Corker: A Lobster Fishing Board Game from Penobscot Bay, Maine

The Game

Captain a lobsterboat on Penobscot Bay.

Corker is a lobster fishing board game for 2–6 players, built around one of the most competitive businesses on the Maine coast. You captain a lobsterboat working Penobscot Bay, setting and hauling traps, managing your catch, and deciding when to head in to sell.

Sell too early and you leave money on the dock. Hold too long and someone else gets there first. The market rises and falls with every boat that comes in, and every decision you make affects the players around you.

It plays in about 90 minutes and rewards people who pay attention.

2–6Players

~90Minutes

3Fishing Zones

Where It Comes From

Lobstering is a business. We built a game around that.

Maine lobstermen are independent operators running their own boats, managing their own gear, and making daily calls on when to go out and when to come in. The dock price changes. Weather changes. What's working one week may not work the next.

Corker came out of that world. It was designed in midcoast Maine and playtested with people who actually fish the bay, including lobstermen on Vinalhaven. The goal was a game that captured the real decisions, not just the easy version of the coast.

"Built in Maine. Playtested by people who actually fish the bay."

How It Works

Simple rules. Real decisions.

Each turn you roll for action points and spend them on the bay: move your boat, set buoys to mark your territory, haul traps, or head in to sell. The cards change things round to round.

01 🦞

Set and Haul

Place your buoys to claim fishing grounds. Haul them to fill your hold. Deeper water means bigger catches and more exposure when things go wrong.

02 💰

Read the Market

The lobster price drops every time boats sell and recovers when no one does. Knowing when to sell, and when to hold, is the whole game.

03 🧭

Work With the Weather

Turn of the Tide cards hit every player at the start of each round. Fog, nor'easters, high tide, market swings. Some rounds you're ready. Some you're not.

Fishing Zones

Pick your waters. Know the tradeoffs.

Three zones cover the bay. Where you fish determines how much you can catch, how exposed you are to weather, and how far it is back to port.

Coastal

Roll 1 die per haul

Consistent and close to port. Lower yield, but you can move fast when the market shifts in your favor.

Islands & Ledges

Roll 2 dice per haul

Unpredictable currents and shifting conditions. Weather cards hit harder here. Worth it if you can work it.

Ocean

Roll 3 dice per haul

Deep water, high return, long run home. You're exposed to everything the bay throws and a long way from the dock when the price moves.

Anchor Point Games

A Maine strategy board game. A real place.

Anchor Point Games is based in midcoast Maine. Corker is our first game, and it came out of where we live. Not a theme we picked, but a world we're part of. It was designed on the coast and playtested at the table with real people, on an island that actually lobsters.

Corker is now in production. First Edition copies are available to order at a special $59 price before the game moves to its regular $75 retail price. Orders are expected to ship in mid to late November 2026, with retail distribution to follow.

"You win by knowing when to haul, when to hold, and when to ride out a bad market."

"The way the cards are written makes it feel real, almost like it's actually happening to you. I learned a lot about lobstering."

Lily Sanders, 12

"I was impressed with how they have created such a unique game inspired by their connection to coastal Maine."

Colin Samuel

Questions

How does Corker work?

How do you play Corker?

Each turn you roll for Action Points and spend them on the bay: move your boat, place buoys to claim fishing grounds, haul traps to fill your hold, or head to a harbor to sell. The lobster price drops each time players sell and recovers when no one does. Timing your sale, not just filling your hold, is how you win.

What makes this lobster fishing board game different?

Corker is set on a real map of Penobscot Bay and built around how commercial lobster fishing actually works: zones, market prices, weather, gear decisions. It was designed in midcoast Maine and playtested with lobstermen on Vinalhaven. The theme connects directly to how the game plays, not just how it looks.

Is Corker good for people who don't usually play strategy games?

Yes. The rules learn in one sitting. On your turn you move, place buoys, haul traps, or sell. That's it. The strategy comes from watching the market and other boats, not from memorizing a rulebook. It works at a table of experienced gamers and at a table of people who have never played a strategy game.

Is Corker a good Made-in-Maine gift?

Corker is designed in midcoast Maine, set on a real map of Penobscot Bay, and built around the lobster fishing industry that defines this coast. Our custom lobster boats and buoy pieces are produced and finished in Maine, while professionally manufactured components are made to our specifications and every finished game is assembled with close attention to quality. For anyone with a connection to Maine, whether local, transplant, or visitor, it's a specific and practical gift that holds up as a game.

When and where can I buy Corker?

Corker is in production now, and First Edition copies are available to order for $59 before the game moves to its regular $75 retail price. Orders are expected to ship in mid to late November 2026. After that, the game will be available through retail channels and game stores.

Two Ways to Get Corker

First Edition price: $59 · Regular retail price: $75

Get Corker from the First Edition.

Order Corker at the special First Edition price or join the list for updates. Production is underway, with orders expected to ship in mid to late November 2026.
A Maine-designed game with custom pieces produced and finished in Maine.
Order up to three Corker sets for the same shipping cost.

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CORKER