Captain Flip Review
You might’ve flipped a burger or a pancake, flipped a coin or a switch, flipped your hair or a property, you may have even flipped the bird or a Monopoly board, but I’m pretty sure you’ve never flipped a Captain before. That is, unless, you have played Captain Flip. If you haven’t and want to know more, you are in luck! As you may have gathered, this is a review of the board game, Captain Flip.
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Setup
Punching this game was a bit more laborious than I would’ve liked as the coins all had small holes in the middle to get rid of. The lid of a pen was my friend for that!
Put all tiles in the included bag and give the two to five players a matching ship board. One of them should have a Jolly Roger in the corner and this will indicate the first player. Place coins within easy reach of everyone at the table and you are set up and ready to play! You’ll take longer deciding which of the player boards to use than you will setting it up!
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Gameplay
Captain Flip is a breeze to teach and you can do it while playing. In its most basic form, players will be drawing a tile on their turn and deciding whether to play it, or flip it first and then play it. The catch is that you only get to see one side of the tile before you decide whether to flip it or not and once flipped you have to place it that side up.
There are nine different characters in the game and a player aid tells you which each one does. So you can teach what they all do as you play the first few turns. There are probably a couple that need particular introduction. Specifically the Lookout, who scores coins if there is no other crew member above them at the end of the game, and the Gunner, as having three or more of these visible at the end of the game will cause disqualification from scoring. All the others can be described on the hoof.
Most crew will give you some coins if played effectively, some when you play them, others at the end of the game. Some of the columns on the player boards have rewards when you fill them. On a few of the variant boards this can become a race to the top to get better points. The game ends as soon as any player fills four columns on their ship with play continuing back round to the first player so everyone has an equal number of turns. The player with the most coins at the end of the game is the winner.
Solo variant
There is a solo mode that came with the In the Jaws of the Kraken promo packs only, which I think is a weird decision not to include it in the base game. Nevertheless, I have not tried it solo anyway!
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What it’s like
Captain Flip appears to be light push your luck fun; it is to a large degree exactly that. However, with more plays I have seen how it does matter where and what you place or don’t place, much more than I first gave it credit for. The gameplay is simple but the game itself is clever. I’m not trying to pretend there isn’t luck involved, but the more you play it, the more you realise a fraction of that luck can be mitigated with clever tile placement and remembering what was on the other side of tiles you flip.
The variant boards mix things up nicely and can add to the player interaction too, especially when racing up columns.
Playing the game is otherwise as simple as it seems. You are drawing a tile and deciding whether to place it or flip it before you place it. All with the intent of maximising your point scoring opportunities.
It’s all simple enough to be played with younger people, but I think I will have some fun with this at the end of a night with more seasoned players too, especially with some of the more complex ships that see you racing up columns to get more points. To accommodate younger children, you could easily play open-handed, talking through the risks and rewards on their turn until they grasp it for themselves.
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Table Presence
I’m a bit of a sucker for a romanticised pirate theme. I like the overall look of the game, the crew are characterful and the iconography is clear. The double-sided ship boards are nicely illustrated but for me could be printed on a thicker stock.
The rulebook is clear and covers everything nicely, although the majority of the game can be learnt off the very good, and surprisingly large, player aids. The box is a good size but could certainly be less deep and still store everything safely.
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What the kids thought
Max (9): I really like the game because it is fun whether to flip the tile of not. I love the artwork on the different boards. The variations of the board make it even more fun.
George (13): I think Captain Flip is the perfect game for all ages. Although I am not very good at it, I enjoy the gameplay. I like the cute art of the characters and how the boards mix it up.
Harrison (16): It looked like it was going to be quite a light game for young kids, but it was a lot better than I thought. It’s a good puzzle and was fun!
Final thoughts on Captain Flip
If you are looking for a game that can accommodate younger players, or those new to board gaming, there is a really strong argument that Captain Flip could be it! I’m enjoying it with my family and as it plays up to five, we can all sit down and be included.
There is a lot of light fun to be had inside the box of Captain Flip for those willing to give it a whirl. While I have played it lots on Board Game Arena before purchasing a physical copy, I’m jolly glad I own it now as I think it is even better on the table in real life!
Key Facts
Number of players: 2 (1 with promo) to 5
Board Game Review Recommended Age: 6+
Publisher’s Recommended Age: 8+
Playing Time: 20 minutes
Setting Up and Take Down Time: 1 minute
Designers: Remo Conzadori, Paolo Mori
Publisher: Play Punk
RRP: £25.99
Summary
You’d be flippin’ mad not to try Captain Flip if you get the opportunity. There is more to this light game than perhaps first meets the aye-aye Captain!
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Artwork and Components
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Complexity
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Instructions
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Interaction
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Value for Money
Overall
Pros
- Can accommodate younger players
- Quick and light fun
- Plays up to five people
- Exciting tile flipping
Cons
- Younger players may not be as competitive
- Push your luck
- Player boards could be thicker
- Solo mode only available with promo board
Need more games?
If you already own Captain Flip and enjoy it, or are looking for other inspiration, you might also like these similar games:
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Reviewer’s Note
For clarity: we don’t get paid for our reviews. However, I was kindly gifted this game by my son, Max, for Father’s Day. We have tried not to let this affect our review in any way.
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