Captain Flip: A Pirate Ship Crew Fit for a Coin Toss
Set sail on the high seas with a quirky cast of characters to collect irresistible, golden treasure with Captain Flip.
Happy summer! Although I have all sorts of plans and challenges to move through my solo games and RPGs, it felt like the right time to take a slightly different path and embrace… Literally whatever felt like the right thing to play. Ha ha! I was excited to pick up Captain Flip recently, and this looked like the perfect way to start an adventurous summer!
Game Overview
Game Name: Captain Flip
Publication Year: 2024
Designers: Remo Conzadori & Paolo Mori
Artist: Jonathan Aucomte
Publisher: PlayPunk
Solo Mode: Included in In the Jaws of the Kraken
Each character tile is either added as it appears, or may be flipped over to see a different option. The catch is that once a flip happens, there’s no flipping back! Gameplay is very light and quick, with some fun moments and plenty of silly artwork to make it enjoyable in just a few minutes!
First Play
June 30, 2024
Complexity
1
Latest Play
June 30, 2024
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
4
Play Time
5 Minutes
High Score
65
Game Area
22" x 12"
Low Score
40
A Sailing Adventure
This might be one of the lightest board games that’s been added to my collection lately, but that’s on purpose. I wanted something quick, funny, and simple… Success!
My copy came without a rulebook, which is no problem with a replacement on the way, but I bring that up to say that I knew how to play by looking at the back of the box.
No exceptions or unusual rules outliers complicate anything. This is a series of quick decisions and silliness!
I love when box art conveys the right message. This scene is exactly how gameplay feels, and I absolutely love it!
Filling Up a Board
There are a total of 4 different board configurations included in the base game, each of which offers different column bonuses and strategies. Plus, even more artwork!
I started off with the pirate ship. How fun! The decision to flip a character tile or not is very interesting, and never did I feel like it was nonsensical. Well, only in a silly sense.
During this play, I had a lot of navigators come out early, but only picked up a cartographer very late. A calamity!
Each play lasted a handful of minutes, too, and I just wanted to keep playing again and again for all the coins.
Excellent Player Aid
The included player aids are simply fantastic. With my missing rulebook, this was pretty much everything I needed to understand most of the concepts. Great!
I also didn’t need to reference this at all after a couple of plays, as the character tiles were intuitive and simple.
With the solo mode, which basically just changes the treasure map and another board, I had to be careful not to lose the treasure map by picking up cartographers.
Ah, but the navigator’s coin bonus sometimes made that worth it, and I was on the lookout for a great combination.
Legend of the Seas
Oh, cool! Initially, the parrot seemed rather annoying during solo play. I didn’t have an opponent to act as a timer, so it just looked like I was losing coins.
Then, since the game ended when I completed 4 columns, I drew a parrot and realized I could complete my board!
With lots of swabbies and a bunch of expert cooks, I watched the coins pile up at the end. Best score yet!
I really enjoyed the simplicity of the design and the depth of the decisions. Granted, this was like low tide or shallow waters, but that’s not something to monkey around about!
The Allure of Quick, Simple, and Lighter Games
For a long time, I’ve enjoyed digging into some very hefty solo games, going so far as to complete some campaigns or spend hours puzzling through my strategies. Life has pushed me into the lighter realm a little bit as my free time has evolved, yet I still recall the days when I thought lighter games never measured up and were “worse.”
As I’ll always admit, I was wrong! I think it’s more a sense of choosing games that align with my feelings, too. If I’m feeling exhausted and stressed out, is that really the right time to try to learn a new game with a 40-page rulebook and a play time of 2-3 hours? Or might I feel better spending 5 minutes with something that isn’t very challenging?
I don’t think lighter solo games are for everyone, though. And they’re not for me all the time! What if I’m feeling excited and focused? That’s probably the right mood to have when I learn a new game with a heavier rule set.
With the way life changes constantly, I think the bottom line is to not judge a game purely based on its weight. Labeling something mindless with no challenge might very well be the right formula that I’m looking for at that moment. At the same time, remember that my numerical rating below doesn’t mean this is the best game for everyone… Yet I love it!
Session Overview
Play Number: 1-4
Solo Mode: Included in In the Jaws of the Kraken
Play Details: The Pirate Ship Board
Outcome: 52, 40, 59, 65 (1 Win & 3 Losses)
I managed to reach the top scoring tier once, which was pretty great! Yet I don’t see this as a game that needs to offer up an extreme challenge. Sometimes, the navigators come out at the right moment… And other times, too many gunners might make the ship explode. It’s easy to reset and play again! Lightweight games don’t always make an appearance, yet I’m so glad I tried this one out!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
9
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
5
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
6
+ Pros (Positives)
- Setup is simple and gameplay moves so quickly that it’s hard not to want to play a few times in a row for more fun.
- Although the rules are straightforward and there aren’t a ton of characters, the choices are meaningful.
- Deciding whether to flip over a character tile or not is a moment filled with suspense that might be good or bad.
- There isn’t really a way to lose, since even the automatic losses or low scores have some funny turns.
- All of the characters are very diverse with excellent expressions that help bring out the silly sort of theme.
- Multiple boards provide more variety and different sorts of puzzles to work through for the highest scores.
– Cons (Negatives)
- The majority of gameplay comes down to the luck of the draw or flip, which might easily backfire quickly.
- Despite not being a solvable sort of game, there might not be enough variety to play over and over in the future.
- Some turns can feel a little deflating when the wrong character shows up or bad luck really seems to set in.
- It can be easy to forget to take the recurring coin from the treasure map, which can make a big difference.
Victory Conditions
Score 60+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 67%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 60 points.
Win at least 1 game with the pirate ship board.
Earn 25 coins from the swabby.
Continue the Conversation
What do you think of Captain Flip? Are you planning any seasonal games or heading off on some tabletop adventures? I think my current tastes tend to lean into the lighter solo game realm, and this one was the perfect new addition! There is a lot to love about it, and I expect to have plenty of other adventures on the high seas with the other included boards!
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