Generations before you lived off the oceans. But at the end of the 19th century, new opportunities reach your fishing village in northern Norway. In Saltfjord, you must decide how to shape your settlement. Will you choose to build new buildings, go fishing, trade, or develop new technologies to make everyday life easier? How will you determine the fate of your village?

Saltfjord is set in a Norwegian fishing village and is loosely based on the dice-draft mechanics of Santa Maria , but the game has been completely redesigned and expanded with new elements. For added replayability, the game features variable elements in the setup, such as which special abilities and final score tiles are available.

Over the course of three rounds, players draft dice to activate buildings in their settlement. This provides resources and offers actions such as sending out your fishing boat, developing your technologies, completing trade contracts, or constructing new buildings. Each player board shows a grid. When you draft a die, you activate all buildings in the row or column corresponding to that die. Constructing buildings in your settlement allows you to activate more buildings with each die roll.

The technology tracks provide access to special skills, such as upgrading your fishing boat. And fishing remains a crucial part of daily life in Saltfjord .