A two-phase tabletop game with Nordic inspiration. 

PAX Aus offers such a plethora of tabletop games that it can be hard for games like Small Fjords to stand out from the bigger, more complex ones. And yet, that’s exactly what caught my eye. As I walked past the Grail Games stall, I was instantly drawn to the neat, compact, and orderly display of games–including a full set-up for Small Fjords. It scratched an itch I didn’t even realise I had: simple hexagonal tiles placed like a structured puzzle, random in nature and yet perfectly matched in form. All the parts packed away, with no surprise pieces falling out. Even the box design was fuss-free, soothing me with its colour, font, and imagery of a Viking ship on calm waters. It was a balm in the craziness of the PAX Aus Exhibition Hall; something that I now subconsciously associate with each time I pull the game off the shelf. Of course, the bigger question was whether it would match my expectations. I am a history nerd, and I have been to Norway. However, sometimes it’s nice to enjoy a simple game without big expectations getting in the way. And for that, Small Fjord seems to have found its own small way to stand out. 

What is Small Fjords? The Game, Not the Geographical Formation

This small game was a big find at PAX Aus 2025. Small Fjords is a two-phase placement game that incorporates both tiles and Vikings/settlers. The game was designed by Franz-Benno Delonge and Arnaud Charpentier, with artwork by Beth Sobel, and published by Grail Games. It was initially released through Kickstarter in early 2025, based on the original classic Fjords from 2005 and a revised version from 2022. This updated edition can be played intimately with two (2) players or solo with slight variations. Each game takes around 20 minutes to play, and best suits players aged 10-years and older, mostly due to the small parts but also with a heavy reliance on strategy and future planning. 

What’s in the Box? 

Kudos to the game component design: Fjords packs very nicely into a small, compact box, suitable for travel of all kinds. Bonus points would have been allocated for some compartmentalisation within the box, but it’s easily fixed with a couple of snack-pack bags or zip-lock or whatever-you-want-to-call-them. 

• 40x terrain tiles (including 3x starting tiles with blue backs)
• 20x white placement cubes
• 20x dark grey placement cubes
• 4x white longhouses
• 4x dark grey longhouses
• 2x instruction books (French and English)
• 1x compact little box to carry it all in.

Let’s talk about the tiles. After all, this is a tile placement game. Each tile depicts a different landscape, combining land, ice/snow, and water. It could have one, two, or all three elements. Most of them will match up to another tile in some way, but not all…because that would spoil the fun of the game. Considering how much handling the tiles will have, they are made from a fairly durable cardboard, with a matte finish and a high-quality print. Quick note on the reverse side of the tile. I absolutely love the Viking knotwork and the colour palette. 

The smaller wooden placement pieces fit the purpose with a simple, concept-based design. To be honest, there’s potential for a more stylised version. Something still relatively simple with a rounder shape, or rune print/engraving, or something similar. Even the colours could have been slightly different; black/white have rather colonial connotations (even in ‘dark grey’), and the white can sometimes blend into the snowy landscape. Red and yellow would have been great contrasting colours, both strong symbols in Viking culture. Small Fjords is a smaller version of the tabletop game Fjords (2022), which can accommodate up to four (4) players and includes specialised meeples — though I don’t think they are a convincing argument to buy the larger version. 

How to Play Small Fjords

This game is split into two (2) phases.

Set-Up:

1. Each player takes a colour for both cube/Viking placement and longhouse placement.
2. Place the three (3) starter tiles in the middle of the table. They have blue backs.
3. Place all the remaining landscape tiles (green backs) facedown on the table as a draw pile.

Exploration Phase:

1. Each player takes turns, deciding for themselves who goes first. 
2. On your turn, take a landscape tile from the draw pile and add it face up to the play area. The tile must be placed so that it touches two (2) or more tiles, with all landscape features matching at the edges.
3. Check that the tile does not create a second landmass or a new land area separated by water, even if it could later be connected. We play in the present, not the future. 
4. After placing the tile, you may choose whether to place one (1) of your longhouses on the tile you just placed. We play in the present, not the past. 
5. To place a longhouse, the tile must have a green plains area. Once placed, the longhouse cannot be moved. 
6. If you cannot legally place a tile, it must be discarded face up near the draw pile. You can then draw a new alternate tile. Essentially, you must place a tile during your turn. You can’t discard by choice–if there is a legal place for it, you must take that spot. 
7. On any player’s future turn, you may select to place a previously discarded face-up tile instead of drawing a face-down tile. 
8. The Exploration Phase ends after the turn for the last tile drawn from the face-down pile. It’s okay if some discarded tiles are not placed. If the final drawn tile is placed, the next player in turn order starts the Settlement Phase. If it’s discarded, the player who drew it starts the Settlement Phase. Any longhouses left in your supply are forfeited. 

