Island & Seafaring Board Ideas
Inspiration for custom island maps if you own a seafaring expansion or want to improvise with spare sea tiles.
Archipelago
Split the land into 4-5 small islands of 3-5 hexes each. Every island should have at least two different number ranges so no one starts stranded.
The long crossing
One home continent plus a distant gold-rich island. Put higher-value numbers on the far island to reward the first ship that arrives.
Twin continents
Two mirrored halves separated by a narrow strait. Mirror the numbers for perfect fairness and give each side one 2:1 harbor facing the other.
Fog islands
Keep a stack of face-down hexes; when a ship reaches an unknown sea spot, draw and reveal a tile. Great for exploration-loving groups.
Balancing island maps
- Apply the same balance rules to each island.
- Keep total pips per player start area within about 2 pips.
- Use our generator to roll fair number layouts, then adapt them to your islands.
This page offers fan-made ideas; it does not reproduce any official scenario.
Next step → Generate a balanced board
Updated 2026-10-26 · about & methodology
More tools & guides
Classic 19-hex balanced map5-6 player generator
30-hex extension layoutBalanced board rules
How fair boards are builtDice probability chart
Odds & pips for 2-12How to set up a board
Variable setup stepsIsland & seafaring ideas
Custom scenario inspirationBest starting positions
Pick opening spots by pipsTiles & number tokens
Full component counts
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