Game of Life - Pirates of the Caribbean  Dead Man's Chest Edition Reviews

• New twist on a classic

  
  By A3ICZ8VA5G5HAC on 2006-10-17
  I always liked The Game of Life as a kid and picked up the POTC2 version on a whim, thought it would be a cute joke. Imagine my delight when it turned out to be a fun game!
  
  Players are randomly assigned a captain, one of the characters from the movies, and then the adventure starts. Like the original game you encounter life's ups and downs. Eventually everyone gets a ship and at least one mascot. The goal is to get the most treasure, the best ship and be the first to retire.
  
  Here's the really fun part. Once the pile of treasure is gone, players began stealing from each other. You can even take another player's ship! This element keeps you guessing until the very end as to who will win.
  
  We played three games in a row the first night each one very different. Our players ranged in age from 19 - 49. I would say that some elements of the Pirate theme make this a game more suitable for mature players who can appreciate the humor in "stealing" as part of the game. There are references to other typical pirate behavior that might not be appreciated in some households. We however, were thoroughly delighted and can't wait to play again! Arrgh!
  
  
  

• The Pirate's Life for Me

  
  By A1CHM200OEN65X on 2006-11-28
  With DVDs and MySpace ting much of my daughters' free-time, I'm always happy when I can find a game that grabs their imaginations. This new version of LIFE did just the trick. Not only did it bring to life all the fun and adventure of the movie, it gave us a chance to laugh and create our own fun.
  
  The concept isn't much different than the original board game, but it pits players against each other on the high seas, searching for treasure, amassing riches, and getting their own ship mascots. Some reviewers have complained about the thievery concepts in the game, but if your kids are able to separate imagination and fact than they'll have no problem with this. We thoroughly enjoyed it. The set-up was easy. The rules pretty simple. The graphics colorful.
  
  This recent trend of merging successful movies with successful board games has breathed new life into our family nights together. (For a more strategy-oriented game, try the Narnia version of Stratego. It's incredible!) We'll continue to look for creative combinations such as this. Until then, it's the pirate's life for me.
  
  

• AWESOME DUDE.

  
  By on 2006-09-14
  This game is so freakin' awesome!!! It's better than the old life because you get payed each time you pass payday or should I say "Share of the Loot". You get to be a captain and have your own ship, and the life is the life on the sea of a pirate. It is so fun to play. The first day I got it I played it like 10 times and still couldn't get enough of it. It's super awesome and I HIGHLY recommend getting it. It's a fun game.
  
  

• Fun addition, but could be better...

  
  By A3SW9BWINDO5RF on 2007-01-09
  This incarnation of the Game of Life is a lot of fun and well worth purchasing... However, I think that the designers really dropped the ball on making this game as fun and challenging as the original. To start, in the original game you get to choose up front whether or not you go to college - if so, then it takes longer to start building income, but over time you build income faster (usually)... In this version, you draw cards at random to choose a character, and if you are lucky you get the choice between landlubber and pirate, but the choice may not be yours and the benefits of each type of character are a lot less obvious (pirates seem to start collecting booty sooner than landlubbing captains, but also seem to be more prone to adversity in the life cards).
  
  Once you aquire a ship, then fun begins, because you can attack other ships - if you win the battle, then you can get booty from the other player. However, since there's absolutely no consequence for attaching another ship of you loose (which makes little sense), the game lacks that element of risk that would make it more interesting.
  
  Also, during the course of the game you can aquire a mascot, which does next to nothing interesting for you during the game, and only adds a little to your score at the end of the game. It would have been nice if the mascots helped you in some way beyond a few extra points at the end. And it would also have been more interesting if you could steal mascots from another player...
  
  And lastly, though the mascots feel like a feeble attempt at duplicating the babies in the original game, there's no duplicate for the auto or homeowners insurance that protects you in the face of advesity. It would have been nice if you could at least purchase insurance for your ship - especailly since the Kraken is likely to attack at random - and it would have been nice if you could purchase armament for your ship to improve your odds in the battles (and take the armament from ships you defeat).
  
  Anyway, if you love POTC and you like the Game of Life, I'm sure that you'll enjoy this version - just don't expect it to be particularly challenging, and once the novelty wears off the game-play itself is just so-so.
  
  
  
  

• Good ideas

  
  By A1XMBT7KBR72LE on 2006-10-04
  The game is fun, but way too complicated. I will put it away for a while until my daugter is a little older (she is now 7 1/2), not much fun for her since she has no idea what is going on since mom can hardly figure it out. All in all a good concept and could be enjoyable with older children.
  
  
• too complicated for the younger ones
  By A3NQQJL28A2LMV on 2006-12-10
  We own just about every board game we can get our hands on, and my daughter (9) is a huge fan of Pirates of the Carribean. There was a life game that was themed Pirates (I think based on the first movie) only sold at Disneyland, but we had to pass it up ($[...]!!), so when we saw this one, we bought it on the spot. The concept of the game is similar to Life the original, which I loved as a kid. However, there are some elements that are WAY more complicated such as battleing with ships and the ending. If she and I play together, its fine, but when she attempts to play with friends, it gets confusing for them. This is perhaps a better game for kids over ten. We'll put it up for a few years and give it another try.
  
  
• My son isn't crazy about board games but LOVED this one, as did his friends
  By A1ER5AYS3FQ9O3 on 2007-07-28
  First off: We used this with kids in the age range of 10-15 years old and all of them liked it very much. In fact, one night the kids played this the entire evening, playing several times, in SPITE of the fact that they had plenty of other options, including the (usually) irresistable video games.
  
  Listening to them at play, I realized the great value of board games, which is that they allow a lot of time to interact and talk, as well as think about strategy as you role play, moving your ship around the board.
  
  
  Even though this is VERY different from classic Lifem the guys really enjoyed the way they'd adapted the characters and cards to fit the theme of Pirates of the Caribbean. There was suspense, pitfalls and the ability to make or lose a great deal of money, depending on which squares you landed on and how much money you could keep. I only played once so I haven't figured out how much strategy plays a role in this game, if any. But I CAN say it was great fun!
  
  If you want to know a bit about this particular verions of Life, each player gets a certain sum of money at the beginning and then sets out in their ship to "make their fortune". They also pick two characters at random, each worth a certain sum of money.
  
  This has become a favorite in our house. I'm tempted to get the Monopoly version, too, so if anyone has comments about that, I'd love to hear them!
  
  
• yo ho yo ho a pirates life for me!
  By A2C7B3WQ2IKLZH on 2007-01-19
  This version is much more enjoyable than the original and I like the original! It's easy to follow the rules - especially if you have seen the movie. Colorful gameboard and highly detailed game pieces add to the fun.
  A great game for any age pirate!
  
  
  
• Pirates Ahoy!
  By A2ZJHW8L5E7PPA on 2007-01-22
  Generally liked the game. The Pirate wheel was hard to spin. When you
  choose captains we take the $[...] card out of the pack. To hard to win
  with little chance of improving your Captain. Takes a few games to understand the rules. My nine year old daughter and I enjoy playing the game.
  
  
• Family Fun
  By A27L4VCTPJHYCU on 2007-02-15
  Game of Life - Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest Edition game is fun for the whole family. Since purchasing it for my son's 12th birthday, my son, his siblings and I have played it a number of times together and have enjoyed it. Instructions are easy to follow and game is relatively easy to set up. A bonus to the game of course is if you have seen the two movies and understand the characters. Highly recommended.
  
  
• Loved the Cover, Inside Not as good
  By A26J74MGLALS97 on 2007-01-09
  I bought this game with the expectation that it would be as fun as I remebered when playing it as a child. The cover of the box really drew me in... my daughter loves pirates of the Caribbean.
  
