LowerShelf Games
September 9, 2023
LowerShelf Games posts new games every week to our blog and add to our Gamebase. These games are free and available for everyone to learn how to play!
Our game this week, On my Boat, was submitted by Gant Laborde.
Whether it be the rocking of a deep-sea boat, the gentle touch of a kayak, or even the noise polluted ruckus of a cruise ship. Everyone can relate to or can imagine what a boat feels like when it is on the water.
Today's game brings us that same sense of comfort, with the ever-so-changing tides. On My Boat is a truly great game for any family or friends looking to pass some time. Players try to puzzle one another and narrow down answers, as they try to become the "Boat's Captain"
The best part about the game is that it requires no materials! So the game works great for road trips, sitting around a campfire, or right before going to bed!
Check out our 1 minute tutorial below!
How to Play On My Boat:
The Goal of the game On My Boat:
You will try and become the Boat’s Captain by asking questions, and attempting to guess what can or cannot be brought on the boat.
The Materials for the game On My Boat:
You don't need any materials for On My Boat! Just need your thinking caps!
The Setup for the game On My Boat:
You need at least 3 players but could really play up to 10 or more. It is possible to play On My Boat with 2 players, but it tends to move the game along better with having multiple players ask questions and guess.
Then you simply will decide on the 1st player to be the Boat's Captain. (Typically easiest if it is the youngest player.
The Boat Captain will then think of a rule in their head.
For Example: Boat Captain will NOT allow anything blue on their boat
The Directions for the game On My Boat:
Once the Boat Captain has decided on their Rule, Player 2 will ask the Boat Captain a question to try and narrow down what the rule is for the boat. The Boat's Captain will answer accordingly, then the player will try and guess the rule.
For Example:
Player 2: “Can I bring a hat on the boat?”
Captain: "No"
Player 2: "Is the rule that there’s nothing with a logo on it?”
Captain: "No"
Then Player 3 will go through the same process using the help of the prior questions and answers, to try and determine the rule as well.
If the Captain is unsure on an answer they can ask a clarifying question.
For Example:
Player 3: “Can I bring a drink on the boat?”
Captain: "What kind of drink?"
Player 3: "Raspberry Gatorade”
Captain: "Yes"
And the game continues on with players asking questions and guessing the rule until a player guesses the rule correctly!
When guessed, the player will become the new Boat Captain and make up their own new rule, while the other players try and guess again.
The Rules for the game On My Boat:
Rules:
You can feel free to make the rule anything when you are Boat Captain, but they should start easy and get harder as the game goes on
Hints:
If at any point players are having trouble guessing the rule, the Boat Captain can give a small hint structured like “I would have allowed Fruit Punch if that were the drink, not Raspberry Gatorade”
Winning:
There is no winner, so play as long as you would like! Or add some points for players who become Boat Captain, and play to a winner.
Wrap-up
On My Boat is an effective and fun game for a variety of ages. The game does a great job at conjuring creativity and also working as a team, as the opposing players try to guess the Captain's rule together.
There are a number of similar games, that try to acheive the same game characteristics. Some of our favorites are What Am I?, the ABC Game, and Association. So go ahead, set sail and get playing!
Have you ever played On My Boat? Do you have a go-to rule you use? Let us know in the comments!
About LowerShelf Games
LowerShelf Games is a free game sharing website that provides a one stop shop for family/party game lovers. The site is a showcase for the numerous games that exist in this world. It provides a single platform for people to not only share games with common items they would find around their house, but also standardized instructions on how to play them.
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