Navigate the seas with the wind in your sails and the Kraken in close pursuit! Sail is a two-player cooperative trick-taking game with one seemingly easy goal: to get your ship to its destination before the Kraken destroys it. You can choose to sail across one of six different map scenarios with varied levels of difficulty. I started with the beginner scenario to learn the rules and just get a feel for which cards to play. Different combinations could move my ship forward while avoiding damage from the Kraken and also dealing as much damage to the Kraken as I could. How did I do during my first voyage? The answer lies ahead….
To begin, each player is dealt 9 cards from a deck consisting of cards in three different colors and various icons. Each turn, the player that won the previous trick starts by playing a card, with the next player following with a card of the same color if possible. The player with the highest numbered card of the leading suit takes the trick, and depending on the combination of icons on both cards, an action (or no action) is taken. When an action is taken, it will result in your ship moving, taking damage, and/or dealing damage to the Kraken. Once a player has won 4 tricks, the round ends. The game ends if your ship reaches its destination, which results in a win! Otherwise, you lose if your ship has not advanced to a specific point on the map after round 2 or 4, the Kraken destroys your ship, or if round 5 ends without reaching your destination.
Sadly, my first voyage ended in disaster. My ship was dashed to bits right before I reached land. Not all is lost, though, as I learned some things along the way that will prepare me for my next voyage! I will re-play the beginning scenario and acquire new sailing skills to prepare me to take a longer and more treacherous journey later on! Game time starts at 20 minutes with increased time spent on more challenging voyages! ~ Marsha