Stiamo affondando
🐸 Dettagli da BoardGameGeek
Consiglio BGG sul numero di giocatori
Categorie
Meccaniche
Design & Art
Lingua
Pairs well with
The FroGames Card
Everyone says they'll use the bucket. Then someone fires a cannon, someone steals a diamond, the ship tilts, and those with too much gold in hand already know they'll be the first to die.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Save the ship or save yourself: you can't do both
Joseph Frederick (designer and artist along with Roman Novikov) builds a party game where the prisoner's dilemma is the engine of every turn. You are a pirate on a ship under attack: krakens, skeletons, megalodons, or sirens. The ship takes on water, cannons break, time runs out. Published by Lucky Duck Games in 2024.
Each turn you secretly choose one of four actions on a hidden dial: Bucket (remove water), Patch (repair damage), Cannon (attack the threat), or Plunder (steal treasure). Then everyone reveals. If you choose well together, the ship holds up. If too many steal while too few work, the ship sinks. But winning changes depending on how it ends: if you defeat the threat, the one with the most treasure wins. If the ship sinks, the one with the fewest cards in hand wins, because only the light ones get on the lifeboat.
What they say abroad
"A delightfully tense push-your-luck game where greed and survival fight for control every single turn."
A delightfully tense push-your-luck game where greed and survival fight for control every single turn.
— Meeple Mountain
The dilemma is simple: if everyone steals, the ship sinks. If it sinks with you full of treasures, you drown. But if you hold out too long without stealing, you win a game that's worth nothing.
— FroGames
We're Sinking!
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and play sessionsWhat you have in front of you
Four actions, one choice per turn
Bucket
Remove a water level from the ship. If no one does, the water rises. If too many do it while someone steals, you're the fool of the game.
Patch
Repair a leak or a destroyed cannon. Necessary when damage accumulates, useless if no one shoots at enemies in the meantime.
Cannon
Hit the threat and reduce its health points. It's the only way to win without sinking, but every turn spent here is a turn where you don't bail out water.
Plunder
Steal a revealed treasure card. You get closer to victory if the ship holds, but you weigh down your hand: if it sinks with you laden, you're out.
Recommended sleeves 117 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with clear sleeves to make them last a long time.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 63 × 88 mm | 117 |
| Total cards | 117 |
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each round
A round lasts three minutes: discussion, secret choice, reveal, consequences.
Talk freely. "I'm bailing," "Anyone fixing the cannon?" "I swear I'm not stealing." You can tell the truth or lie. No rules prevent bluffing.
Everyone turns their secret dial to one of the four actions and covers it face down. Everyone chooses together, then reveals simultaneously.
Effects are applied: each Bucket removes water, each Patch repairs, each Cannon damages the threat (dice are rolled), each Plunder takes a treasure card. Then the threat attacks: deals damage or adds water.
If the threat's hit points reach zero, the game is won: the player with the highest treasure value wins. If the water reaches the maximum level, the ship sinks: the player with the fewest cards in hand wins (can get on the lifeboat). Otherwise, the game continues.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Sincere cooperation
For the first two turns, everyone chooses Bucket or Cannon. Water goes down, the threat loses hit points, someone says "that's how it's done." Nobody has stolen yet. It's the last time it will be like this.
The first betrayal
Someone chooses Plunder. Maybe they say it first ("okay, I'll just take one"), maybe they do it silently. The others watch the treasure disappear, then watch the water level that hasn't gone down. Accusations begin.
The treasure hunt
Now two or three players plunder every turn. The ship takes on water faster than the few buckets can empty it. Someone shouts "stop it," someone else says "I'll take another one and then I swear I'll stop."
The point of no return
The ship is one level from sinking. Those with too much treasure in hand start calculating: if it sinks now, I drown. Those with fewer cards smile and stop helping. The reversal of priorities is visible in their faces.
The end
Either you defeat the threat and the one with the most gold wins (often the one who betrayed first), or the ship sinks and the one who managed to stay light wins. In both cases, someone laughs, someone curses, someone wants a rematch immediately.
🐸Good to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know beforehand
Three things you need to know
You need a group that accepts betrayal
If you play with people who get offended when you trick them, this game doesn't work. Betrayal is part of the design, not a character flaw. You need a table that can laugh when someone steals while the ship is sinking.
