Moby Dick, or, The Card Game

An adventure card game for 2–4 players, with additional solitaire rules, based on Herman Melville’s classic novel. Players loosely simulate life aboard a 19th-century whaling ship through a mix of cooperative and competitive play. Players manage crews of sailors across three decks: Sea, Sailor, and Whale. Sea cards introduce creatures and events, while whale hunts send selected sailors after the whale to defend against its attacks and strike back. Oil gained from hunts and events allows players to hire replacements for sailors lost at sea. As Chapters are drawn, Moby Dick eventually stops evading the ship and triggers a final battle in which only one player can survive.

Players: 2–4 best 3
Playing time: 60 min
Age: 12+
Complexity: 2.2 / 5