Taking the Ship’s Wheel and Seeing Double in Captain Flip
Fill a ship with a fun crew that’s rather unpredictable on the high seas where treasure and gold can be found in Captain Flip.
A lightweight pirate-themed solo game seemed like just what I wanted, and so it was back to Captain Flip! This is a very simple but rather interesting game about filling a ship with crew members on double-sided tiles. But the trick is to take calculated risks here and there, some of which won’t pan out. Off to find some treasure aboard the gigantic Kraken!
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
The goal is to fill up columns on board with crew members. Timing is important, as is knowing when to risk flipping over a newly drawn tile that might not be the best option. Tricky, tricky! With a short play time and easy rules, this one is fun for a quick sail across the sea for a bit of treasure!
First Play
June 30, 2024
Complexity
1
Latest Play
October 24, 2026
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
8
Play Time
5 Minutes
High Score
65
Game Area
22" x 12"
Low Score
40
Aboard the Kraken
Different boards provide some variety in the challenges, and I was excited to release the Kraken! Since I played closer to Halloween, it was about as thematic as I could get. Ha!
There isn’t much in terms of gameplay: It’s about drawing a tile and deciding to place it, or take a risk by flipping it over and placing that crew member instead. Easy, yet intriguing.
I got lucky with a swabby in 4 of 5 columns, which was worth a fair amount of gold at the end. Not too shabby!
Reaching my solo victory threshold proved to be difficult, though, and I just couldn’t hold onto the treasure map.
Double, Double…
I couldn’t think of the best way to incorporate these adorable Calico Critters in a solo game. They’re dressed as doctors, yet my mind went to the chef outfits in this game!
So there they were: A couple of doctor chefs all ready to serve up some rather questionable stew! Maybe they were cooking all the meals for the Kraken… Ha ha!
The choices were fun, and I found myself playing several times in a row. It dragged on just a little too long.
Final scoring also required a bit of checking and additional sums that took me out of the experience a tiny bit.
All the Navigators
This play was interesting in how I had my cartographers and navigators backward. I flipped over a lot of crew tiles after I drew them, and that resulted in many navigators.
The idea is to have a lot of cartographers, for the navigators score based on them. I didn’t fare too poorly, but I could just imagine the chaos around the ship’s wheel. Watch out!
Does a Kraken even have a wheel? Maybe that’s why everyone looked absolutely panicked. Ha ha!
I kept falling shy of 60 victory points, even though I tried out a few strategies. The tiles were not cooperative!
Treasure Sighted!
Along the same lines as a pair of Calico Critters, the treasure map paired up with its icon. In solo, it’s lost if a map icon is gained again. This swapping can be the difference in a win!
I enjoyed looking at the other possible boards, too, as I’ve typically stuck with the standard one. Nice to have some other choices besides what to do with the crew tiles.
This sometimes feels like it’s a little too light for my tastes, although I love the excitement around flipping the tiles.
Maybe on the next voyage, I’ll hire a pair of actual chefs instead of these fuzzy Calico Critter doctors… Ha ha!
The Simplest Solo Game Options That Work
I don’t think I made any amazing game choices that put me ahead in any meaningful way, but I liked the overall simplicity. The only time I had to check a rule was in regards to the scoring for this board, as the columns are tied to finishing first or second. Just a matter of timing! At the time I played, this felt overly simplistic and although it worked, I wasn’t too sure.
Looking back, I appreciate it more after thinking about it. There’s nothing groundbreaking here, yet it’s a solid game that isn’t going to ask for too much. I’m more likely to shy away from solo games with lengthy setup times and tons of components these days. Drawing and flipping tiles? I’m in! And it’s not mindless, either: I made some important decisions!
Session Overview
Play Number: 5-8
Solo Mode: Included in In the Jaws of the Kraken
Play Details: The Kraken Board
Outcome: 55, 54, 53, 56 (4 Losses)
Although I didn’t win, my scores created a consecutive sequence. So… A cool session, regardless of the losses! I’m not as drawn to this one since it doesn’t necessarily have a lot of memorable aspects. Yet once I started playing, I liked the suspense of drawing tiles and deciding when to flip them. My crew worked rather nicely, and I still think there may be many sea voyages ahead with the other boards!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
8
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
6
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
4
+ Pros (Positives)
- Drawing and flipping tiles is extremely simple, but comes with a handful of interesting decisions to make each play.
- The artwork is filled with adventure and rather silly in a way that follows the lightweight and fun theme.
- Different boards not only offer variety, but other ways to think about the timing of filling columns for rewards.
- Ending the solo game is an interesting moment tied to filling 4 out of 5 columns, and the last tile draws can be tense.
- Gameplay is quick and takes a matter of minutes, often with the desire to play just once more for a higher score.
- Some crew members might be more helpful, yet this is often situational and there is no single path to scoring well.
– Cons (Negatives)
- The luck of the draw is what the game is designed around, but this is occasionally frustrating with the same tiles.
- Remembering to earn gold from the treasure map is easy to forget with how fast turns are when playing solo.
- Shuffling the tiles can be a little tricky since the bag feels just a tiny bit too small to comfortably mix them together.
- While the game is interesting to play while it’s on the table, there isn’t a lot to make it a memorable experience.
Victory Conditions
Score 60+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 40%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 60 points.
Win at least 1 game with the Pirate Ship board.
Earn 25 coins from the swabby.
Score at least 70 points.
Win at least 1 game with the Kraken board.
Continue the Conversation
What do you like about Captain Flip? Is there a board you prefer to use for solo play? I often lean towards a slightly more complex set of rules, but there’s something very fun about flipping tiles! Sometimes, it’s nice to have the option to take some game-related risks without needing to think too hard about rules and strategies. This one does just that, and well!
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