From the publisher’s rulebook
Who goes first in Oceans?
North Star English base rules
Whoever can hold their breath the longest goes first.
Rule details
Turns proceed clockwise from that player, with Playing Cards, Feeding, Aging, and Drawing Cards phases.
Assign Bonus Tokens by turn order: 4/0 points with two players, 6/4/0 with three, or 7/6/4/0 with four. Keep each token behind its owner’s screen for final scoring.
The trait-card and Alaska fishing-job tie-breaks concern the final score, not the starting player.
Source & edition
- Oceans: North Star Games rulesNorth Star Games · Setup step 11 and Bonus Token table; Playing the Game; The Deep; End of Game; credits · Checked 2026-09-23Printed page references: 4, 5, 13, 14, unnumbered credits
Image: © North Star Games · North Star Games
If there’s a tie
The rulebook doesn’t say.
More starting rules
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