Blackbeard: The Golden Age of Piracy Boardgame

This game is neither fish nor fowl, falling somewhere in the middle between wargame and family boardgame, and gamers expecting it to be exclusively one or the other might be disappointed. It is enjoyable, though, and offers great flexibility. Designed as a game for two-to-five players, its rulebook provides modifications that allow up to 10 peg-legged freebooters per game. Other rule modifications allow for solitaire play.

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Those who didn’t pick up this gem when it first appeared back in the 1990s should be glad for the second chance. Blackbeard isn’t a difficult game to learn, and there’s elegance to the design that gives players enormous flexibility in their actions— always the mark of a good board game.

Bill Bodden has been in the hobby game industry for over twenty years, including stints in the retail, distribution and publishing sectors. His fiction was nominated for an Origins Award in 2003 for fiction, and he contributed to the Origins Award-winning book Hobby Games; The 100 Best. He currently serves as sales manager for Green Ronin Publishing, and is a part-time freelance writer. A complete goober for miniatures, he paints them on rare occasions when he has spare time. Bill lives in Wisconsin with his wife, their four cats, and a whole lot of games.