Lady Pirates on Terror Island

What I like:

• Pure co-op, plays 1-6p (it is easier to win with more pirates)
• The lady pirates seem to be done in a good way, presenting them as empowered heroes
• The combat system is fairly simple but interesting
• Each pirate has a variety of attributes
• The components were a bit better than expected
• Plays quickly (solo 3p learning game 45 minutes)

What I don't like:

• The randomness can be brutal
• Lady pirate photos look modern rather than authentic
• The rules have a few weak spots

The game feels just about halfway between Zombie in my Pocket and Lord of the Rings: The Card Game. It's a bit more complicated than Forbidden Island, due to the die roll bonuses, and tracking resources and fortitude. Each turn involves a series of checks and processes that aren't really that hard, but are more intricate than FI.

The whole group travels together, represented by a single pawn, so group consensus is required for moving and distributing booty and supplies. However, during combat and respites, each pirate has some decisions to make.

Although there is not a "map", there is a mild spatial component as the players advance along a path toward the destination. The day/night time track is clever and functional. Near the end of the game, the night timer token chases you to the finish line.

The game mechanism could easily be adapted to a fantasy-themed questing game, which I would like. It could probably also be adapted to a zombie game, a Cthulhu game, or a space game. I would like to see a whole series.

The board is larger than I expected, and folds in half to fit in the 12x12 box. Nice, although a large board is not really necessary. Given the components, the $24 price seems like a very good value for a TGC game. The box is a plain black TGC box, which is to say it is pretty cheap and flimsy. No surprise there. A decal on the outside would be a nice touch. If you buy the game, spend an extra 95 cents at the same time for a pirate figure to replace the plain pawn.