I love when Board Game Arena gets a game that has lots of hype around it, giving me a chance to see if it is something I would like. Too many games on my shelf of shame/opportunity are games that I bought for the hype, only to find out it wasn’t my style or just required other players with a certain level of board game geekery.
The buzz around Sea Salt and Paper, with it’s small box and gorgeous origami art photos has been going around for awhile. The game was originally released in France but now Pandasaurus has the U.S. distribution rights, so it was appearing on blogs after winning the Spiel de Jahres nomination but was no where to be found here.
BUT with the release on Board Game Arena, I can play right now!
And after a few games? I’m kind of obsessed.
Sea Salt and Paper is a card drafting, set collecting, but also push your luck/place your bets game. Unlike other card drafting games, which usually see players picking and passing cards until they are all gone, SS&P has you drafting but also calling out when you think you’ve got the most points in hand.
While playing, you have to decide if you want to collect cards that give you special abilities - which are usually only worth 1 point as a pair - or go for the cards that just give you points, increasing exponentially as you collect more. Playing those duplicate cards also reveals them to other players, so they know at least one point that you have.
I think this is where most people get into a love it/hate it with the game - if you were hoping the chill vibes of the artwork translated over to chill vibes in gameplay, you’re about to be surprised when another player reveals they have a shark/swimmer combo, which means they can steal a card from your hand, then they reach over and take a boat, which they combine with another boat in their hand for an immediate new turn and that lets them find the mermaid and they yell “STOP” which means you immediately score to find out they beat you by one point.
Does that sound like fun to you? If yes, then Sea Salt and Paper is your game. I’ve been enjoying learning it on Board Game Arena, though I’m worried I wouldn’t be able to do the math fast enough in a real time game, missing out on calling “Last Chance”. Though I think in person, I might do better at keeping track at which cards had moved around on the discard pile, hinting at what other players might be collecting.
I’ve played about 20 games in a week so I think it is safe to say that I like the game. Only 5 victories, but once I got the hang of it, nothing has been a blow out. I’ve played at 2 and 3 player count and both were fun and the extra player provided a new challenge, with more cards moving around between turns.
Have you played Sea Salt and Paper on BGA or at the table? What did you think? Does it sound like your kind of game? Do you have a favorite small box game?