Captain Flip
Captain Flip Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Goal of the Game
Play as Pirate Captains, recruit a crew, and collect coins.
The Captain with the most coins at the end of the game wins.
Components
- 72 Character tiles (double-sided)
- Each tile features a different Character on either side.
- There are 9 unique Characters, each appearing 16 times across the tiles.
- 58 Coins
- 16 x value-1 coins
- 15 x value-3 coins
- 14 x value-5 coins
- 13 x value-10 coins
- 1 large Treasure Map token
- 1 cloth bag
- 3 player aids
- 1 rulebook
- 10 Adventure boards (double-sided)
Setup
- Place all the Character tiles in the bag.
- Place the Coins and Treasure Map in the center of the table.
- Randomly give an Adventure board A to each player.
- Make sure to include the board with a Pirate Flag (upper-left corner). It will be used to identify the player who starts the game.
- In future games, agree on which Adventure board (A, B, C, or D) all players will use.
- Place a Player Aid between each player.
- The 9 Characters are explained on one side, and the effects of each board on the other.
Gameplay Overview
Take turns clockwise, starting with the player holding the board with the pirate flag.
On your turn, follow these 4 steps in order:
- Randomly draw 1 Character tile from the bag, making sure you can only see one side.
- Keep this Character or choose to flip it (i.e. turn the tile over). Note: If you decide to flip the tile, you must keep this new Character!
- Then place this Character on the lowest empty space of any column on your board.
- Apply the Character's immediate effect, if any. Then, if your Character is on the highest space of any column, apply their immediate bonus, if any.
Example: Lily places the Parrot on her board. She immediately draws and plays a new tile (which she may or may not flip, depending on the rule).
Tile Anatomy
The 9 Characters have either an immediate effect, an Endgame effect, or both.
- If the box is yellow, apply the effect immediately after placing the tile.
- If the box is gray, apply the effect at the end of the game.
The Cartographer and the Gunner both have a symbol (sextant or bomb) to remind you that they interact with the effects of the Navigator and Carpenter, respectively.
Board Anatomy
- Spaces A & B are adjacent.
- Spaces C & D are not adjacent since they are diagonal.
- Spaces E & F are not adjacent because there is a space between them.
- You can have an empty space in a row.
- Columns are not required to begin on the bottom row.
- X are immediate bonuses.
End of the Game
When someone completes four columns on their board, finish the round.
- The first player has the Pirate Flag on their Adventure board. The last player is therefore seated to their right.
- If the last player is the one who completed their fourth column, the game ends immediately.
Apply the endgame effects of each of your Characters, if any.
- If you are playing board C, also apply the endgame bonuses of covered spaces.
- To avoid making mistakes, score one column at a time, from left to right.
The player with the most coins wins the game.
In case of tie, if one of the tied players has the Treasure Map, they win. Otherwise, tied players share the victory.
Example: During the game, Lily has collected 13 coins. She gains 15 additional coins at the end of the game by scoring her crew:
- Swabbies: 3 columns contain at least one Swabby. 9 coins.
- Carpenters: Only one of the three Carpenters is worth 3 coins. The other two have a Gunner in their row or column.
- Lookouts: Only one of the two Lookouts is worth 4 coins. The other has a Character above them.
- Parrot: -1 coin
F.A.Q.
- Do I have to place my Monkey adjacent to another tile? No. If you do not place the Monkey adjacent to another tile, simply do not apply its Flip effect.
- Can I place a Cartographer on my board if I already have the Treasure Map? Yes. This is still a good strategic move, since you gain 2 coins per Cartographer with the Navigator effect.
Credits and Thanks
Captain Flip is a game published by PlayPunk, Rue Saint-Leonard, 511, 4000 Liege, Belgium.
- Designers: Paolo Mori and Remo Conzadori
- Developer & Publisher: Antoine Bauza and Thomas Provoost
- Project Manager: Gabriel Durnerin
- Illustrator: Jonathan Aucomte
- Graphics Design: Alexis Vanmeerbeeck
- Proofreader: Danni Loe
- Acknowledgements: Albertine Ralenti, Frédérick Brelot, Bruno Goube, Harry, Lily, Esteban, Moon, and Kitara.
At PlayPunk, we write the rules using gender neutral pronouns to make sure every player is included.
Player Aid: Characters
Cartographer (Immediate effect)
Take the Treasure Map and place it near your board.
"Oops, I was holding it upside down!"
Treasure Map
If you have the Treasure Map at the end of your turn, take 1 coin.
"X marks the spot…"
Navigator (Immediate effect)
Take 2 coins per Cartographer on your board.
"These maps are really confusing!"
Parrot (Immediate effect, Endgame effect)
Draw and play a new tile.
End of the game: Lose 1 coin.
"Polly want a cracker?"
Cook (Immediate effect)
Take 1 coin per Character in their row, including the Cook themself.
"Save me some dessert!"
Swabby (Endgame effect)
Endgame: Take [1/4/9/16/25] coins if you have at least 1 Swabby in [1/2/3/4/5] columns.
"Strength in numbers!"
Gunner (Immediate effect, Endgame effect)
Take 5 coins.
Endgame: If you have 3 or more Gunners on your board, you lose the game.
"Get ready for the BOOM!"
Carpenter (Endgame effect)
Endgame: Take 3 coins if there is no Gunner in their row or column.
"What a bunch of blockheads."
Monkey (Immediate effect)
Take 1 coin then flip one adjacent tile. Apply the effects of the revealed Character.
"Anyone wanna play with me?"
Lookout (Endgame effect)
Endgame: Take 4 coins if there is no Character above this tile, in this column.
"Get down! I can't see anything!"
Player Aid: Adventure Boards
End of the game? 4 columns completed → last turn!
The Pirate Ship (Board A)
- Take 3 coins.
- Take 5 coins.
- Take the Treasure Map.
The Kraken (Board B)
- The first player who places a Character on this space does not take any coins. All subsequent players who place a Character on this space take 2 coins.
- The first player who places a Character on this space takes X coins. All subsequent players who place a Character on this space take Y coins.
The Raft (Board C)
- Take the Treasure Map.
- At the end of the game, take 6 coins if all Characters in this column are IDENTICAL.
- At the end of the game, take 4 coins if all Characters in this column are DIFFERENT.
The Desert Island (Board D)
- Take 3 coins.
- Take 2 coins for each completed column on your Board, including this one.
- Take 1 coin for each different Character in this column.
- To place a Character on this space, you must pay 1 coin. If you have no coins, you cannot place a Character here.