Front Porch Classics Dread Pirate Bookshelf Game
by Front Porch Classics
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List Price: Category: Toy See more product details |
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Toys and Games Reviews of Front Porch Classics Dread Pirate Bookshelf Game
Customer Review: I like pirate games, and this game is a MUST buy.
Summary: 4 Stars
I like pirate games, and one of the parts that are always overlooked is the sea battles. This game Rules!
The fun of this game is in it's simplicity. You can explain the rules to anyone in just under a minute. I
have plenty of games that are fun, but many take too long for anyone with a short attention span (kids)
to get the rules. Every player starts in a port. They roll dice to move. If you land next to another port or
another player, you can roll for a "skirmish" The highest die roll wins. you take their gems if you win.
When you have one of each color gem, you can land on Dread island and get free treasure (it's like
Free Parking in monopoly). the first there gets the Dread Pirate flag, which gives them an extra die to
roll for moving. When all the gems are removed from the islands, the game is over, and each player
counts their treasure. The highest wins.
Parcheesi, Trouble, Life, Yahtzee, etc all have similar aspects of rolling dice and dealing
with the results.
The whining about dice rolls seems childish. It's a game. It's not educational, but it IS very interactive.
We always have people bargaining and pleading with each other to shift the game play. There are also
areas you must pass through (like Bermuda Triangles) and you draw a chance card. You can also
add the WIND die into your dice rolls. This can greatly shift the outcome of the game.
This can also be a very good drinking game, where... if you loose a battle, you drink.
The cool metal ships, the strong wooden box, the cloth board, the glass Gems, and METAL
Doubloons, make this game a MUST buy.
Customer Review: Cut-throat Fun for the Family
Summary: 5 Stars
My family received this game last Christmas and, a year later, it is still one of our favorites. As other reviewers have stated, it is a visually beautiful game, and it is also very satisfying in a tactile way -- we just love to roll those gold pieces and gems around in our hands! My youngest daughter was 7 when we first started playing, and she had no difficulty mastering the complex rules. (In fact, she is the most cut-throat player in our bunch and a frequent winner.) Yes, we often referred to the rule book for help, but unlike other reviewers, we did not find it disorganized.
Playing the game has never become monotonous or repetitive because there are several obscure rules that enliven the experience of playing. Perhaps your ship will be captured by another player, and you will lose your turn for several rounds until the opportunity to mutiny arises. As the game nears its conclusion, you might be willing to invoke the Desperation Gambit for a last ditch chance at winning. You can play with or without the Wind die. (Using the die generally quickens the pace of the game.)
Because the gameboard is made of cloth and is folded for storage, it never lies flat during play. This is a small drawback. I guess you could iron it before the game, although that is not a very pirate-like thing to do. We just weight it down with our bags of treasure and make the best of it.
Recommended for background music while you play: Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Customer Review: Awesome craftmanship & fun play!
Summary: 5 Stars
This game is of the highest quality and we were quite pleased with every aspect of it. The wooden dice, pewter ships, velvet treasure bags, cloth map, plastic gems and hefty metal doubloons...everything is just so "neat". We all enjoyed checking out the details of it all.
As far as the gameplay goes, I don't understand why some people would have a problem with the dice rolls. That is one aspect of the game play we truly enjoy. It is exciting to try to outroll your fellow players, if you're lucky enough to be the dread pirate you get to add +1 to your roll, and it brings some educational value to the game. Another part of the game that we found both educational and fun was the cards that come into play when you land on certain spaces of the map. The cards have directions for you to follow, and they also have tidbits of historical facts on them.
Our entire family loves this game, it is enjoyable for all ages, from our 5 year old all the way up to us 36 year olds. It is very easy to learn to play, even for the younger children. There are basic game rules and there are also advanced rules for the older crowd who've gotten used to the gameplay the first few times around.
I highly recommend this game to those who are looking for family games that are both educational and entertaining. I also recommend it to those who are fans of all things pirate.
Customer Review: Much more for the cost than other games
Summary: 5 Stars
We thought this game was a bit pricey, but you get a much better-made game than plastic-and-cardboard ones for nearly the same price. Glass 'jewels', metal dubloons, metal ships, velvet purses, and a cloth gameboard all stored in a very well-made wooden bookshelf case with a strong magnetic latch.
The game play is not limited to a preset course or path, but up to the player to determine direction and route. Treasures can be gathered by raiding, trading, or attacking other players. Extra powers are received by becoming the "Dread Pirate," but this can be lost in combat with another player. The rulebook includes basic rules and advanced variations to keep play interesting.
Like all games, die rolls and luck can sometimes play a large part but that always changes. I expect that it will eventually become monotonous, but long after most other games would have become excrutiatingly boring. Rules are easy to alter (such as more or fewer jewels to gather) to experiment with other variations and keep it interesting.
Bottom line: Much more - in both fun and (especially) quality - than other games of the same price. We have had no 'buyer's regret' from purchasing this game at all. Top-notch all the way; we could (and have) gotten far less for the same price. Highly recommended.
Customer Review: High quality set, gameplay needs improvement.
Summary: 4 Stars
This game set it of amazing quality. Every piece has so much detail it just looks good without doing anything! The Dubloons are the best part, and like others have said, make the BEST clinking sound when you drop a pile into your hand.
This game is definately worth buying.... IF you come up with some new rules that make the game more interesting. The gameplay is very uninteresting, boring, and brainless. My wife never passes up an opportunity to tell me how boring it was, and even her younger (12 year old) sister thought it was boring and had more fun playing with the pieces. My wife says I should have bought us Settlers of Catan instead of spending my money on this (before we got our own set... now we have one), but when I bought it I knew it would be just for the game pieces. I am brewing up some good rules to change the gameplay dramatically and make it much more interesting. She likes Settlers so much.. maybe I will get some trade of spices into the game and whatnot.
Anyways, if you are creative and have a good idea for a ship game, then DEFINATELY get this game set. It is high quality and beautiful. But, if you don't have the interest to make your own game, then pass this one up because you would most likely love to play any other game you own before this.