I worry what it says about me that I love deception board games. Don't get me wrong, I'm terrible at lying. I can't bluff without grinning like a maniac, either. But sniffing out traitors? Yeah, that's my jam - and this is why Traitors Aboard has me in a chokehold. Better still, it's not just a cool hidden role game where you're working against each other. Thanks to its size and the banter it'll fire up between friends, I'd argue that this is one of the best travel board games if you're going away with pals.
A lot of those board games take ages to play. I adore the Cthulhu-themed Unfathomable, for example, and it's a masterclass in backstabbing that gives the best board games a run for their money... but lasts roughly four hours. By contrast, Traitors Aboard doesn't take much more than 10 minutes per session. It's really easy to explain, too; you can dive straight into after a 60-second elevator pitch of the rules.
Most importantly, it combines my favorite deception board games into a glorious cocktail of duplicity. Delicious.
It says a lot that the rules for Traitors Aboard are summed up on the back of the box - you could avoid looking at the instructions at all if you wanted. This is a game you can dive straight into with minimal fuss; there aren't complex mechanics to get your head around.
So, how does it work? You're divided into two groups when play begins: pirates and mutineers. Like all yellow-bellied scallywags, pirates must build up their treasure chest to a certain points-value (determined by the number of players around the table). Meanwhile, dastardly mutineers undo that hard work and make sure the chest doesn't meet its goal.
The way you do this is easy. Each turn, players put one of the cards in their hand (which all have a value of +1, 0, or -2) facedown onto the chest. If you're a pirate, you'll obviously want to place +1s (or 0s, if you're desperate) to increase the score or keep it stable. Mutineers, on the other hand, should add as many -2s as possible to lower that number.
Either way, nobody knows what you just played - and that means you can lie to throw them off the scent. Did you place your second -2 card in a row? Say it was a 0, because you ran out of +1s. The contents of the chest are only revealed at the end of the game, so who's to know you were fibbing?
Well, someone might. You can get a sneak peek at the treasure chest by using one of the game's many special ability cards, and that knowledge could turn the tide.
Got your suspicions about someone? Players can then team up to give them a "walk the plank" card, which banishes them from the game. Just be careful swinging that ban-hammer; mutineers can do the same thing after casting suspicion on someone innocent.
It's all a delightful head-scratcher, suffice to say.
Crucially, Traitors Aboard slips into a backpack and doesn't take up much space in play. That means it's ideal if you're going away with friends, no matter whether you play it at the airport, AirBnB, or on even on the beach like a true scurvy dog.
Anyway, I'm taking any excuse I can to play Traitors Aboard right now (it's a pirate's life for me, I suppose), and I'd urge you to give it a go too. It may just become a bright spot of your break.
For more recommendations, don't miss the best family board games. Looking for another portable wonder? Wingspan Pocket shrinks the beloved board game down in size, and it'll land in time for your summer vacation.
