Deckscape Crew Vs Crew Review

Returning to the wonky world of Deckscape games is always an interesting trip. They’ve never quite landed for this reviewer, but seem to contain some good ideas – if strangely executed. This time it’s a head-to-head race of puzzle solving for each team of pirates – ranging from duels and map reading to tentacle dodging and escaping from locked rooms. 

Each team will be dished out a similar puzzle card, and the first team to claim they have the solution checks the answer. If they’re right they get the next card (treasure, i.e. points). If they’re wrong, the other team gets the card.

Which would be a fine gamble to be playing on each puzzle in normal circumstances, but sadly in Crew Vs Crew offers puzzles which can often feel downright unfair. These aren’t shareable without spoilers, but when some of the answers might include noticing something invisible or breaking the rules of the game, it can feel a bit silly. Instead the best way to win is to wait for your opponent to try and work it out and let them fail, netting you the points.

It’s not consistently bad, but when it stumbles, you lose all faith in the direction the game is taking you. There’s some genuinely good ideas in here, some smart perspective flips, and some straight-up lateral thinking head scratchers that fun.

With any escape room style games, trusting that the game is playing fair is a requirement. If you’re able to approach this game with the knowledge that you can’t do that, you’ll probably have a good time with the bits that work. If not, you’ll want to set a completely different course. 

Christopher John Eggett

PLAY IT? MAYBE

Designer: Martino Chiacchiera & Silvano Sorrentino

Publisher: dV Giochi

Time: 40-60 minutes

Players: 2-6

Ages: 12+

Price: £10

This article originally appeared in issue 56 of Tabletop Gaming. Pick up the latest issue of the UK's fastest-growing gaming magazine in print or digital here or subscribe to make sure you never miss another issue.

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