The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine

Name: The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
Brand: Thomas Sing

A trick-taking game where you all win or lose together, and you can barely talk about it.

3.8/5

Players2-5

Play time20 min

WeightLight-Medium

Ages10+

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The verdict

One of the smartest small-box co-ops out there, and worth the $15 alone for that one delicious communication rule. Just round up three or four players and skip the two-player mode.

Best for: Card-game lovers who want a quick, brainy co-op for three or four people

The full review

What it is

Here's the pitch. You know trick-taking, the thing your family does with a deck of cards at the holidays. The Crew takes that and flips it: instead of beating each other, you're all on one ship trying to reach Planet Nine, and every mission hands the table a shared set of goals. Win the trick with this card. Make sure that player takes that one. Designer Thomas Sing's twist is that you have to pull it off as a team, and the whole thing fits in a box smaller than your phone.

The catch

Now the part that makes it sing. You can't tell anyone what's in your hand. Each mission you get exactly one communication token, and using it lets you slap one card face-up and signal whether it's your highest, lowest, or only card of that suit. That's it. That single restriction turns a simple card game into a genuine puzzle of timing and trust. The honest caveats: the two-player mode leans on a dummy hand and just isn't as good, and because hands are dealt randomly, you'll occasionally get a mission that's a cakewalk or a flat-out brick. A few folks find it more clever than nail-biting.

Who it's for

Who's it for? Grab it if you like card games and want something brainy you can finish in twenty minutes, ideally with three or four people. Real players keep saying the same thing: they're forty plays in and still stuck somewhere around mission fifteen, which tells you how much game is hiding in this little box. It won the Kennerspiel des Jahres for good reason. Skip it only if you need direct table talk or you're mostly playing solo or as a pair.

What other players say

This write-up is grounded in real reviews and player discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading: