Today's review is of the 2022 release, Feed the Kraken. For 5-11 players, it takes 45-90 minutes.
Overview
You are aboard the Instabil, a ship on the high seas. The crew seems to be of varying goals . . . some (sailors) want to go to a safe harbor. Others (pirates) want to go to a place of ill repute. And still others (cult leader and followers) desire an untimely end at the hands of the kraken. The challenge is . . . you know only what you are. Can you deduce who is on your team, and collectively work to steer the ship to your goal?
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| game in progress; image from here |
- the captain assigns a lieutenant and navigator
- players can choose to mutiny (by secretly choosing a number of guns, revealing them all at once, and mutinying if that number exceeds the stated limit for the number of players you have)
- assuming a mutiny didn't happen (if it did, go back to the first step with the new captain), the captain and lieutenant each draw two navigation cards, secretly choosing one and discarding the other face-down. These are placed in a box and given to the navigator.
- the navigator looks at both cards, chooses one, and executes the command. The ship will move to the next hex to the NW, N, or NE based on the card chosen. And special symbols on the card may introduce other effects (anything from choosing a new captain to having a player secretly learn something about another).
- the lieutenant and navigator are given 'off-duty' signs, and the next turn begins.
Play continues until the ship has reached a stated victory condition. All those on the winning team are victorious—even if a player was thrown overboard during the game!
Review
This is a very highly rated party game, and I see why. It seems like a lot going on, but it is simple enough after a few rounds. It is fun to play and has high replayability. Like any good party game, it encourages fun conversation and provokes lots of laughter. Recommended.
Rating: A
