How To Play
'Tis Mutiny! is a semi-cooperative game. In typical cooperative games, players work together towards a common goal. In competitive games, players compete towards a single goal. In 'Tis Mutiny! players are each working towards their own unique goal, and all players that succeed win the game. Goals may be at odds with each other or compatible, but there are a limited number of turns to accomplish everyone's goals before the ship is captured, or worse, and everyone loses.
Each player begins the game with unique goals, called Aspirations, that represent what ‘winning at piracy’ means to them. Some want fame, some want fortune, some want adventure, and some just want to watch the world burn. Aspirations are simple. Some examples:
- Raid all three ports (so you can stay outlaws forever)
- Collect some treasure and Land at Cote Du Maillard (and retire as a wealthy merchant)
- Raid Finisterre and the Sao Paulo, then land at Cote Du Maillard, (as a hero)
There are three ports in the game. Completing the first part of your aspiration (e.g. find some treasure) is straightforward; 'convincing' the rest of the crew not to raid Tungstall Bay may prove more difficult. Perhaps a well timed Mutiny to seize command and raid Finisterre would make the choice to Land at Tungstall Bay more...inevitable.
Each player starts with two aspirations, giving them a fallback plan and choice of how to play, and more may be acquired along the way. One might start out with dreams of wealth or fame, but find out that true victory comes from going mad and feeding the rest of the crew to the great White Whale.
Each player has a role on the ship, from Captain to lowly Swab. Each role has a duty that they perform each round, and every role has a unique impact on the game. Most player roles change from round to round, but the Captain remains captain unless overthrown in a Mutiny.
Mutiny is a fight between players to determine where the ship goes that round and what happens when the ship gets there. Players may fall in line behind the Captain's choice, or can choose to fight to become Captain themselves and sail in another direction. Mutiny is the difference between burning down your beloved Tungstall Bay or burning down the wicked port of Finisterre. Mutiny begins with alcohol and ends in violence.
As each port or ship is raided the angry survivors call on their nation's armada for protection and revenge - pirate hunters that stalk the players and fill the sea with dangerous enemies instead of plodding cargo vessels. Players must race to complete their aspirations and land safely at port before they are surrounded and captured. Multiple players may all complete aspirations and win, but is it really worth another risky turn just so your friend can win too?
To find out more please download the current draft of our PDF rules here:
