The first action a player must take on their turn is to draw a Sea tile from a face-down stack and place it connected to previously placed tiles. The following placement rules must be observed:

1. The new tile must connect one or more of its four sides to those of previously placed tiles. A placement that connects only by corners is not allowed.
2. New tiles must always continue pre-existing Bridges, Islands and/or Sea Regions.

In the rare case that a newly drawn tile may not be legally placed, it is removed from the game and the active player will draw a new tile to continue their turn.

After a player has placed a Sea tile, they may place an Islander according to the following rules:

1. Only 1 Islander may be placed.
2. The Islander must come from the player’s supply.
3. The player must choose on which part of the newly placed tile they wish to place an Islander.
4. The player may not place an Islander on a Bridge, Island or Sea Region if it is connected to a Bridge, Island or Sea Region that already contains one or more Islanders (even if some or all of the pre-existing Islanders belong to the active player).

If a player does not have any Islanders available in their supply, they do not have the option of placing one.

When evaluating a completed feature, a player receives no points. Instead, Wares are awarded. Each type of feature gives a player a different type of Ware, or a Ship in the case of a completed Market.

Upon completion of a Bridge, Island or Sea Region, the player whose Islander occupies the completed feature receives Wares. Each player receives 1 Shell, 1 Banana or 1 Fish for each corresponding symbol present in the completed feature.

A completed bridge gives shells

A Bridge is complete when it is terminated on both ends, either by a junction (identified by the presence of a junction stone), an Island or a Market, or if the bridge forms a closed loop. This can result in bridges being very small or very large.

A completed Island gives bananas

An Island is complete when all of its borders are complete and there are no internal gaps. This can result in Islands being very small or very large.

A completed sea region gives fish

A single Sea Region can consist of numerous tiles. A Sea Region evaluation can be triggered in two different ways:

1. When a Sea Region is completely enclosed (by Bridges and/or Islands) and there are no internal gaps.
2. When a Sea tile featuring a Fishing Boat is placed in an occupied Sea Region.
   Important: No evaluation will be triggered, if
   
   • no fish is in that area.
   • a fish is added to a Fishing Boat.
   • a previously placed Fishing Boat is connected to the Sea Region.
   After Fish are awarded due to the placement of a Fishing Boat, the player covers one group of Fish in the corresponding Sea Region. If any groups of two fish are available, one of them must be covered. If no groups of two fish are available, a single fish is covered instead. Fish that have been covered by boats are not available to be gained during future evaluations.

A completed market gives a ship token

A Market is complete when it is surrounded by 8 Sea tiles.

The player whose Islander occupies the completed Market immediately gains the Ship token with the highest value, without delivering any goods. This token is placed face-down in front of that player and will give them points at the end of the game. If there is more than one Ship token with the highest value, from these, the player takes one of their choice. The face-up supply of Ship tokens is then replenished to 4.

If several Markets are completed simultaneously, each player will receive the Ship token(s) they are owed in clockwise order from the active player. Replenish the face-up supply of Ship tokens to 4 after each token is awarded.

Multiple Islanders on one completed bridge, island or sea region

Through clever placement of Sea tiles and Islanders, it is possible for several Islanders to occupy the same Bridge, Island or Sea Region.

When a feature with multiple Islanders is completed, only the player with the most Islanders present receives the depicted Wares. In case of a tie, all tied players receive the Wares.

Returning Islanders to a player's supply

After a Bridge, Island, Sea Region or Market is completed and evaluated, all Islanders present at the completed feature are returned to their owner’s supply, so that they may be used on a following turn.

At the end of a player’s turn, they may deliver Wares to exactly 1 Ship. A player may choose from the supply of 4 face- up Ships. The Wares a player must deliver are depicted on the sail of each Ship. To deliver to a Ship, the player returns the appropriate Wares to the supply, and places the Ship face-down in front of them.

A new Ship is then drawn so that there are again 4 face-up Ships (unless the pile is empty).

The number depicted at the bottom right of the Ship indicates the number of points it is worth at the end of the game.

Some Ships require particular combinations of Wares, while other Ships denote a flexible requirement:

• indicates a Ware of the player’s choice
• indicates identical wares of different types

Now, the player’s turn is over and the next player clockwise may begin their turn.

The game ends after the turn in which the last Sea tile is placed or the last Ship has been acquired.

Evaluation of incomplete features

All incomplete Bridges, Islands and Sea Regions are evaluated as though they had been completed. Players receive Shells, Bananas and Fish as they would have during the game.

Important: Incomplete Markets offer no reward.

End game scoring and winner

Now we total each player's points:

• Each player receives points for their acquired Ships.
• Each player receives 1 point for each 3 remaining Wares, regardless of type.

Whoever has the most points is crowned King of the South Seas and wins the game.