  The game board is not as exciting as the box graphics, and the spinner does not stay seated in it's spot, when you try to spin.
  
  If I had to do it over again, I would buy the original game of life. Much more interesting!
  
  
• Great family game
  By A3C1R5ZNGM8SIX on 2007-01-19
  "Santa" got us this game for Christmas and we've played it several times since then. We have the traditional Life game and enjoyed playing it but this version is much more fun. Our girls (6 and 9) love it and have no problem understanding the game play. It's become one of our "family game night" favorites.
  
  
• Pirates Board Game
  By A23PW5NW8DEIZP on 2007-01-30
  I purchased the Pirates of the Caribbean Life Game for my children for Christmas and truly enjoy the fun and excitement. The game takes about two hours to play, but you don't even notice the time. My husband and I also love to play it as well. From stealing the Black Pearl from other players, trading Captains and getting caught by the Kraken - I highly recommend this for Pirate fans.
  
  
• fantasy fun
  By ANUHUVZTGR5FE on 2007-03-09
  this game was boring at first. after a few plays, we started having a good time taking each other's ships.there should be more to it to really make it a great family game though. Overall, it was worth the price to have something to play that reminds us of such a great movie.
  
  
• Get kids interested in game from your youth
  By A1LOK3QT5IU6NS on 2007-03-20
  With the popularity of "Pirates of the Caribbean", this game was a big hit at our house. Being characters in the movie makes it quite fun.
  
  
• Family Fun
  By A2YBH9HN6R04AD on 2007-06-08
  My grandson loves pirates and so for his birthday, we purchased this game for him. The whole family is anticipating playing it with him. It looked like good quality and the board was really neat and so was the spinner. I especially liked that the markers are pirate ships, not cars like in the other version.
  
  
• Good fun for a family and friends night.
  By A6VPK7X53QNAQ on 2007-10-07
  This game is based on the Pirates of the Carribbean movie. It's not terribly innovative but still fun as you get a pirate ship and then travel through the "seas" accumulating loot on the way or stealing from the other ships. However, I prefer the original version of Life. This one is a bit too simple, they could have made it more interesting and less of a game of chance. It is more fun with at least 4 people and works well for tweens. My kid liked it better than the original version of Life as she finds that one "too grown up". Board games like this are definitely more fun than just watching more mindless TV on family and friends nights.
  
  
• This game is fun for adults too!
  By A1N999V977GBR7 on 2007-10-24
  If you are a fan of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, you will love this game!They have used the characters and themes from the movies in very clever ways.
  I played LIFE as a child 40 years ago, and hadn't played since. My husband, son and daughter-in-law played one night and had a ball! My husband doesn't like board games, but enjoyed this one so much he wanted to play again, so this one is not just for kids!
  
  
• My son likes the regular Life game much better
  By A3W30FMLF8UJAT on 2007-11-16
  My 8-year-old son LOVES the regular Life game. He also loves Monopoly and Sorry. I recently bought the Pirates version of Life for our family, but after playing it, my son thinks this version is not as involving or fun as the original. He was disappointed with the Pirates version and now isn't enthusiastic about playing it. He's good at math for his age and likes the strategies required of the regular Life game better than this one.
  
  As a parent, I was glad to hear him say, "In the other game, you get a job and a house and you compete to do things that really happen in life." In the Pirates version I suppose you learn how to be a better pirate. Hmmm. He said that he thinks there is more competition and strategy involved in the regular game, and I think those are the real reasons he likes the original better. A more minor point of his was that he also liked that the dollar amounts in the regular life game (couple of million dollars versus a couple of thousand dollars in the Pirates version). From what I've written, he sounds like a noncool kid who looks forward to working in a cubicle-ridden, Dilbert world, but that's not him. The Pirates version is simpler than regular Life, and he seemed bored by it.
  
  Overall, he likes real competition in board games, and he felt there wasn't as much in this version. Like many kids, he loves acting like a pirate and loves action and sports. I thought he'd like this game more, so he surprised me with his response. We gave this version to a family who will enjoy it and we are buying the regular version for our home.
  
