In Volcano Cove two warring nations discover gold mines within a disputed cove. To win the game, sink all enemy ships, or be the first to earn 7 gold. But watch out for the volcano. If your opponent’s prayers to the volcano gods are successful, lava could engulf your fleet.

Volcano Cove is a beautiful 2-player game that packs a large punch. Games last 10-15 minutes while providing drama and strategic decisions around every turn. Since there are multiple paths to victory, you’ll need to watch your opponent carefully and look for weaknesses you can exploit.

Both players share a zero-sum Gold Track. When you earn 1 gold your opponent loses 1 gold, and vice versa. This means when you buy extra ships or movement, you are giving your opponent gold in exchange for the advantage. You earn gold by sinking enemy ships, occupying gold mine spaces, having 3 Battle Coins at the end of your turn, and by praying to the volcano gods and successfully causing an eruption.

You start your turn by building your fleet, sailing, and declaring any battles you’d like. When fighting, your Battle Strength is equal to the number of coins that make up your ship (ships can be built up to 3 coins high) plus any Battle Coins you commit. Three Battle Coins float between both players throughout the game. If you commit a Battle Coin to a battle, you have a higher Battle Strength for the current battle, but you must pass any committed Battle Coins to your opponent.

After the Battle Phase, your opponent decides if he or she wants to pray to the volcano gods. If your opponent prays, he or she shakes 3 Prayer Coins. The number of heads shaken moves the Volcano Track marker, which can cause an eruption. Ships within the Lava Danger Zone when the volcano erupts take damage depending on the severity of the eruption. After the Pray Phase, you end you turn by earning gold from any gold mine spaces you still occupy. Then play passes to the next player.

To create your free print-and-play copy of Volcano Cove, print the board and rules at VolcanoCove.com and find 10 pennies, 10 nickels, 5 dimes, and 3 quarters. You now have everything you need to challenge someone to your first game.