Sea Salt & Paper is a delightful card game from Pandasaurus games. It combines whimsical art with strategic gameplay. Designed for 2 to 4 players, it invites players into a world of charming seaside adventures where they collect resources and vie for victory through clever card play. A full game only takes about 30 minutes to play. Sea Salt & Paper has a retail price of $14.95. Click here to check the current prize on Amazon.
What’s in the box?
It is not very often you get a game in a box this small. The box is not any bigger than it needs to be. The box is only 3.75″ x 2.75″ x 1.25″. The box contains: 58 cards, 6 game aids, and 1 rulebook.
Components
The game comes with beautifully illustrated cards. Each card represents a different resource or bonus multiplier. Each card features gorgeous origami artwork depicting boats, lighthouses, penguins, and even the elusive mermaids you’ll be chasing. The cards have a satisfying feel in hand, but the paper stock feels a little thin compared to the paper stock of Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards.
Gameplay
Sea Salt & Paper offers surprisingly strategic gameplay under its easy-to-learn hood. At its core, it’s a set collection game with a push-your-luck element. Players draft cards, aiming to collect sets of cards. Duo cards (Crabs, Boats, Fish, and Swimmer/Shark cards) count as 1 point and allow you extra actions if you play those Duo cards onto the table. The Duo cards will let you either: Top Deck a free card; or take another turn; or take a card from the discard pile; or steal a card blindly from another player.
The rest of the cards in the game are all set collection cards or multiplier cards. You get more points from collecting multiples of set collection cards.
On your turn you will either:
- Draw two cards from the Top Deck, then discard one of them.
- Or draw a card from the top of one of the two discard piles.
- Then players can play Duo Cards if they have them. Players do not have to do this though if they want to hide their points.
Once a player reaches a total of 7 points (cards in their hand + the cards already played on the table), they can either end the round by calling “Stop” – and everyone counts up their points and scores them. — Or call “Last Chance” gambling they can still beat other players even if they give opponents one extra turn. Last Chance is crazy risky, but has huge rewards if you pull it off, and a nasty penalty if you don’t.
Sea Salt & Paper is played over several rounds. The required point total for final victory depends on the number of player. In a two person game, you will need 40 points to win.
Pros, Cons and Final Thoughts on Sea Salt & Paper
Pros:
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- Easy to Learn: The rules are accessible, making it great for families or casual gamers. The iconography may seem a little confusing at first, but the player aid cards help immensely. There is even a player aid card for players that are color blind.
- Engaging Art: The illustrations bring the game to life. I like the artwork. I’m not sure everyone will.
- Small Box: The box in not bigger than it needs to be. This allows the game to travel well. My wife and I just took this game with us on vacation to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. It was the perfect relaxing evening game after a long day of hiking.
- Replayability: With a variety of cards and strategies, no two games feel the same. Different player strategies keep the game fresh.
- Fast Gameplay: Downtime is minimal.
Cons:
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- Card Quality is iffy: The cards feel thin and pliable. I’m not sure how well they will hold up with multiple plays.
- Lady Luck is a fickle mistress: There is definitely luck involved in this game. You might be drawing cards that don’t match up whatsoever, while an opponent gets 7 points in just 4 or 5 cards.
- Take that! – The swimmer and shark duo cards allow an opponent to steal a card blindly from your hand. This can be both mean and devastating. You may lose a key card, and your opponent has card advantage over you now.
- Player Count Limitations: While it accommodates up to 4 players, larger groups will need to find alternate games. We often find ourselves gaming with 5 to 7 players at Pojo.
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Final Thoughts
Sea Salt & Paper is a charming addition to any game night. Its blend of strategy, resource management, and gorgeous artwork makes it a standout choice for families and casual gamers alike.
Sea Salt & Paper scales well from 2 to 4 players. The two-player experience offers a head-to-head, cutthroat battle, while higher player counts introduce more chaos and strategic maneuvering.
Pojo’s Rating: 4 out of 5.
Sea Salt & Paper has a retail price of $14.95. Click here to check the current prize on Amazon.