  
• Pirate adventures
  By A396RC00KYODMX on 2006-11-04
  We really enjoy this game. Can be a bit complicated at first so be sure to keep the instructions handy. The kids enjoy getting to attack other players.
  
  
• A fun twist on a classic game
  By A16XG33OVNB63B on 2007-01-09
  I bought this game as a Christmas gift for my 8 year old nephew who loves the "Pirates" movies. He couldn't wait to play it on Christmas Day! Six of us played and it had the familiar feel of the old "Life" game with some fun twists to make it a Pirate's Life. I was a bit simpler in concept, but no less fun. The only criticism I have is that the spinner wheel kept falling off the pin it's balanced on. I was the only one who could seem to spin it without it coming apart. Based on the movie, it could easily have been played with dice, but because it's a "Life" version, I guess that's why they used the spinner.
  
  
• Game of Life / Pirates version
  By A3ST4U5E76QOPU on 2007-01-10
  My family loves this game. We liked the old Life too, but this is so different that it feels like a whole new game. Everyone spends the game either trying to GET the Black Pearl or KEEP the Black Pearl and it makes for a lot of excitement. The only thing we really dislike is that the game has to be taken apart each and every time - BAD IDEA - and none of the little plastic setups hook in very well. If they could make them permanent like they used to be it would be so much easier (for example, we have to hold the spinner down constantly or it flies off). If only I could win a game I'd like it even more!
  
  
• Great game
  By AR3WSFGD8RQIH on 2007-01-12
  This game is really fun, especially for the Pirates of the Caribbean enthusiast. One thing I really liked about it is that younger children can also play because an older player can help them with reading the cards.
  
  
• My teens really enjoy it!
  By A2AM935YUELTVQ on 2007-01-12
  We play it as a family and my son & his friends have played it. They all enjoy it. The instructions are easy enough to remember for future games.
  
  
• Cool Game for Non-Gamers!
  By A2XNE80DGVYT6H on 2007-01-15
  I don't like playing games much, but my son does -- he is only 7, but I bought him this Pirates version of Life because I didn't want a "baby" version like SpongeBob (from Amazon reviews). I wasn't disappointed. This is a very cool game and all his older cousins loved it! He loved it, too, once all the rules were established and somebody just has to read the cards for him. Everything is in Pirate dialect and the graphics are done nicely.
  I was pleasantly surprised to find that I can tolerate playing this game because it has some fun surprises and direction changes along the way.
  
  
  
• Very fun!
  By A38XRX7F77TQIB on 2007-01-16
  Based on the game of life this board game has all the attractions of the movie in the game. It takes a while to get used to the new names used for Ships vs. Houses, Loot vs. Paydays, but this is a very fun game and the board is very colorful.
  
  
• Life Game - Pirates of the Caribbean
  By A308CVU4KICG2T on 2007-01-17
  My nephew loves the game and we had a great time playing it. I would say it for younger players than the original Life. As an adult, I prefer the original, but for kids, this one would be fun.
  
  
• Lots of Family fun
  By A2YKIT3E4TMWRE on 2007-01-18
  For any family even those who have not seen the movie, it isn't your usual life with familys and cars and college payments but it keeps everyone laughing and enjoying themselves. I would recommend it.
  
  
• Ahoy!
  By A17CZLK369PWCU on 2007-01-18
  We love this game! It doesn't work too well with only two people, but get 5 or so playing and it is a blast! Definitely don't lose the directions though as you'll probably need it for a reference. Great fun!
  
  
• Not satisfied : <
  By A2I8SPJYI0LNG4 on 2007-01-19
  The game was defective. The price I paid I expected it not to be poor quality. The plastic pieces didn't fit in where they were supposed to go. Everytime you try to spin the wheel it gets stuck or comes off. We would have enjoyed family time more if it wasn't so poorly made.
  
  

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