Back O' Beyond: Tales of Blood & Salt 2024

Deep within the vast blue and grey of the sea and the endless storm lies a long-forgotten land. Stories tell of a safe passage within the roaring belly of the ocean. Legends tell that hiding behind rocks, clouds, and the unforgiving force of the sea lies an island, an island that pirates call home, a place where dreaded captains spend their downtime trading in the marketplace, drinking spiced rum in the tavern, testing their reputation at the Council Hall, or mingling in mischief in the Back Alley.

Seek infamy and become the most dreaded pirate captain! Create a powerful ship by carefully selecting and managing your crew, do battle and plunder ships full of loot, and make a fortune that no living man has ever made! And when you're tired, come back to the only land you feel is safe for you to rest and get ready for your next adventure. What treasures will you find? How many ships will you capture? Will your crew look up to you or start a mutiny? Will the sound of your name bring fear? There’s only one way to find out...

Back O' Beyond is a highly thematic mid-weight 2-4 player euro game that takes around 30 minutes per player to complete. In the game, you take the role of a pirate captain, and your goal is to become the most renowned pirate, that is, the one with the most prestige points.

The game is played over five rounds, and each round consists of three phases. To start, new contracts that pirates compete over are revealed, the tavern is filled with potential crew, ships that can be captured arrive, and players repair or upgrade their ships...and possibly sabotage others. Next, by using a dice-based combat system, players attempt to plunder trading ships to gather precious loot and raise their dread, morale, reputation, and (most importantly) infamy. To end the round, players decide who to keep or dismiss from their crew through the power of food, morale, and rum.