The Crew Rules

Game Overview

The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine is a captivating cooperative trick-taking game, designed by Wolfgang Warsch and published by Ultra BOARD Games. It's an English-language card game that requires 2 to 5 players and can be found on Amazon. The objective of the game is to work together as a team to complete various missions in a space adventure while maintaining effective communication to succeed.

Objective

The Crew is a mission-based cooperative trick-taking game where winning or losing is determined collectively. Players must successfully complete 50 different missions, each with its unique win condition. The missions can be played through consecutively as a cohesive story, but they can also be played out of order if preferred.

Setup

Before starting a new mission, players need to prepare the game by following these steps:

1. Shuffle the 40 large playing cards and distribute them face down and equally to all crew members. If there are three players, one person will get one more card than the rest. After the last trick, the remaining card remains unplayed.
2. Each player puts a radio communication token with the green side up in front of themselves. Place a reminder card for everyone at the ready.
3. Put the distress signal token face down.
4. Shuffle the 36 small task cards and put them down as a concealed pile. Keep the task tokens handy.

How to Play

In The Crew, players take turns playing one of their own cards face up in the middle of the table. This group of cards played during one round is called the trick. The player who plays the card with the highest value wins the trick, but only if that player has followed suit. There are five card suits: pink, blue, green, yellow, and rocket cards. Following suit means each player must play a card of the same type as the first player. If no such card is available, a different suit can be played.

Rocket cards are trump cards and always win the trick, no matter which other cards are in play. During a color-suited trick, a rocket may only be played if a card in the color suit cannot be played. If several rockets are in contention, the one with the highest value wins.

Players are not allowed to talk about the cards in their hand. However, there is an option for communication through radio communication tokens. Each player has one token that can be used exactly once per mission. It may be used at any time before a trick but never during it. If a failure occurs in a mission attempt, the token may be used again during the next attempt.

To communicate, players can place one of their color cards face up in front of themselves so everyone can see it. This card remains part of the player's set of cards and can be played in the normal way. Placing the radio communication token with the green side up on the card gives crew members additional information about the player's hand.

Scoring and End of Game

The Crew is won or lost together – only if each player is successful, and they help each other, will they be able to complete the missions and win the game. The number of rounds or missions required to win the game depends on the specific mission and its win condition. Players should continue playing missions until all 50 have been completed, aiming for a collective victory.

Common Variants

While the base game is designed for consecutive playthrough of the 50 missions, players can also choose to play the missions out of order if that is their preference. The missions can be found in the logbook at the end of this rulebook.

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

• Failing to follow suit: Players must remember to play a card of the same type as the first player in the trick, if possible, to have a chance of winning it.
• Rushing communication: Communication is essential for success but should be used wisely and strategically to maintain an advantage over the missions' challenges.
• Overusing radio communication tokens: Players should conserve their radio communication tokens for crucial moments in the game.

FAQ

Q: Can I play The Crew with more or fewer than 5 players? A: Yes, The Crew can be played with 2 to 5 players as indicated by its recommended player count.

Q: How do I determine who is the commander for a mission? A: The crew member with the rocket announces this and becomes the commander for the current mission.

Q: Can I play The Crew without the Amazon link provided? A: Yes, while the Amazon link offers an easy way to find the game, it can also be purchased from other retailers or local game stores.