high.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Fishing 2 ends after 8 rounds. Whoever has the most cards wins.
Victory
- You have more cards than all other players at the end of the eighth round. Each card is worth 1 point; piles are counted.
- You won the key tricks at the right moments: those that gave you the cards to build strong hands in subsequent rounds.
- You managed trumps and buoys better than others, you understood when to play the pufferfish and when to let it go.
Defeat
- You won few tricks, and your final pile is smaller than others'.
- You drew too much from the central ocean deck, and the cards you received didn't help you win subsequent tricks.
- You played trumps too early or too late, you won tricks you didn't need, you let go of those that would have built your winning hand.
Fishing 2 isn't just about winning tricks: it's about building the right deck trick by trick. And only discovering if you did well when you look at your hand for the next turn.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Fishing 2
Do I need to know Fishing to play Fishing 2?
No. Fishing 2 is a completely standalone game, not an expansion. It shares the basic idea (tricks become your hand), but the mechanics are different: pufferfish, double trumps, buoys. If you know Fishing, you'll recognize Friese's imprint, but Fishing 2 plays differently and doesn't require the other game.
How accessible is it for non-trick-taking players?
Very. The basic trick-taking rules are explained in 5 minutes (follow suit, trump beats all), and the deckbuilding twist is understood after the first trick. The first game is for learning; from the second onwards, you'll understand when to win and when to let go. No experience with the genre is needed, just an understanding that every choice now has consequences later.
Does the pufferfish make the game too chaotic?
It depends on what you mean by chaotic. The pufferfish adds unpredictability, but not pure randomness: you know it's there, you know it will come out, you have to plan knowing someone will use it against you. It's not a game of total control, but neither is it one where chance wins. Choices matter, but you have to adapt.
Does it work well with 3 players or do you need a full table?
It works for 3 to 5 players. With 3, it's more tactical; you read other players' hands better, you have more control. With 5, it's more chaotic, more variables, harder to predict. Both configurations are valid, it depends on what you're looking for: if you want a strategic duel, start with 3; if you want more chaos and interaction, go for 4-5.
Is it available in Italian?
No, this edition is in English. The game is based on numbered cards and colors, texts are minimal (only buoys and the rulebook). Language dependency: low. If you're looking for a card game that's quick to explain even to those who don't speak English, Fishing 2 works without problems.
Fishing 2 is a trick-taking game for 3-5 players, 40-60 minutes, ages 8+, designed by Friedemann Friese and published by 2F-Spiele. The mechanics combine classic trick-taking and deckbuilding: every card you win becomes part of your hand for the next round. Two active trump suits, the pufferfish that flips tricks, buoys that provide tactical advantages. Eight fast rounds, games ending in under an hour, with depth emerging after the first two games. Available on FroGames.it.
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.