Kennerspiel des Jahres nominee Raiders of the North Sea getting a wide release later this year

Raiders of the North Sea, one of the shortlisted contenders for 2017’s lauded Kennerspiel des Jahres (‘Enthusiast Game of the Year’) award, is to receive a worldwide release in English later this year.

Designed by New Zealander Shem Phillips, Raiders was originally Kickstarted back in early 2015, raising close to NZ$160,000, before shipping out to backers at the end of that year.

In the game, up to four players take on the role of Viking warriors hoping to impress their chief by raiding settlements (hence the name) and earn the most VP over the course of around an hour.

By placing workers around the board, players can build their crew and prepare for the journey before setting forth to pillage and plunder, returning to spend some of their loot before setting out again.

Phillips has inked a deal with Renegade Game Studios to bring the base game and its expansions to the UK and US, with the core box launching in the summer followed by expansions in the autumn.

In the meantime, the winner of the Kennerspiel des Jahres title for 2017 will be announced on July 17th alongside the main Spiel des Jahres prize.

Also in the running for the Kennerspiel des Jahres is Red Planet simulation Terraforming Mars and escape-the-room series Exit: The Game.