Create a colourful underwater world in Shoal, an ocean inspired travel game where every fish you place can help build the perfect shoal or quietly sabotage your final score. This compact card laying game combines simple rules with clever spatial planning, making it easy to learn yet surprisingly tricky to master.
 
At the start of the game, a goal card sets the challenge giving everyone a target to pursue while they build their own shoal. On your turn, play a card into your growing formation, then draw a replacement from one of two piles. Each new card must overlap at least one existing space while keeping the fish connected orthogonally to the rest of your shoal.
 
Placement restrictions make every decision count. Empty spaces can only cover other empty spaces, while fish spaces can cover fish or empty areas. As your shoal grows, you’ll need to decide which fish should remain visible, which can be covered as well as which combinations will help you meet the current scoring objective.
 
Once everyone has played ten cards, the ocean settles for scoring. Compare your completed shoal against the goal card, calculate your points, then discover whose carefully arranged school of fish has earned the highest total.
 
With quick turns, portable components as well as a satisfying pattern-building puzzle, Shoal is an ideal small box travel game for families who are looking for a tile laying game with a marine twist.