Price Range: unknown
Age Range: 8+
No. of Players: 2-6
Time to Learn: 10 minutes
Time to Setup: 10 minutes
Reading Skills Needed: YES
Playtime: 20-30 minutes

Game Rating: ****

Game Review: Do you know a big Pirates of the Caribbean fan? This pirates-themed version of the classic Game of Life may be the perfect game for them! In this version of the well-known family game, you are a pirate captain, sailing the seas in search of treasure. The similarities to the original Game of Life make this one fairly easy to learn -- probably the major difference is the ability to "raid" other players of their treasure (pirate money) and the lack of 'children' or I suppose 'shipmates'. My kids were disappointed there were no pegs to represent people -- just little boats with different colored flags. But they enjoyed the game thoroughly and seemed to especially enjoy "raiding" each other! My main caveats with this game is that frankly, it's more about style than substance. For example, while it looked really cool, the spinner was very difficult to work, but this is common with the regular life games too, so we weren't surprised. In addition, the little boat pieces actually do not sit flat on the board, which is a really bad design decision that I don't understand. And why not make them hold actual pegs to represent at least the captain of the ship? Finally, the board itself, while incredibly detailed and fascinating to look at, is very very difficult to read. Enough to give these middle-aged parents eyestrain, and the kids faired no better. All in all, more of a novelty than a game you might play on a regular basis, and I felt it was not as entertaining ultimately as the original Game of Life. Still, a thumbs-up for a fun theme & wonderful collectability.