# Francis Drake

Francis Drake is a board game for 3–5 players. It plays in 90–120 minutes and is meant for ages 14 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 5. It is rated 5.9 out of 10 by 11 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $68.93 (United States).

- **Players:** 3–5 (best with 5)
- **Playing time:** 90–120 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 14+
- **Complexity:** 2.9 out of 5
- **Year published:** 2013
- **Categories:** Bluffing, Exploration, Nautical, Renaissance, Pirates
- **Mechanics:** Push Your Luck, Worker Placement, Secret Unit Deployment, Set Collection, Order Counters, Turn Order: Time Track
- **Ludoya rating:** 5.9 out of 10, from 11 reviews
- **Owned by:** 22 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 40
- **Unique players:** 69

**Designers:** Peter Hawes

**Artists:** Franz Vohwinkel

**Publishers:** Kayal Games

## Where to buy in United States

| Shop | Price | Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Alphaspel | 799 kr | https://alphaspel.se/491-bradspel/36788-francis-drake-ende |

## Expansions

- [Francis Drake: The Expansions](https://www.ludoya.com/games/francis-drake-the-expansions)
- [Francis Drake: Montezuma's Legacy Expansion](https://www.ludoya.com/games/francis-drake-montezumas-legacy-expansion)
- [Francis Drake: Spain's Revenge Expansion](https://www.ludoya.com/games/francis-drake-spains-revenge-expansion)

## Similar games

- [Endeavor](https://www.ludoya.com/games/endeavor-2)
- [Endeavor: Age of Sail](https://www.ludoya.com/games/endeavor-age-of-sail)
- [Vasco da Gama](https://www.ludoya.com/games/vasco-da-gama)
- [Empires: Age of Discovery](https://www.ludoya.com/games/empires-age-of-discovery)
- [Navegador](https://www.ludoya.com/games/navegador)
- [We're Sinking!](https://www.ludoya.com/games/were-sinking)
- [Merchants Cove](https://www.ludoya.com/games/merchants-cove)
- [Amalfi: Renaissance](https://www.ludoya.com/games/amalfi-renaissance)
- [Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery](https://www.ludoya.com/games/age-of-empires-iii-the-age-of-discovery)
- [Islebound](https://www.ludoya.com/games/islebound)
- [Pirates of Maracaibo](https://www.ludoya.com/games/pirates-of-maracaibo)
- [Pax Hispanica](https://www.ludoya.com/games/pax-hispanica)

## Rules questions

### Can I place my next disc anywhere on Plymouth Street, or do I have to keep moving forward?

You must place each successive disc farther along Plymouth Street than your previous one; you cannot move backward or revisit a location. You may jump ahead, but you need an empty placement circle, except at Investor. (p. 6)

### Do I have to use all my supplies to reach a destination in a distant zone?

Supplies determine the furthest zone you may visit: one barrel reaches Zone 1, two reach Zone 2, three reach Zone 3, and four reach Zone 4. The route does not matter, and you may visit destinations in any permitted zones in any order. (pp. 6, 8)

### Can I place my mission discs in numerical order, and can several players go to the same destination?

You may place your discs in any numerical order, but you must place all of them even if you do not intend to use them. Each player may place only one disc at a destination, while multiple players may place discs at the same destination; missions resolve by disc number, then Sailing Order, with the Golden Hind going first. (pp. 8–9)

### If more than two players attack a destination, do the later players automatically lose their chance?

Only two successful attacks are allowed at each destination, but extra discs remain available if an earlier player cannot or chooses not to attack. A player who successfully attacks scores the listed VP, while the first successful attacker also claims the destination’s Gold, Silver, or Jewel. (p. 10)

### How many crew and guns do I need to attack a Fort or a Spanish Galleon?

A Fort requires Crew equal to its revealed troop strength plus its printed troop defense, and Guns equal to its printed gun defense; a Pinnace ignores the Fort’s guns. A Spanish Galleon requires Guns equal to its printed guns plus the hidden Spanish Frigate Counter, which is revealed by the first attacker. (p. 10)

### Can I return to Plymouth before using all four mission discs?

Yes. After any mission, you may return to Plymouth and retrieve unused discs, but you must return after your fourth mission. The first early return earns 2 VP and the second earns 1 VP, provided that player successfully attacked at least one Town, Fort, or Galleon. (p. 11)

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/francis-drake)
- [Francis Drake in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/francis-drake)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/140603)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-19. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._