The Captain is Dead puts you in the middle of the action as the crew of an intrepid and — dare we say — enterprising space vessel which has suffered a catastrophe during its years-long journey through space: while under attack from menacing aliens, the Captain was killed! Now it’s up to you, the remaining crew, to repair the jump drive and get to safety before aliens destroy the ship. You were trained by the best, you can do this! The Captain is Dead is a cooperative game of survival — in space. Players take on the roles of crewmembers, including the security officer, chief engineer, and visiting admiral — and even less-than-glamorous positions such as ensign and janitor. However, each role brings unique abilities to the table, and you’ll have to work as a team to avoid destruction! To win the game, you have to get the ship’s jump drive back online. Should the ship take a hit after it’s shields are reduced to 0%, you lose. Your ship has several rooms and systems that will help you through the assault and in your efforts to repair the drive. For instance, the Science Lab can upgrade your systems, while the Medical Bay can revive wounded players. The Cargo Hold has all sorts of useful tools and weapons (should you be boarded). However, these high-tech systems are somewhat delicate when bombarded with enemy lasers. Occasionally, a system may go offline, and you’ll lose the benefits of it until a player manages to repair it — if you even have time to do so! Every turn, you resolve an “Alert” card — some new catastrophe that adds to the growing tension. A blast may damage your shield, a system may go offline, aliens may board, or you may even be impacted by an anomaly in space, itself! However, the External Sensors let you see the next two Alerts coming, and prepare for them… provided that the External Sensors stay online, of course. Lose them, and you’ll never know what hit you! The Yellow Alerts are manageable, the Orange Alerts are a little dicier, and if you get the Red Alerts, well… the fleet appreciated your service, and will inform your loved ones. Each player has a limited number of actions they can take per turn, and using them effectively is key. Spend too long running from one end of the ship to the other, and you’ll run out of time before you can actually accomplish repairs. And, of course, some Alerts will have aliens board the ship! They can’t directly harm you, but you can’t do anything while in a room with an alien — except to shoot it! They can deprive you of precious time, especially if they beam into crucial areas such as the Engineering Room. Engineering is where the game is won or lost. The number of repairs needed to get the jump drive online can be varied based on the level of challenge you desire, but even the easier difficulties are not to be taken lightly! Not only do the players have to run back and forth to get Engineering cards to enact the repairs (all while dealing with alien shenanigans), there’s always a chance for a core leak that will seal off the Engineering Room. Lots of fun, when half the ship is on fire! Now, you may be thinking, “Well this just seems impossible.” But you’re an expert crew — the impossible is your specialty! With the right team working in unison, you just might survive to make it back to Earth in one piece, even though the captain is dead! |