Lifeboats Review

(Board game; Ages 10+; 3-6; $49.99 - currently out of print; www.zmangames.com)

(five stars)

I stumbled across this game while on www.boardgamegeek.com.  Though the game is out of print and without a reprint date, I managed to find a copy and expose my friends to a level of backstabbing and bargaining that we had not yet experienced in our gaming adventures.  The good thing about “Lifeboats” is that, even out of print, the rules are simple enough that a home-made version of the game can be made without much hassle.  All you’ll be missing out on are the bits that come with the game.

The goal of the game is simple: lifeboats containing your and your opponents’ pawns are attempting to make their way to shore.  Each round, one boat advances, one boat springs a leak, and one member of each boat gets thrown overboard.  Those who are overboard then attempt to find an open spot on another boat to get back in.  Those who can’t find a spot are shark-food; boats that spring too many leaks, sink.  The survivors of those boats that make it to shore are counted, points are assigned and a winner is declared.

Determining which boat advances, which one springs a leak, etc. is all done by simultaneous voting.  Each player reveals a card with the color of the boat or player they want to be affected.  Typically, majority rules unless a player uses one of his “Captain cards” which effectively trumps the vote; unless, of course, there is more than one Captain card played.

The fun of the game comes from the discussions, bargaining, and downright pleading that takes place before a vote.  The rules encourage discussion between players about how they are intending to vote and whether any deals should be made.  Because of this, hilarious deals are struck, alliances are formed and broken, and backstabbing happens all in the name of getting ahead.  At one point, a strong alliance between myself and a friend gave a third player an option: either vote with us, or we will make it our priority to see that you are destroyed - he didn’t, and we did.

Mercilous? Yes.  Hilarious.  Absolutely.

It probably doesn’t need to be said, but “Lifeboats” is the type of game that you can only play with good friends who have thick skins and good senses of humor.  Trucking this title out during your sweet couples’ gaming night with those who find “Trivial Pursuit” too competitive, will likely leave you with broken friendships.

But with six close friends and a no-hard-feelings caveat, “Lifeboats” is perfect for a night of social gaming.  Unlike more complex games of backstabbery, like the classic “Diplomacy,” “Lifeboats” is simple to learn, requires no more strategy than knowing the personalities at the table, and can be played quickly.  It’s a game that feels like it’s just meant to be played in a pub.

I’m a sucker for attractive boards and bits when it comes to board games.  The nicer the presentation, the more likely I am to want to own a game.  “Lifeboats” bits are all wooden and well-crafted: from the boats, to the pawns, to the blue discs that represent water, and the colorful board, everything about the game makes me want to keep and preserve this game in as good a shape as possible.  Though it’s easy to home-make this game, I’m thankful I have the quality of the real thing.

If you ever have the fortune of stumbling across this gem, pick it up.  Even if you don’t have any idea when you’ll play it, at the time the moment and crowd is right, you’ll be glad you did.