- BGG rating
- 6.3
Captain's Wager: The Maelstrom
- 2–5 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #28,415
- BGG rating
- 5.5
Captain's Wager
2015
Rules assistance for Captain's Wager
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 30 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Captain's Wager
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Captain's Wager is a board game released in 2015 for 2–5 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Jonathan Hager and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Betting and Bluffing.
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About the game
In Captain’s Wager, players take on the roles of rogue airship captains sending their pirate crews off on adventures in search of treasure. Problematically, several captains often show up for the same adventure. So how shall we figure out who gets what loot? We’ll gamble for it of course. That’s the pirate way! Captains Wager is a betting and hand management game which combines classic elements of poker with the kind of clever card play gamers expect from more modern card games. It accommodates 2-5 players and plays for about 30 minutes. In each round of the game players receive a hand of 4 crew cards (with values from 1-20) which they play in an attempt to win encounters by committing the highest valued card. The crew cards also have effects which give players the opportunity to take actions in addition to providing their value towards winning the encounter. Players who judge their hands to be strong based on their values and/or abilities can bet on them in order to increase the reward for winning. For players unsure of their hand, but who still want to play the abilities of their crew, they can take a loan token worth minus 2 and still stay in the hand. Players who have less confidence in their crews may fold to avoid risking their own precious gold. By winning encounters players may claim treasures and items which give them special abilities and the gold necessary to win the game. The airship pirate who has claimed the most gold at the end of the game receives the title of Pirate Admiral and declares victory over the competition.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Grey Fox Games
Questions and answers
Captain's Wager supports 2–5 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 Wager is 30 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 Wager for ages 12 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 Wager has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light 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 Wager belongs to these categories: Card Game, Bluffing, and Pirates. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Betting and Bluffing. 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 Wager are: Jonathan Hager. 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 Wager 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.