The Crew: Mission Deep Sea Review – Just Middle-Think It
Basically: I put The Crew: Mission Deep Sea to the ultimate test by playing it with both hardcore tabletop veterans and a group whose idea of heavy strategy is Candy Land. The result? It completely blew me away. This cooperative trick-taking game easily cemented itself in my top ten games of all time.
I have played this game with a few vastly different groups now. On one side, I had a table of seasoned gamers, which included my 7-year-old son Wyatt. On the other side, I played with a much more casual group featuring a kid exactly Wyatt’s age. And when I say casual, I mean their usual rotation consists of Candy Land, Uno, and Monopoly. Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with those games, but I want you to understand the sheer gap in tabletop experience between these two groups.
Here is the crazy part: both groups got it immediately. Even the kids were completely locked in. I will fully admit that Wyatt understood the assignment faster than I did. My best advice for this game is this: don’t overthink it. Just, uh, middle-think it? It is not overly complicated, but it is not easy either. It is just pure, unadulterated fun.
How It Works
If you are wondering how a card game pulls this off, it is a cooperative trick-taking game. If you have ever played Hearts or Spades, you know the basic mechanics. Someone plays a color, everyone else has to follow suit, and the highest number wins the trick. But in The Crew, you are all on the same team.
Every round, the game gives you a set of random tasks. Maybe I need to win the green 4, and you need to win exactly two tricks total. The catch is that we are completely forbidden from talking to each other about what is in our hands. You have to use logical deduction, subtle card plays, and a very limited token system to signal your friends. It creates these incredibly tense, silent moments that erupt into cheering when you finally pull off a crazy maneuver together.
The Obsession is Real
I love this game so much that I immediately went out and bought the upgraded components from the BoardGameGeek store. I am even picking up the original space-themed version (The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine) at the Dice Tower Con East Virtual Flea Market. Yes, I have a problem, but it is a good problem to have.
The Kid’s Take (Wyatt, Age 7)
Like I said, Wyatt grasped the strategy of this game faster than his old man. For a game that requires silence and deduction, keeping a 7-year-old focused is a minor miracle. The fact that he was actively plotting out trick-taking strategies and outsmarting the adults tells you everything you need to know about how well-designed this is.
Final Verdict
This is definitively going into my top ten games. It is accessible, brilliant, and I will be playing it for years to come.
