Play Seafarers online, free
Eight scenarios with real open water: ships, the pirate, gold fields and fog. In the browser, no signup.
The seafaring rules are the expansion people most often cannot find for free online. On New Shores they are part of the game: every scenario below is playable the moment you open a room, with friends over a link or against bots. This page covers what the seafaring maps add and how to start one; the full rules are on the seafaring rules page.
What the seafaring maps add
- Ships. 1 lumber + 1 wool. A road needs an edge touching land, a ship an edge touching sea; a coastal edge takes either, which is how a route leaves the shore.
- Moving a ship. Once per turn you may move a ship from the open end of a route instead of building — never one you built this turn.
- The pirate. The robber's sea twin: on a 7 you may place it on open water, where it blocks ship building and movement on its edges and robs a player with a ship there.
- Gold fields. Pay a resource of your choice when rolled, and a free pick for a starting settlement placed beside one.
- Fog. On The Fog Islands the terrain is hidden until someone builds beside it; discovering a hex pays one of its resource.
- Island bonus. The first settlement you place on an island you have not yet settled is worth +2 VP (where the scenario uses it).
- The Forgotten Tribe. Eight one-hex islands strewn with victory-point chits, development cards and harbours, claimed by sailing to them.
The eight scenarios
| Map | Family | Players | Hexes | Wins at | What is different |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island hop | Seafaring | 3–4 | 24 | 10 VP | Your first ships: one channel to a small island. |
| New Shores | Seafaring | 3–4 | 30 | 14 VP | Full seafaring: outer islands, gold, the pirate. |
| The Four Islands | Seafaring | 3–4 | 30 | 13 VP | No mainland — start anywhere, discover everywhere. |
| The Great Crossing | Seafaring | 4–6 | 37 | 14 VP | Two shores, one channel, big tables. |
| New World | Seafaring | 3–4 | 30 | 13 VP | The map itself is drawn fresh every game. |
| Through the Desert | Seafaring | 2–4 | 24 | 12 VP | The frontier is sand, not sea. |
| The Fog Islands | Seafaring | 3–4 | 30 | 12 VP | The map is hidden until you sail into it. |
| The Forgotten Tribe | Seafaring | 2–4 | 51 | 13 VP | Eight islands, already inhabited — bearing gifts. |
| The Archipelago | Seafaring | 5–6 | 79 | 15 VP | Three home islands, five islets, a gold heart. |
| Twin Continents | Seafaring | 5–6 | 58 | 15 VP | Two continents, one strait full of islets. |
| The Fog Frontier | Seafaring | 5–6 | 70 | 14 VP | A long mainland between two banks of fog. |
How to start one
- Open newshores.io, type a display name and press Play now. No account is created.
- In the lobby, open the map browser and pick any map under Seafaring. The preview is the real board.
- Share the four-letter room code or the link. Anyone who opens it takes a seat; fill the rest with bots if you like.
- Press Start game. Setup is the usual two settlements and two routes — on these maps a setup route may be a ship.
Tips for your first sea game
- A ship is only worth its destination: count the hexes of water before you commit lumber and wool to a lane.
- Ships cannot be built from a road end — you need a settlement on the coast to launch from. Plan the coastal settlement first.
- The island bonus is worth two settlements' points for one. On The Four Islands, a scattered start is often better than a strong mainland.
- Moving a ship is free. A ship at the dead end of a route can be picked up and placed where the next island is.
Common questions
- Is the Seafarers expansion really free here?
- Yes. All eleven seafaring scenarios are included at no cost, with no membership and no unlock. New Shores is an independent game; it is not the official Seafarers product.
- Which scenarios are there?
- Island hop, New Shores, The Four Islands, The Great Crossing, New World, Through the Desert, The Fog Islands and The Forgotten Tribe — from a single channel to cross up to a 51-hex map.
- How do ships work?
- A ship costs 1 lumber and 1 wool and is a road for the water. Roads and ships join only at your own settlement or city, and once per turn you may move a ship at the open end of a route instead of building.
- Can I play Seafarers with 5 or 6 players?
- Yes — The Great Crossing seats 4 to 6 and plays to 14 victory points.
- Can I play Seafarers solo?
- Yes. Fill the other seats with bots at easy, medium or hard. They build ships, cross channels and settle new islands.
New Shores is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or connected to Catan GmbH, Catan Studio, Colonist or any other game publisher. Other games are named only to describe what kind of game this is and to compare it honestly.