Lifeboats: Plank of Carneades - Limited Edition
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There are six sinking boats and seven fewer seats. You vote to save your boat, but if three people play captain in the same round, no one has control. And someone ends up in the water.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
The vote that decides who survives and who sinks
Designed by Ronald Wettering and published in 2024, Lifeboats: Plank of Carneades brings an ancient philosophical dilemma to the table: if the boat is sinking and there are few seats, who has the right to survive? The group decides the answer, vote by vote, alliance by alliance. With illustrations by Pedro A. Alberto, the game transforms a classic thought experiment into a party game made of promises, lies, and grudges.
Each round, you play one card from your hand: choose which boat moves, which takes on water, and where you want to try to board. But your card only counts if no one else plays captain. And each captain card can only be played once in the entire game. The result? Every vote is a gamble on what others are about to do.
What they say abroad
"Is it possible to escape by boat when a shipwreck occurs?"
— Broadway Toys LTD
Promises that last a turn, revenge that lasts the whole game. It's exactly what a shipwreck game should be.
— FroGames
Lifeboats: Plank of Carneades
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsWhat you have in hand
Six cards, three decisions per round
Boat Cards
One for each color in play. You play it to make that boat move towards the island, or to make it sink. The majority wins, but only if no one plays captain.
Captain Cards
Three in hand, three absolute decisions throughout the game. If you play it and you are the only one, you decide. If two or more play it, they cancel each other out and you vote normally.
Islands
Each boat heads for a different island. Those who reach a rich island are worth more points, but it takes more turns. Those who reach a poor island are safe, but worth little.
Water Leaks
Each round, a boat takes on water. When the boat is full, it sinks. Those on board must swim to the nearest boat. If there's no room, they drown.
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to PlayThe rules in four steps▼
How to Play
The Flow of Each Round
Three simultaneous votes, then someone sinks. It's always like this, until the end.
Everyone chooses a card from their hand (a boat card or a captain). They are revealed together. If there is only one captain, they decide. If there are two or more, they cancel each other out. Otherwise, the majority counts: the most voted boat takes on water.
Same system. Everyone chooses a card, they are revealed together. The boat that receives the most votes (or the one chosen by the solitary captain) advances one space towards its island. Whoever reaches the island is safe.
Last vote of the round. Each player can try to jump onto another boat. The majority decides who gets on and who stays. If a boat sinks, those on board must swim. If there is no room on the nearest boat, they drown and are out of the game.
If a boat has taken on too much water, it sinks. All sailors on board fall into the sea. They must reach the nearest boat. If there isn't room for everyone, some remain in the water and are eliminated.
⏱️Your First GameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Everyone pledges allegiance to their boat
You are assigned a boat and a group of sailors. You look at the other players and immediately understand that someone will have to stay ashore. You promise alliances, but you already know that they will last one turn. The first card you play seems harmless.
Someone plays the first captain card
Everyone chooses a card. You count to three, turn them over. Someone played captain. Their boat moves, the other sinks. Those who promised to vote together realize that the promise is worthless if someone has absolute power.
Two boats sink in the same round
The pace quickens. Boats take on water, some try to jump to the nearest one, but places are limited. Two boats sink in the same turn. Those on board end up in the water and must decide where to swim. Not everyone has a place.
Three people play captain together
Everyone has understood that the captain is the only move that matters. Three players play it simultaneously. They cancel each other out. Voting proceeds normally. Someone laughs, someone curses, someone vows revenge.
Whoever reaches the island counts points
Someone made it. Someone drowned. Someone arrived at the poorest island but at least they're alive. Points are counted, but no one remembers them. Everyone remembers who betrayed whom and when.
🐸Good to Know FirstThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to Know First
Three things you need to know before buying it
Only works if you talk
This game thrives on promises and lies. If no one at the table negotiates, threatens, or pleads, it becomes a blind voting exercise. All the fun is in the cheap diplomacy that collapses at the first betrayal. If the group doesn't talk, don't bother.
With 3 players, it loses its edge
The game starts with 3, but it's designed for 5-7. With few players, captains last too long, alliances are predictable, and the chaos that makes games memorable is missing. It works, but it's not the same game.
Zero strategic depth
It's not a masked Eurogame. It's a pure party game: no long-term plans, no optimization, just instant psychological reading. If you're looking for control or intricate strategies, this isn't the place.
🏆Victory and DefeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The game ends when all boats have reached the islands or sunk. Whoever has the most points wins.
Victory
- You reach the richest island with your sailors: high points
- You manage to save the most of your sailors on any island
- Sum the points of saved sailors: whoever has the most wins
Elimination
- All your sailors sink with the boats
- You fall into the water and there's no room on any nearby boat
- You arrive at the poorest island: you're safe but it's worth little
It's a game that lasts 45 minutes and can be explained in five. But everyone remembers who betrayed whom, which captain sank which boat, and that time when four people played captain together and nothing happened.
💬Frequently Asked QuestionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ about Lifeboats: Plank of Carneades
What mechanics does Lifeboats: Plank of Carneades use?
It's a game of simultaneous selection and majority voting. Each round you choose a card, play it face down, then everyone reveals together. The majority wins, unless someone plays a captain. The captain has absolute power, but can only be played three times throughout the game.
How much does luck matter?
Zero. There are no dice, no card drawing, no random events. Everything depends on what others play. If you read intentions well and choose the right moment to play captain, you control the game. If you miss the timing, you sink.
Does it work well with the minimum number of players?
With 3 players it works, but it loses its edge. The game is designed for 5-7: there, alliances form and break constantly, captains appear by surprise, and no one can keep everything under control. With 3, it's more predictable.
Is it suitable for new players?
Yes. The rules are half a page long, the first game starts in 10 minutes. You don't need to know complex mechanics: you just need to understand that the captain beats everything, and that you can only play it three times. Everything else is negotiation, bluff, and timing.
Is this edition in Italian?
No. The edition for sale is in English, published by Mayday Games. The text on the cards is minimal (boat names and icons), so the language has little impact on the game. Language dependency is low.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Lifeboats: Plank of Carneades is a competitive party game for 3-7 players, lasting 45 minutes, recommended age 8+. Designed by Ronald Wettering and published by Mayday Games, the game uses simultaneous voting and card selection mechanics to simulate a shipwreck where places on boats are limited. Each player has a hand of boat cards and three captain cards: the captain has absolute power, but can only be played three times. The majority system, fragile alliances, and the timing of captain cards create an experience of frantic negotiation and continuous betrayals. Available on FroGames.it.
Lifeboats: Plank of Carneades - Limited Edition
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
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