It's not often that someone produces a game with such exceptional build quality and that's such great fun to play. The moment you open the solid wooden box of the standard version, or the booty filled Captain's Chest version, and feel the weight of the metal galleon pieces, the bags of doubloons and piles of coloured glass 'jewels', you know you're onto a winner. Dread Pirate is a game of buried treasure, high-seas trading, cannon battles, hungry sharks and cut-throat play. The aim is to become the best pirate, amass the greatest fortune and crush your enemies - you can win by successful legitimate trading, or by trying to plunder jewels and coins from opposing captains and their ships (which sounds riskier but more fun!). The game takes place on a beautifully printed cloth map where islands, coves and treacherous seas are yours to explore, conquer, or become lost in. Dread Pirate is a wonderful family game, built the way games used to be. The Captain's Chest version has larger ships and doubloons, a larger map, and of course everything is packed into a chunky wooden chest.