The balance is fragile
With all cooperative players, the game ends too quickly (you defeat the threat in eight turns). With all selfish players, the ship sinks immediately. The game walks a tightrope: someone needs to betray, but not too early and not all at once.
The cannon dice are weighted
When you shoot at the threat, you roll dice with icons: sometimes you deal a lot of damage, sometimes zero. A series of unlucky rolls can extend the game by ten turns or sink a ship that seemed safe. It's not a deterministic eurogame.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Two opposing victory conditions: one rewards those who have accumulated, the other rewards those who stayed light.
Victory
- If you defeat the threat (hit points at zero) before the ship sinks, the player with the highest total value of treasures in hand wins
- If the ship sinks (water at maximum level), the player with the fewest cards in hand wins (can get on the lifeboat)
- In case of a tie in the second case, the one with the lowest total treasure value wins
Elimination
- If the ship sinks and you have too many cards in hand, you are too heavy for the lifeboat: you drown and are out of the victory
- If the threat is defeated and you have zero treasures (you only did Bucket/Patch/Cannon), you win nothing
- There are no eliminations during the game: everyone plays until the end
We're Sinking! is the party game where betraying at the right moment is the only strategy that matters. And where the lifeboat always has one less spot.
💬Frequently Asked QuestionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about We're Sinking!
Does it work well with 3 players or do you need a full table?
With 3 players, the game is more tactical and less chaotic: each action weighs more, it's easier to coordinate, but also easier to notice who is betraying. With 5-6 players, chaos and paranoia explode, which is where the game shines. The minimum is 3, the ideal is 4-5.
Do the four threats (kraken, skeletons, megalodon, sirens) really change the game?
Yes. Each has different special abilities: the kraken adds water every turn, skeletons break cannons, the megalodon deals direct damage, sirens steal treasures. They change the rhythm and priorities, not just the theme.
What mechanics does We're Sinking! use?
Simultaneous Action Selection, Prisoner's Dilemma, Negotiation (open), Hand Management (weight/value), Die Icon Resolution (dice with icons for cannons), Push Your Luck (risk of sinking if you steal too much). It's a semi-cooperative strategic party game.
How much does bluffing count compared to calculation?
Bluffing dominates. You can calculate how many buckets are needed, but if three players say "I'm bailing" and then two lie, all calculations collapse. Reading the players is more important than counting the water. If you're looking for a mathematical party game, this isn't it.
Is it available in Italian?
The edition for sale on FroGames is in English. The text on the cards is minimal (names of treasures and special abilities of threats), the rulebook is in English. The language used at the table is free: almost the entire game is verbal negotiation between players, which you will do in your own language.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
We're Sinking! is a semi-cooperative party game for 3-6 players, 45-90 minutes, ages 10+, designed by Joseph Frederick and published by Lucky Duck Games in 2024. It uses simultaneous action selection, prisoner's dilemma, and negotiation mechanics to create games where players secretly choose each turn whether to save the ship (with Bucket, Patch, or Cannon) or betray the group by stealing treasures. The dual victory condition reverses priorities: if the ship survives, the one with the most gold wins; if it sinks, the one with the fewest cards in hand wins. Available on FroGames.it with fast shipping.
Stiamo affondando
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
📸Do the images match the actual product?
The photos on the website often come from BoardGameGeek and are intended to give you an idea of the game. They may vary slightly from the version you receive. The content declared by the publisher is always binding.
📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
We always strive to provide the correct content, but minor variations are possible due to reprints or updates. The information comes directly from the publishers. If you have any questions, please contact us!
⏳How do pre-orders work?
Pre-order the game before release, payment is immediate, and the game is reserved for you. As soon as it arrives, we'll ship it right away! If there are any delays, we'll update you promptly.
🔒Can I trust buying here?
Absolutely! Secure payments, tracked shipments, and a team that loves board games as much as you do. If something goes wrong, we'll do our best to fix it.
🛠There's a problem with my order, what should I do?
Write to us now! Whether it's a missing part, damage, or an error, we'll help you resolve it as soon as possible. Your experience truly matters to us.