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Description
Also known as 'Rette Sich Wer Kann' ('Each Man for Himself') and often times referred to as 'The Lifeboat Game,' this pure negotiation game puts a different spin on the typical ocean catastrophe. There's been a boating accident, and a rag-tag group of six lifeboats is trying to make its way to one of several islands just over the horizon. However only one boat will make any forward progress in a given turn, so players try to convince everyone to vote for his particular favorite. To further complicate matters, the sailors can't seem to decide which boat they want to be in, so they're constantly jumping out of boats to swim to another one. As if all that wasn't enough, one of the boats springs a leak each turn. If the boat is at maximum occupancy when the leak occurs, then players vote to decide who to toss to the sharks!
Year Published
1993
Featured Videos
Playthrough
Let's Play LIFEBOATS | Board Game Club
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 3
This page: 3
Sentiment:
pos 2 ·
mix 1 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–3 of 3
Video fiEeGFVZK84
Board Game League general_discussion at 0:25 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11874 · mention_pk 34789
Click to watch at 0:25 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong cooperative tension and communication cues
- Appeals to players who enjoy mechanism-based cooperation
Cons
- Can be lengthy if discussions stall
Thematic elements
- Resource allocation under crisis, teamwork, and decision-making under pressure.
- Cooperative survival scenario aboard lifeboats that must be allocated efficiently.
- Crisis-driven, with emphasis on collective problem-solving.
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- resource allocation — Players allocate scarce resources to ensure survival of the crew.
- Team coordination — Group decisions shape the outcome, rewarding effective communication.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is the board game league six
- they're going to earn different numbers of victory points
- our finale Cosmic Encounter
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video bJ5RjGXJsrs
boardgames 4k general_discussion at 1:59 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6388 · mention_pk 18863
Click to watch at 1:59 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- fun social interaction
- clever voting mechanism
Cons
- can be ruthless depending on players
Thematic elements
- leadership, sacrifice, and rescue decisions
- maritime survival with votes and social dynamics
- social deduction-lite with voting tension
Comparison games
- The Resistance
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- player elimination — players vote to push others overboard; balance strategy and compatibility
- vote/auction for elimination — players vote to push others overboard; balance strategy and compatibility
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- probably the greatest party game of all time
- it's a betting racing game
- this is basically one huge massive rondell of a game
- I hate painted miniatures
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video dzNM4yXf7b0
Board Game Club playthrough at 0:48 sentiment: mixed
video_pk 2792 · mention_pk 8136
Click to watch at 0:48 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
mixed
Pros
- highly social and interactive
- funly chaotic; strong table dynamics
- short rounds with escalating tension and dramatic reveals
Cons
- can become mean-spirited or spiteful
- tie-breaks and captain's hat usage can feel unfair
- depends on active player engagement; can stall if players disengage
Thematic elements
- survival, negotiation, and betrayal under pressure
- sea survival after a shipwreck; boats leaking and people being thrown overboard
- humorous, tense banter with sharp social play
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- captain's hats — each player has three captain's hats; playing one can instantly win a vote if alone, but multiple hats cancel each other out
- Hidden Information — cards are played face down and revealed to determine the vote outcome
- negotiation/deals — players negotiate deals to influence votes, though deals are not binding
- risk of sinking — a boat sinks if leaks exceed sailors at end of phase, eliminating all on board
- variable voting weights — sailors, mates, and officers have different voting weights affecting outcomes
- Voting — rounds include multiple votes to determine which boat springs a leak, which sailor is thrown overboard, and which boat moves forward
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a very mean game so I just before we start I want to make sure that we're all friends
- the leaks might happen in which case people might have to be thrown overboard
- we're going to start with determining a first player
- Captain's hats... if only one is played during a vote then the player who played it instantly wins
- there's just no more room on this floating door
- the game rides on this
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–3 of 3