Skallywaggs (2005)

About this game

From the publisher: Be the first to set sail by building a crew of rascally rogues before your opponents can complete their own collection of misfits. You'll need both luck and skill. But beware! This is Skallywaggs, and every pirate worth his parrot knows the tide is quick to turn. There's Scurvy, Hurricanes, and Cursed Sailors aboard, and if you can't batten the hatches your skallywaggs may be hauled off in irons or sent to Parley with Davy Jones. The game comes complete in one box, with all 120 cards, and instructions for two to four players. The deck consists of 90 unique, wonderfully illustrated body parts (30 heads, 30 chests, 30 legs) that fit together to build thousands of different characters, and 30 event cards that add peril to every turn. Skallywaggs is a sure hit for hours of cutthroat fun.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 4.
• Rules load. At 1.8/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 12 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.