
Captain's Log: China & Portugal
- 1–5 players
- 60–240 min
- 2027

2022
Rules assistance for Captain's Log
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Captain's Log is a board game released in 2022 for 1–4 players, 60–240 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Anastasio Martinez and its main mechanics are Race, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling.
Captain’s Log is a sandbox board game where you will be in charge of a ship from the colonial period and you will compete against other players to become the most famous captain of all. The game starts with the selection of our ship. You will have a choice between a swift and agile but fragile ship; a well-balanced ship, if you want to play it safe; and a heavy and slow but strong ship. We can transform our ship into a frightening man-o-war and loot boarded ships or into the fastest sailboat ever imagined. We will be able to trade in the market to get doubloons, grow our crew, improve our weapons and load capacity, enrol on a mission and get a reward, explore the ocean to search for treasures, fight against or with others, and above all acquire wealth. Throughout the game, we will make contact with other ships commanded by our friends (although we know in a board game is better not to rely on friendships). While exploring the map, we will start catching sight of other ships belonging to the different nations in the game. These are Spain, Holland, France, England, and pirates and corsairs. During the game, you will be able to decide if you want to side with any of these nations which will give you a variety of perks. However, nothing in this life comes for free and your acts might take you to make enemies of some other nations which will make their ships come after yours and try to sink you into the ocean. —description from the designer
Captain's Log supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Captain's Log is 60–240 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Captain's Log for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Captain's Log has a complexity rating of 4.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Captain's Log belongs to these categories: Fighting, Exploration, and Adventure. Its main mechanics are Race, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Captain's Log are: Anastasio Martinez. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Captain's Log as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.