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The Captain Is Dead box art

Base game

The Captain Is Dead

Kritiku rating

Early

7.2

Published
2014
Reach
Niche
Players
2–7
Play time
60–90 min
Weight
Medium heavy
Ratings
1

How it plays

Work together to repair the Jump Core while keeping ship systems running and aliens under control. On your turn, spend action points to move, use systems, exchange cards, repair damage, and fight threats, then resolve a new alert. You win when the Jump Core is fully repaired; you lose if the ship is destroyed or another failure condition occurs.

Main mechanics

  • Co-operative
  • Hand management
  • Drafting
  • Co-operative: Everyone wins or loses together against the game.
  • Hand management: Timing which card to spend is the core puzzle.
  • Drafting: You pick from a shared pool and pass the rest along.
Full publisher description

Imagine that you are one of the crew in your favorite science fiction TV show. Now imagine that in the last 10 minutes of the show things have gone so badly that the captain is dead and you and the surviving members of your crew have to pull together and save the day yourselves! The Captain Is Dead is a co-op game for 2 to 7 players. All you have to do is get the ship's engines (aka Jump Core ) back online and you win, but because there is a hostile alien ship trying to destroy you, that is easier said than done. You have an impressive star ship full of useful systems that will help you fend off the aliens, and get the Jump Core back online. Each system gives you an advantage while it remains online. The assault from the hostile alien ship tends to keep knocking those systems offline however. So you need to balance your time between keeping the ships system's online, fending off the alien threat, and completing your objective. Each member of your crew has special abilities and skills. You need to work as a group to maximize the potential of each role. If someone tries to be a hero, you'll all die.

Criterion breakdown

ComplexityDepthSkillInteractionTable ExpProduction
  • Kritiku average
Criterion
Kritiku
Complexity

Heavy

4.0
Depth

Robust

3.0
Luck vs Skill

Balanced

3.0
Player Interaction

Competitive

3.0
Table Experience

Pleasant

3.0
Production

Solid

3.0