Buccaneer Bones

About this board game

Buccaneer Bones is a 15-minute dice-driven treasure hunt for 1–4 players, challenging pirates to sail their fleets to the Murky Isles and bring three treasures back to port.

Each player begins with six ships positioned at six numbered ports on their player mat. Every ship has its own sailing lane, leading from a port to a sea space and then to an island. On a turn, roll four dice and reroll as many as desired. A pair advances the ship matching that number one space, while three of a kind sends it directly from port to island.

Reaching an island provides a valuable bonus that can shape future turns. The island numbers offer different advantages, including extra dice, the ability to add or subtract from rolled results, or additional rerolls. If a ship on an island rolls three of a kind matching that island, it collects a treasure and returns to port ready to sail again.

• Scout: Place your first mate on an island to gain its power on your next turn.
• Thief: Target a treasure belonging to a player with more treasures, then try to steal it by rolling any three of a kind on your next turn.
• Defender: Remove a thief from one of your treasures.

When no ship can advance, these first-mate options keep the action moving and create opportunities for clever interference. The game ends at the end of the round in which a player collects a third treasure. A sole player with three treasures wins; if several players reach three, the winner is the tied player with more ships farther from their ports.

With play variants included, including solo rules, Buccaneer Bones offers a compact race filled with rerolls, island powers, piracy, and push-your-luck decisions.