How To Play: Vikings

Overview

Have you ever wanted to raid like a true Norse legend but just ended up raiding your own snack drawer? Same. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the key rules of Vikings, so you won’t get lost at sea. I’ll also share my best ‘How To Play vikings’ strategies, fresh from heated battles with my friends. Get ready to outsmart your opponents and win the glory (and maybe more snacks).

What’s in the box

• 1 Game board
• 78 Island tiles
• 1 Round track
• 8 Scoring markers
• 1 Ship wheel
• 45 Vikings (9 in each of 5 colors)
• 25 Boats
• 5 Player screens
• 1 Start player token
• 60 Coins
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Vikings: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Place the main board in the center of the table.
2. Each player grabs their own player board, coins, and a set of colored workers. Don’t fight over colors. Trust me, it’s not worth it.
3. Shuffle the island tiles and stack them nearby. Put those workers in a bag and shake it like you’re making a weird Viking salad.
4. Fill the wheel with island tiles and draw workers to place next to each tile.
5. Hand out starting coins—no one can complain about being broke (yet).

Gameplay

1. On your turn, pick a combination of tile and worker from the wheel. Pay coins if the combo is further from the axe marker. Coins will vanish faster than my willpower on leg day.
2. Add the tile to your player board, then place the worker somewhere legal. If you don’t know what’s legal, double-check—no one likes a rule-breaker Viking.
3. After everyone grabs a combo, refill the wheel. Prepare to glare at whoever snags your perfect tile.
4. Repeat until all island tiles are used up. Yes, you have to keep playing even if you’re losing badly.

Winning

1. After a set number of rounds, scoring begins. Count up your points: islands built, workers placed, coins left, and whoever still has a shred of dignity.
2. Add up special bonuses, if you managed any clever combos.
3. Whoever spends less time grumbling and more time scoring usually wins. Okay, whoever has the most points wins. Simple!

Special Rules & Conditions

1. Some tiles and workers grant extra coins or points. Don’t ignore them or you’ll lose to your grandma again.
2. If you can’t place a worker legally, tough luck—you have to pay the price or lose points. This is when you regret all your earlier choices.
3. Ties go to the player with the most coins left. If that’s tied too, have a staring contest. Or just share the win and call it a day.

Once you get the hang of these How To Play vikings rules, you’ll be pillaging points like a pro. Now go forth, build islands, and blame the rules when you lose (like I do).

Best Vikings Strategies

Smart Starts: Mastering Board Setup and Tile Placement in Vikings

Set Up Like a Pro

I always start by putting my meeples near the boats. This way, I can see who gets eaten (just kidding… sort of). Pick your color before Ron does, or he’ll complain the whole game.

Tile Placement Tricks

Next, use clever tile placement for early points! Here are my top tricks:

1. Put land tiles next to villages. That means fast scoring and strong defense.
2. Place water tiles near harbors. Boats come for your villages anyway—be ready.
3. Keep your workers close to new tiles. It saves moves later and helps you grab fish before Sue does.

How To Play vikings: Sneaky Openings

When you learn how to play vikings, grab corner spots first. Corners offer flexibility when Sue blocks your path—trust me, she will.

Mastering Worker Selection and Timing in Vikings

Snag Workers Early

If you snooze, you lose—trust me, I learned the hard way when Carl swooped in and left me with a sad farmer. Get your worker early!

1. Check what jobs are up for grabs each round.
2. Grab the one you need the most—don’t wait and hope!

Read the Table

Don’t just focus on your own stuff. Always peek at what your rivals need. If Sarah is eyeing that boatman, don’t let her snatch it.

1. See what others are collecting.
2. Block them by taking that worker first, if you can.

Plan for Timing

Timing is everything in How To Play vikings. If you wait too long, the best workers cost more or vanish.

1. Decide what you want before your turn.
2. Don’t overthink it—trust your gut, but don’t eat the meeple. That’s just weird.

Score Like a Viking: Resource Management Mayhem

Snatch Every Point

1. Count your tiles after every round. Yep, even if your friends sigh. That hidden stash of points can win games.
2. Ignore the shiny stuff—go for what actually scores! No one remembers the prettiest village.

Trade Smarter, Not Harder

1. Swap resources only if it bumps your score. I once traded fish for wood and lost by four points. Never again.
2. Keep an eye on bonus tiles. Missing one feels like dropping your sandwich, butter side down.

Timing is Everything

1. Use resources before the round ends or watch them vanish. The Vikings are not sentimental!
2. Plan your scoring combos early. Nothing like chaining three bonuses together. Trust me, it feels epic.

Every time I play, my friends underestimate the power of good resource management. After all, the real secret on How To Play vikings is to squeeze out every single point without mercy!

Now Go Raid That Table!

Alright, that’s all I’ve got before my friends yell at me for playing too slow. Remember, learning How To Play vikings is easy, but winning? Well, that takes some cunning, luck, and just a dash of betrayal. Don’t forget to mess with your friends’ plans, grab the workers you need, and never pass up a good tile (unless I’m sitting to your left, in which case, you totally should). Happy raiding, may Odin bless your meeple army, and watch out for sneaky table flippers!

Want to know what we think of Vikings? Read our detailed review of Vikings here