Could you manage finding your way in a new place with just a map and a compass? You could do it. Kids could totally do it! Especially if they had a little practice under their belts, especially if the practice came in a play-based way that threw some challenges in their path to really test their skills.
Phantom Seas is a fun game where 2-4 players draw navigation cards that specify how many moves to take and in which cardinal or ordinal direction.
The game is played in rounds. A new round starts with 7 navigation cards and each player selects one on his/her turn, moves his ship according to the direction, with the goal of capturing one of the 22 treasure tiles.
Each treasure tile is worth either 1, 2, or 3 points (determined by the number of locks on the chest) and each has an even on the back. When a player’s ship reaches a treasure tile, flip the tile over and perform the event actions which are either to move the Fantom Ship OR rotate the playing board 90 degrees.
Some of the event tiles are more dreaded than others…
The Phantom ship moves diagonally across the board until it gets to the row or column where the event was located and then continues its movement in a straight line towards your ship and the treasure tile.
If the Phantom ship reaches the player’s ship within the number of movements indicated on the event tile, the treasure goes into the box and the player loses those points. If the Phantom ship does not reach the player’s pirate ship, the player gets to keep the tile for end-game points.
In the event of Turbulent Waters, the playing board is rotated 90 degrees and the compass is also rotated so it continues to point north. Players now have to navigate around the board while NOT being oriented in the same direction as the playing board and compass. This really gives players good practice at orienting themselves and navigating under any circumstances or in any direction.
After 7 rounds, all the navigation cards will have been played or discarded. When this happens, the game ends and each player adds up the total value of all his treasure. The player with the most treasure wins!
Simply Fun games are among the best learning and educational games we have found in our time gameschooling. They are all well planned and designed, beautifully illustrated, are appealing to kids, and fun to play. But they also target specific skills and do a great job teaching those skills in a fun, play-based way.
Phantom Seas focuses on improving directional awareness, a skill that requires practice to master, especially in the modern age of GPS. It helps with three things: Route (where you are pointing), Place (your location), and grid (the relationship between various locations). All three of these aspects of directional awareness work together to form a person’s sense of direction. Developing good navigation is a good idea for emergency and survival skills. It’s always good to be prepared!
Thanks to Simply Fun for another wonderful gameschooling resource for families!
