Natal Seas 2023

Natal Seas is an ocean themed, dynamic-territorial game played on the cells ('waters') of a hexagonal grid in the shape of the Pacific Ocean. Each piece abstractly represents a pod of Orcas or Humpback whales.' The goal is to add and move your pods until the other player's pods are permanently excluded from over half the waters of the board.

To start, one player places

2 Orcas pods anywhere on the board, and 1 grey Humpback pod next to one of them.

Then the other player chooses which kind of pods to play.

Humpbacks begin the regular alternating turns.

Each turn has:

A. two required 'birthing' actions (placements), and B. a maximum of one 'migration' action (optional movement)

The migration may be taken at anytime during the turn.

The 'Birthing' Action: consists of placing a new pod on 'water safe for birthing', that is an unoccupied water cell next to more friendly than unfriendly pods.

The 'Migration' Action:

One pod begins migrating around another pod (of either type) by moving to a cell of open water that is next to them both. The first pod may continue to skirt pods in this manner for as far as it likes.

-- HOWEVER, The migrating pod may never: -- * move to or through water that is safe for unfriendly birthing; that is, it may not move to water that has more unfriendly than friendly pods around it. Be sure to count the migrating pod when comparing. -- * move away from all the neighboring pods, even if it would reach other pods by doing so.

Natal Seas: Areas that the unfriendly pods can no longer ever enter are called 'natal seas' because they are effectively reserved for the birthing of friendly whale pods.

Ending the game: When your pods, together with all your natal seas cover over half the board, you win. If you are the player that set up the first three pieces, you win when you cover exactly half the board, as well.