Sky Team (board game)
{{Short description|Two-player cooperative flight landing board game.}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox game|name=Sky Team|image=SkyTeamLogo.png|designer=Luc Rémond|illustrator={{unbulleted list|Eric Hibbeler|Adrien Rives}}|publisher={{unbulleted list|Le Scorpion Masqué|999 Games|ADC Blackfire Entertainment|Geekach Games|Hachette Boardgames USA|Kaissa Chess & Games|Kosmos|Lavka Games|Lucky Duck Games|Reflexshop|Tabletop KZ|YOKA Games}}|date={{Start date and age|2023}}|genre=|players=2|playing_time=15 minutes|ages=12+|skills=}}
Sky Team is a two-player board game where participants act as pilot and co-pilot to safely land an airplane. It was designed by Luc Rémond and published by Le Scorpion Masqué in 2023.
Development
According to an interview with Polygon, Luc Rémond originally developed Sky Team during the COVID-19 lockdowns as a single-player game, with the two-player communication aspects being added after game testing following the lockdown's lift. The game was published by the Québécois publisher Le Scorpion Masqué, who involved flight commander Robert Piché in the development of one of the game's scenarios.{{Cite web |last=Bouhnik |first=Joëlle |date=2023-10-25 |title=Le Commandant Robert Piché aux commandes de Sky Team |url=https://www.scorpionmasque.com/fr/blog/le-commandant-robert-pich%C3%A9-aux-commandes-de-sky-team |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Le Scorpion Masqué |language=fr-CA}} The game debuted in 2023 and was featured at gaming conventions such as Essen Spiel, Gen Con, and Pax Unplugged.{{Cite web |title=Sky Team touching down at Gen Con |url=https://www.hachetteboardgames.com/blogs/infos/sky-team-touching-down-at-gen-con |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Hachette Boardgames US}}
Gameplay
In Sky Team, players work together as a pilot and co-pilot to navigate a commercial airliner through various landing scenarios. Each player rolls dice at the start of each round hidden from the other player. The game requires silent coordination to allocate the dice to slots representing components of a plane, simulating the management of an aircraft's axis, speed, flaps, landing gear, and communication with the control tower. The objective is to adjust these components over multiple rounds so that the plane lands safely at the arrival airport. Sky Team ends in failure if the plane stalls, overshoots, or collides with other planes from the mismanagement of these components.{{Cite web |last=Meehan |first=Alex |date=2024-01-11 |title=Best Board Games: What to play in 2024 |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/board-game/best-games/best-board-games-2024 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=Dicebreaker |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Law |first=Keith |date=2024-03-22 |title=The 14 Best Cooperative Board Games |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-cooperative-board-games.html |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=Vulture |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-08-08 |title=Sky Team Board Game Soars at Gen Con! |url=https://nerdsonearth.com/2023/08/sky-team-board-game-soars-at-gen-con/ |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=Nerds on Earth |language=en-US}}
Reception
Sky Team garnered significant attention and praise during its showcase at Gen Con 2023, as reported by Polygon. The game was highlighted for its originality, engaging mechanics, and successful integration of a real-world flight experience into the board game format. Charlie Theel, writing for Polygon, described the game as a "wonderful modern board game that balances amusement with simulation" and stated that it was "one of 2023’s best board games, one that is singular and unlike anything else in the hobby".{{Cite web |last=Theel |first=Charlie |date=2023-08-08 |title=Sky Team board game sticks the landing at this year's Gen Con |url=https://www.polygon.com/23823139/sky-team-board-game-review |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}
Sky Team was the winner of Dicebreaker
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{bgg|373106|Sky Team}}
- [https://www.scorpionmasque.com/en/sky-team Sky Team Official Page] at Le Scorpion Masqué
{{Spiel des Jahres}}