The Captain is Dead

7IGN Logo Discreto Una conversione diretta - e un po' confusionaria - di un simpatico gioco da tavolo. di Stefano "Stef" Castelli

77%Game Brain Score

graphics, gameplay

replayability, grinding

82% User Score Based on 110 reviews

Critic Score 63%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

The Captain is Dead is a single player and multiplayer survival turn-based strategy game with comedy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Thunderbox Entertainment and was released on January 31, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

It’s the last 10 minutes of your favorite sci-fi TV show… gone horribly wrong!

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82%

Audience ScoreBased on 110 reviews

graphics12 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

An extremely good adaptation of the board game with a fun and engaging gameplay experience.
The game features amazing animations and voice acting, enhancing the overall atmosphere and immersion.
It offers a challenging and strategic gameplay experience that rewards planning and resource management.

The game is currently limited to single-player mode, which detracts from the social aspect of the original board game.
The user interface is cluttered and not intuitive, making it difficult for new players to navigate and understand the game mechanics.
Many players find the game to be overly difficult, with poor balancing that can lead to frustrating experiences.

graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the fun, unique art style and low poly visuals, while others criticize the chaotic user interface and some aesthetic choices, such as confusing fire effects. Despite some complaints about the quality of 3D elements and a few details that detract from the overall experience, the graphics are generally considered well-executed and enjoyable, contributing to an immersive gameplay experience. Overall, the visuals are seen as a blend of humor and creativity, though not without their flaws.
- “The graphics are outstanding and the challenge level is as high as Pandemic the board game!”
- “I've never played the board game, so only have this to go on, but the game is a breeze to play with a fun UI and really immersive low poly visuals and animations.”
- “Aesthetically, it's all there.”
- “The graphics (on both the board game and this game) are awful.”
- “The user interface just has that Fortnite chaotic feel and is confusing.”
- “Sure, I'm not a fan of the art style, and the fires on the ship are maybe a bit confusing - since they are purely aesthetic and don't actually indicate problems, yet when you see fire you tend to assume there are problems.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
73%
12%
The gameplay is generally well-received, with users noting that the core mechanics are solid and enjoyable, though some feel that recent updates have introduced unnecessary elements that detract from the experience. While the humor and soundtrack can be distracting, the game still offers a fun experience, especially for those familiar with its board game origins. Overall, players express confidence that ongoing updates will address current issues and enhance gameplay further.
- “The gameplay seems to be all there and I don't have any game mechanics complaints.”
- “It's probably an understatement to say that I have played hundreds of games of 'The Captain is Dead' with my friends around my board game table, so I feel like I have a pretty good handle on the mechanics and strategies of the game—which is to say I know pretty quickly how screwed I am!”
- “The game is still being updated (obviously with all the crew from the board game but also a new UI and gameplay improvements) so I'm fairly confident that some hiccups will still be ironed out.”
- “The novelty of humor does kind of wear off pretty quickly, as the game mechanics don't really do much to reflect the on-the-surface Star Trek knockoff we were going for.”
- “My biggest pet peeve, however, is that this game adds unnecessary gameplay elements to what is otherwise a very crisp game.”
- “There are lots of these types of 'additions' to the gameplay, and I'm not sure why they needed to add these other than to make the game seem more interactive than it is.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
15%
15%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while many praise its quality and ability to enhance tension and excitement, some note a lack of variation, suggesting that once a track is heard, it becomes repetitive. The soundtrack is often described as fitting well with the game's retro aesthetic and adapting to gameplay events, though a few players found it distracting enough to lower the volume. Overall, it is recognized as a significant aspect of the game's atmosphere, with some even nominating it for awards.
- “The music is great, I personally really like the art style and the voice acting is excellent (we even have Jon St. John of Duke Nukem fame voicing the janitor!).”
- “The voice actors all fit perfectly and the music adds to the tension and excitement.”
- “The soundtrack is terrific too, which is essential for such a thematic game to come alive.”
- “There is no variation in music; once you've heard one, you've heard them all.”
- “Personally, I found the soundtrack a little too distracting from the gameplay, so I turned the background music down.”
- “This version of TCID offers some new flashy additions to the base game, including a soundtrack and voice acting.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by a tongue-in-cheek style and amusing graphics, particularly the recurring motif of everything being on fire, which adds a comedic touch. However, players feel that the novelty of the humor diminishes over time, as the gameplay mechanics do not effectively support or enhance the comedic elements, leading to a disconnect between the humor and the overall experience.
- “The graphics are great and fun with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.”
- “Everything is on fire, which is funny, but unhelpful when surveying your ship and deciding what to do.”
- “The novelty of humor does kind of wear off pretty quickly, as the game mechanics don't really do much to reflect the on-the-surface Star Trek knockoff we were going for.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players highlight the significant replayability of the game, noting the presence of multiple difficulty settings and its challenging nature, which encourages repeated playthroughs. The game offers a surprising depth that enhances its replay value, similar to its board game counterpart.
- “There is a lot going on with multiple difficulty settings, so replayability is huge!”
- “Just like its board game counterpart, it is very difficult and there is a surprising amount of replayability on offer.”
- “As for the game, just like its board game counterpart, it is very difficult and there is a surprising amount of replayability on offer.”
- “There is a lot going on with multiple difficulty settings so replayability is huge!”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its wonderful presentation and engaging pace, contributing to an overall amusing experience for players.
- “Wonderful presentation, pace, and atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is amusing too.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in this version, which, while effectively implementing all the rules, can lead to a cumbersome experience. This has made it less enjoyable for some who previously liked playing in other formats.
- “People I have enjoyed playing this with on TTS or in person found this version too tedious to play.”
- “The port also seamlessly implements all the rules in the game (which can be quite tedious) very well.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game evokes a unique emotional experience, blending a wholesome atmosphere with a frantic pace that encourages laughter and enjoyment, even in moments of failure. Players appreciate this balance, finding joy in the game's challenges.
- “It has a wholesome feeling, but also a frantic pace, and this game has a strange way of making me laugh and have fun when I lose.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game demonstrates excellent stability, even on older hardware without dedicated graphics cards, indicating it is well-optimized for a range of systems.
- “It runs great on my 2017 potato with no graphics card.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, with users expressing frustration over the removal of previously available DLCs and the perception that the developers are exploiting players.
- “This shameful cash grab has its own page and pulled DLC from others because it thinks you are a fool.”