Build your kingdom, gather your people, and prepare for the Viking storm.
A strategic kingdom-building board game for players who enjoy clever card placement, planning, and just enough Viking pressure to keep everyone awake at the table.
Expand your Anglo-Saxon kingdom, strengthen your defences, and survive the Viking threat in this thoughtful strategy board game.
Product Description
The year is 793, and the Viking raids have begun. In Norsewind, players take on the role of Anglo-Saxon rulers preparing their kingdoms for the coming storm. You will build cities, gather citizens, earn coins, upgrade your castles, and strengthen your defences before the Viking threat grows too strong.
Each turn, you choose a card from the market and add it to one of your kingdoms. The clever part is where you place it. Every building can help you earn income, improve your scoring potential, or build towards a stronger defence. But there is a catch, the more your kingdom grows, the more Viking helmets may appear, and those helmets can punish you badly if your shields are not strong enough.
At the end of the game, each kingdom scores only if it can hold the line. If your shields are equal to or stronger than the Viking attack, that kingdom can score points. If not, you lose points instead. It is a smart balancing game of expansion, income, timing, and defence, with a relaxed but focused feel.
Why you'll love it
- Clever kingdom building: Each player builds rows of cards to grow four different Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
- Simple turns, meaningful choices: On your turn, you usually choose a building or castle, but the placement decision matters.
- Viking pressure adds tension: Expanding too quickly can attract more Viking threat, so you need to balance growth and defence.
- Rewarding tableau strategy: Buildings, citizens, castles, coins, and upgrades all work together to shape your final score.
- Strong solo option: The rulebook includes a dedicated solo mode where you compete against an automated Viking opponent.
- Great for focused game nights: It offers strategy without feeling too heavy or overwhelming.
Quick Details
- Number of players: 1 to 4
- Recommended age group: 10 years and up
- Duration: 30 to 60 minutes
- Game type: Strategy board game
- Play style: Tableau building, card drafting, kingdom building, defensive scoring
- Rules difficulty: Moderate
- Theme: Vikings, medieval kingdoms, Anglo-Saxon England
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Language: English
- Game designers: Marco Canetta and Stefania Niccolini
- Illustrator: Eirik Belaska
In the Box
- 1 game board
- 93 cards
- 24 upgrade discs
- 48 coloured citizen figures
- 16 neutral citizen figures
- 40 kingdom tiles
- 1 castle tile
- 1 Viking ship tile
- 33 cardboard coins
- 1 scorepad
- 1 rulebook
Good to Know
- Solo mode included: The game includes solo rules where you play against the Vikings as an automated opponent.
- Not a cooperative game: Players build their own kingdoms and compete for the highest score.
- Defence matters: Kingdoms can lose points if Viking helmet values are higher than shield values.
- Card placement is important: Each row of your kingdom scores differently, so careful placement helps a lot.
- Replay-friendly setup: Different kingdom tiles and card markets create fresh decisions from game to game.
- Best for strategy players: A good fit for players who enjoy planning, timing, and building an efficient tableau.
Care & Maintenance
Store the game in its box after play to keep the cards, tokens, coins, and player pieces together. Keep components away from moisture, direct sunlight, and rough handling. Handle the cards gently during shuffling and gameplay to help prevent bending or edge wear. For longer-lasting cards, especially with regular play, card sleeves are recommended.
