by cotyp

This post was originally posted on my blog, kacoplays. Click to view this blog on its original format

In Traitors Aboard, you’re either a loyal pirate or a sneaky mutineer—and trust me, things are about to get suspicious. In this 3-8 player hidden-role game, bluffing, deduction, and strategy collide in a chaotic pirate-themed world. Your mission? Complete the crew’s objectives...or sabotage them from within. Either way, you’ll spend the majority of your time questioning who’s friend and who’s foe 🫠


Who Can You Trust?
The goal is to either fill the chest with gold as a pirate or loot it as a mutineer. Pirates work together to add gold to the chest while rooting out traitors, but mutineers aim to sabotage the mission and secure victory for themselves. Victory for pirates comes from successfully adding the necessary gold to the chest (depending on player count) or disrupting that amount as a mutineer. You’ll start every turn with three cards. The deck includes action cards, money cards (+1 gold), an anchor (which doesn’t affect the chest), and loot cards (which reduce the chest by two gold). The gold required ranges depending on the player count. The best part? The action cards encourage chaos—making with things like playing plank cards. If someone accumulates three, they have to talk the plank and are out of the game. When the pirates believe the chest is full, they can reveal it. This immediately ends the game. But a well-timed sabotage can let the mutineers claim victory instead


Winning: Who Will Prevail?
The game ends when either of the following happens:
- Victory for the Crew: The crew successfully fills the chest with the required gold or eliminates one or two mutineers (based on player count)
- Victory for the Traitors: The mutineers manage to sabotage the pirates' earnings and steal the win

Pros
🏴‍☠️ Pirate themed with nice illustrations
🃏 Great intro to bluffing games
⏱️ Quick play
😱 Tension-filled
🎲 Easy to teach and setup
🎒 Portable

Considerations
⚓️ Shines at 8, plays well at 6+
🎲 May feel predictable after a few rounds
😤 The social deduction and accusatory tone may not be for everyone, but when you find the right group and some pirate voices come out, it's really, really fun
🏴‍☠️ Consider playing this with Booty Dice for a light pirate theme night
🃏 You can't get rid of bad cards, so even if you're a pirate, you may have to negatively contribute to the chest from time to time, which is fun for the mutineers

Bottom Line
Whether you’re looting for yourself or sticking to the crew’s plan, Traitors Aboard is a treasure trove of fun for those trying to learn deduction games, or for those who really like a quick pirate theme game. Can you handle a bit of deception? Arrr, it’s time to find out who’s sailing with you and who’s planning to plunder!

Source: View source