Settlement Phase:

1. During your turn in the Settlement Phase, you must place one (1) Viking cube from your supply on a vacant landscape tile in the play area.
2. The tile you chose must be directly adjacent to a tile with one of your longhouses or a Viking already on it. 
3. You cannot place a Viking cube on a tile that already has a Viking or longhouse on it.
4. You can only place a Viking cube on a tile that contains plains and is connected to one of your previously placed and adjacent longhouses or Vikings by plains. Oceans, mountains and opponents’ pieces can block players from placing a Viking on an adjacent tile. 
5. Once a Viking is placed, it cannot be moved or removed. 
6. If you cannot place a Viking legally, your turn is skipped from then on. The Settlement Phase ends when neither player can play. 
7. Once the Settlement Phase ends, the player with the most Vikings on the tiles wins. 

Gameschooling: Exploring Viking History on Your Gaming Table

Small Fjords was inspired by Norway’s fjords, both for their history and geography. On face value, I can see why teachers, parents, and carers might look at this game and think, “Yeah! This would be a great jump-point for learning about Norway’s Vikings, fjordland, and stuff.” I did the same thing. While I think this is a great game for a little travel inspiration to Norway, I would exercise caution about using it in a gameschool environment. 

Viking History features lightly in the Australian syllabus, particularly the New South Wales syllabus around Year 8 (high school). Please check with your local authorities and syllabus to see whether Small Fjords will complement your education system. For our local education system, it’s part of the ‘Medieval World’ context, but the suggested Depth Study project is limited to Norse gods. By comparison, Small Fjords has no references to Norse mythology. It instead builds from the idea of Vikings exploring the fjordland and settling their villages. Please check with your local authorities and syllabus to see whether Small Fjords will complement your education system.

This is where one history/geography irk hits me. The water tiles are used as a block for exploration. Yet Vikings were seafarers. It was the First Nation Sámi people who kept to the plains and land, following the migration patterns of reindeer, with some coastal fishing. The Vikings, on the other hand, were known for settling islands. It seems like a small detail, but if you are characterising Vikings in your game, you need to honour the nature of the Vikings. 

In a geographical context, Small Fjords captures the varied landscape beautifully. I see this as a perfect game to take on a trip to Norway, maybe with a bit of van-life travelling around the Lofoten Islands or down around the fjords of Bergen. This could contribute to a geography topic, but I’m not sure there is enough there to use it in a gameschool syllabus. 

Small Fjords is Nice, But Not Breathtaking

To give a fair review, I need to split this into three parts: stand-alone game; suitability for gameschooling; and comparison with earlier versions. 

As a stand-alone for 1-2 players, Small Fjords is a lovely strategy game that is easy to set up, easy to play, and easy to travel with. I love the tile placement strategy, taking the random draw with some tactical placement and future planning. Having two phases for the game puts far more emphasis on the strategy and strengthens the re-play value. With compact packaging, Small Fjords is perfect for travel and is one I can keep in the carry bag for almost any situation. This is what is marketed for, and for that, Small Fjords is highly recommended. 

For gameschooling, it’s a little more iffy. As a history nerd, I really struggle to work past the ‘water is a boundary’ rule for Viking-related material. If you have absolutely no other Viking/Norse games in your library, Small Fjords is a nice, affordable addition that can kickstart your topics. However, honestly? I’m more inclined to bring out Orlog: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Dice Game (might do a review on that one soon). Other choices could include Explorers of the North Sea and Raiders of the North Sea, both of which feature Viking exploration and worker placement systems to build and learn about Viking life. For a more traditional history lesson, have a look around for Hnefatafl, a kind of Viking chess that is easy to learn and hard to master. 

In comparison to previous versions, Small Fjords is definitely my preferred version. Its compact size is far more appealing for both set-up and packing away. I love the idea of travelling with this and keeping it handy in my bag. And while the placement pieces might look boring and simple, I think the simple approach is absolutely fine and works even better if you consider it a travel game. The original 2005 game is simple in design, but the 2022 update is unnecessarily complex, with its meeples in both colour and shape. Let’s face it: Small Fjords is a perfect fit for 1-2 players, so keep it small and intimate. 

Score: 3.5 Viking cattle horns of mead (I warned you: history nerd)

Small Fjords can be found in most local game shops and some mainstream stores, priced around AUD$25. That’s a great price in itself —grab it if you see it for less!! 

Evil Genius Mum received a review copy for this review. No payments or further incentives were received. All views are my own, with input from the EG Family. For more information, check out the official website here.  

Categories: Curriculum of Evil Gameschooling Travel

Tagged as: board games children Europe games Gameschooling geography history kids review spawnlings tabletop Travel Vikings

Evil Genius Mum

Evil Genius Mum
- Taking over the world, one blog post at a time