allboardgames.com
Francis Drake box art
2013 Ranked #634

Francis Drake

Elizabethan expedition game where captains provision ships and race to the Spanish Main for treasure and royal favor. Early departures gain the initiative, but each voyage demands difficult choices about crew, guns, trade goods, and backing.

Strategy Games Bluffing Exploration Order Counters Push Your Luck

Players

3-5

Play time

90-120 min

Age

14+

Complexity

2.92/5

Rating

7.38

Harder to teach Highly interactive Deep strategy

Overview

At a glance

Is this game right for my group?

ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.

Teachability 2.3/5

Harder to teach

Replay value 4.0/5

High replayability

Interaction 3.7/5

Highly interactive

Player scaling 4.0/5

Scales well

Strategic depth 4.5/5

Deep strategy

See all 5 specifications

How it plays

How does it play?

Game description from the publisher: Return to a bustling Plymouth Harbor in 1572 as an aspiring Elizabethan captain making preparations for three exciting voyages to the Spanish Main in search of fame and fortune!

Core mechanisms

Key systems that shape the decisions players make.

Read the full game description

Game description from the publisher: Return to a bustling Plymouth Harbor in 1572 as an aspiring Elizabethan captain making preparations for three exciting voyages to the Spanish Main in search of fame and fortune! As captains, players will have to plan their missions and provision their ships accordingly. Francis Drake is a race to see who can set sail and reach the Spanish Main first. The riches of the Aztec and Inca Empires await these swashbuckling captains. Many tough decisions must be made before each voyage: How many crew members, guns, and trade goods will be needed? What supplies will be needed to reach deep into the Caribbean? Will a stronger galleon be needed to attack the treasure fleets? Can special charts from the Spanish Admiral and Governor help? Will the Queen or rich investors back the voyage? What information can the informer give? Will Drake himself be available to guide the voyage? Who will get the use of the Golden Hind? Each new voyage has its own challenges to overcome, but the captured gold, silver, and jewels should greatly please the Queen. Get ready for the voyage of a lifetime!

Browse all classifications

Shopping

Where to buy

No verified retailer offers are available yet. The references below may still help you continue your search.

Unverified shopping references

Editions

Language and publisher variants currently recorded in the catalog.

Edition Year Language Publisher / Region
No editions imported yet.

Player resources

Rulebooks, player aids, FAQs, and solo resources.

No files imported yet.

Game and edition data

All specifications (5)

Play and group

Players
3–5
Best with
4–5
Play time
90–120 min
Age
14+
Complexity
2.9/5
Credits and catalog connections

Credits

Designers

1
Peter Hawes

Artists

1
Franz Vohwinkel

Publishers

1
Kayal Games

Linked items

No published linked games yet.