2016 · Grandoor Games
User summary
Captain Dice (キャプテンダイス) is a dice and action card game, combining speed and cunning. Swiftly place dice to secure treasure cards. Then replace your dice with action cards to attack the other players. Then collect treasure if your cards survive the attacks.
The playing area is a grid of treasure cards and a bell in the centre. The bell is rung, and each player rolls and rerolls their own six dice entirely at will, trying to make combos to place on treasure cards. As soon as there are any three pairs in any line, any player may ring the bell to force a stop (and becomes the start player). It helps to secure treasure cards in sections; if you succeed, you collect all treasures you have linked up.
Each player has nine cards, numbered 0 to 5 (four 5 cards each). Each card attacks neighbouring locations in different directions, except the 0 card which is a shield, and the 5 cards on which you are becalmed. Depending on which locations you grabbed, you take turns placing cards face down, taking back your dice. The actions are revealed and resolved, going from 0 to 5 (tied numbers are won closest to the start player).
Here the tactical element appears. The cards 1 to 4 attack each other in set patterns, and in rank order from low to high. Since you cannot pick up cards spent in previous rounds until you clear your hand, you must choose carefully which cards you place where. If you think a spot is safe from any attack, you can safely spend a 5 card and help clear your hand.
If you think a spot is certain to be attacked, place your 0 and it survives. If you have claimed places on straight lines, you'll collect all the empty treasure cards lying between them, so often you want to be secure. If you know what cards the others have spent, you might get your attack in first with a low numbered attack.