Pirates Cove is another high quality production from Days of Wonder. The board depicts 7 islands and these will be the destinations for the adventurous pirate players that seek booty and fame. The game is won by the player that can gain the most notoriety (fame) through their deeds on the high seas. Each player has their own ship and this is represented by a ship template, which is given to each player. The template displays 4 key attributes of your ship: sails (speed), crew (ability to man the cannons), cannons (the number of shots you can fire) and the hull (how much treasure your ship can hold). Each player can spend their initial gold to improve their vessel and this allows the players to start the game with a set-up and strategy that may differ from their opponents. A deck of treasure cards is shuffled and the 5 outside islands are given 12 cards each. At the start of each round the topmost treasure card is revealed and it may contain any combination of gold, booty, fame or action cards. The Navigation phase then allows the players to select the island they wish to visit in secret by using a wheel and spinner that can be moved to 1 of the island illustrations. Destinations are revealed simultaneously and all ships are moved. If 2 or more ships go to the same island, they will have to engage in a naval battle for the right to earn the spoils that are on offer (from the treasure card). The loser must limp their way to Pirate Island where they can repair some of the damage. Within outlining combat in detail, a player will loose when 1 of their ships 4 attributes is reduced to below its minimum. I will summarise by saying the combat is simple enough to be fun, whilst still offering the players a range of options and tactical options. Once all combat is finalised, the pirates remaining on the islands of choice can collect any fame, gold, booty and cards that were on the treasure card. Each island then allows a unique ability to upgrade a pirate ship. There is an island for each of the ship attributes, which allow the player to upgrade their sails, crew etc. Tavern Island allows the players to purchase extra action cards that can be used in combat, to upgrade their ship or travel more safely in the navigation phase. Finally Treasure Island allows the pirates a safe haven where they can go to offload their booty. Each chest offloaded in this way earns the player 1 fame point.

Pirates Cove is one of those games that is difficult to review in the space available here as it offers so much more than has been outlined above. The game also has legendary pirates that sail the seas and can make life very difficult for the player pirates, but they offer great rewards also. The ability to second-guess your opponents is a valuable skill, as players must try to avoid their stronger opponents and target the weak. The time frame is excellent for the light\medium strategy range and Pirates Cove certainly fits the style of game that gamers and non-gamers alike can enjoy. The production values are excellent and really enhance the pirate theme. All in all this is a great game that will see regular play with most families and gaming circles.