How to Play the Ship Captain Crew Dice Game

If you’re looking for a fun but simple game to play with your friends, Ship Captain Crew is the perfect choice. During the game, you’ll roll dice trying to get the highest score, but you have to roll numbers in a specific order before earning points. All you need are 5 dice and a group of people, so keep reading for all the rules to get you rolling, plus some exciting variations to try out.

How to Play Ship Captain Crew

On your turn, roll 5 six-sided dice up to 3 times. Set aside a 6 (Ship), 5 (Captain), and 4 (Crew) in that order, and score points for the value of the 2 leftover Cargo dice. Whoever scores the most points during a round wins the game.

Section 1 of 5:

Setup

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1
Set out 5 six-sided dice for the players. You need at least 2 players for a game of Ship Captain Crew, but it’s the most fun with more people. Use the same set of dice for all the players, or give each person their own.
- When you roll the dice, a 6 is known as the Ship, a 5 is the Captain, and the 4 is the Crew. The other 2 dice become the Cargo and their total count as points when the round is over.
Take turns rolling a single die, and whoever gets the highest result takes the first turn. If there’s a tie, have all the tied players keep rolling the die until someone gets a higher value.^{[1]
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Section 2 of 5:

Gameplay

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1
Roll the 5 dice up to 3 times trying to get a Ship, Captain, and Crew. When you roll a Ship (6), Captain (5), or Crew (4), they get set aside. However, you must take them in order, so you must roll a Ship before a Captain, and a Captain before a Crew. If you don’t get Ship, Captain, or Crew on your first roll, then roll the remaining dice to try again. You may roll the dice a total of 3 times.
- For example, if you rolled a 5 or 4 but didn’t get a 6, then you can’t keep any of the dice.
- If you aren’t able to get Ship, Captain, and Crew within your 3 rolls, then your turn is over and you automatically score 0 points for the round.
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Reroll cargo if you want to try increasing your score. If you’re able to set aside a Ship, Captain, and Crew within 1 or 2 rolls, then you can choose to stop with the Cargo you have or use your rerolls for a chance at a higher score. If you choose to risk it, roll both dice and keep the result, even if it’s lower.^{[2]
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- The lowest number you can roll is 2, and the highest you can roll is 12. If you have 5 or lower on your Cargo dice, there are good odds that you’ll get a higher number if you reroll.

Section 3 of 5:

Winning the Game

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Pass the dice to the next player to the left so they can take their turn. As players roll the dice, keep track of their scores. Once everyone has taken a turn, the game is over. Whoever had the highest score from their Cargo dice wins the game!

Section 4 of 5:

Rule Variations

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Track the score for multiple rounds for a longer game. Write down the scores for the round on a sheet of paper. Start a new round with the player to the left of whoever went first last round. Tally up the scores in between rounds, and whoever earns the most points after 10 rounds wins the game.^{[3]
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- Alternatively, have the player who won the last round choose a player to start the next round.
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Make the losers drink to play Ship Captain Crew as a drinking game. Play the round as you normally would, but have anyone who lost the game sip from their drink or take a shot.^{[4]
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- As an extra incentive to win, play so the winner gets to choose the type of drink that the losers have.
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Ante in for each round if you want to try a gambling game. At the start of each round, have each player put a poker chip or a quarter into the middle of the table for the “pot.” Play the game as normal, and whoever has the highest score wins the entire pot for themselves.
- If there’s a tie and no one wins, no one wins the pot. Everyone adds another ante to start the next round.
Normal Ship Captain Crew rules force you to roll both Cargo dice. With shifting cargo, you only have to choose one die to roll so you can save one that’s a higher value.
Instead of rolling a 6, 5, and 4 on their turn, players now must roll a 1, 2, and 3 in that order before they’re able to earn points.
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Award bonus points if you don’t reroll your dice. If you choose not to reroll your Cargo dice after getting a Ship, Captain, or Crew, you can earn points for however many rolls you didn’t use.
- Example: If you rolled a 6, 6, 5, 4, 1 on your first roll, you could set aside the Ship, Captain, and Crew and stop to earn 9 points (7 points from the 6 + 1, and 2 points from the unused rolls).

Section 5 of 5:

FAQ

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What is the tiebreaker for Ship Captain Crew? The tied players take one more turn to roll the dice. Just like their regular turn, they have to roll 6, 5, and 4 in order to score the other 2 dice. Whoever has the highest score after that wins the game.
- On the rare chance there’s still a tie, keep playing tiebreaker rounds until somebody wins.
2
What is the probability of getting Ship, Captain, and Crew on your first roll? You have about a 15-30% chance of rolling the ship, captain, and crew dice based on players who calculated the probability.
- If you don’t get it on your first roll, it’s about a 50% chance that you’ll get the dice you need for scoring in the next 2 rolls.

Expert Q&A

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How do I get the rolls that I want?

Jess Hamlet
Board, Card, and Dice Game Expert
Jess Hamlet is a Board, Card, and Dice Game Expert based in Springfield, Missouri. She is the owner of Village Meeple, Springfield’s first Board Game Cafe. The cafe charges an admission fee that grants customers access to over 420 board games while they enjoy the atmosphere. They also serve food and drink, sell board games and accessories, and host private events. They also host events of their own, and put on teaching sessions for a variety of tabletop games for members of the community to come learn. Their board game shop hosts a wide variety of products, including party games, small box games, kid-friendly games, and dice games. Village Meeple champions the growth of in-person gaming, educational encounters, and table-top adventure in the community. Jess received an MBA from Southwest Baptist University and a Bachelor’s in Sports Medicine and Athletic Training from Missouri State University.

Jess Hamlet

Board, Card, and Dice Game Expert

Expert Answer

If you want specific rolls, there are methods like weighted dice or controlled rolling techniques that can be used or learned. But these methods are generally considered unfair and unreliable. What everyone wants is fair play, and the best method is to let the roll of the dice be up to chance.

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Tips

There isn’t a lot of strategy to the game since it relies on the luck of a dice roll. Just relax and have some fun when you play!

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Warnings

If you’re playing Ship Captain Crew as a drinking game, pace yourself and drink responsibly because rounds can go by quickly.

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