Ahoy Review – Younger Sibling Syndrome on the High Seas

Ahoy is the latest board game from Leder Games, it touts a boatload of asymmetry and only four letters in its title. As we’ve come to expect. However, Ahoy is lighter than their recent games and the approach to asymmetry and teaching asymmetrical games is more refined than ever.

Yet something is missing…

In Ahoy, you’re either the Mollusk Union or Bluefin Squadron fighting for control of different ocean regions. Or a Smuggler, picking up and delivering valuables from island to island.

But no matter who you are, the game plays relatively the same. You roll a handful of dice at the start of the round. Then use these dice to accrue as much fame as you can, two actions at a time.

To use an action, assign a die to a slot in your player board. With some actions like Inspire requiring a specific die-face. But not to worry if you’re known for bad rolls, as you can modify your dice values by 1 for each gold spent.

Otherwise, you can use this gold to recruit crewmates whenever you anchor at an island. Giving your ship less-than-powerful advantages. One example is the Gunner who does extra damage during battle.

Where the factions differ is the Bluefins and Mollusk Union gain fame by exploring new regions and controlling them. While the Smugglers earn fame by delivering goods, and well… gambling. It is a pirate game after all!

You see each time they deliver a good to an island, they put it into a Bluefin or Mollusk pile. Essentially, placing a bet on who’s going to rule that region at the end of the game. Additionally, as they deliver goods to islands, they also increase the fame earned for ruling those islands. Making them a more tempting target for the other two factions.

What’s the story, morning glory?

Root is a stand-out game because of the narrative it creates throughout each play. Whenever you finish the game, you feel like you just watched a movie. By comparison, Ahoy feels one note. There are no struggles or rising tensions throughout the game.

Anything you want to do is done easily enough. So instead of the expected highs and lows of rocky seas, Ahoy sails on calm water.

One reason for this is the power dynamic of the factions never really changes. But another is that there’s not enough oomph in the crewmates you recruit. They provide minor upgrades at best, and as such they don’t change the identity of your faction enough for it to become personalised.

This is a continued theme throughout the game, where everything feels watered down. From the limited amount of what you can achieve with two actions, to the war between the Bluefin Squadron and the Mollusk Union.

Although, maybe war isn’t the right word. As players rarely meet up and shoot cannons at each other, instead it’s a game of cat and mouse across the seven seas. Where they avoid contact as much as possible, but still maneuver to clean up as many of the opposing players’ tokens as they can.

This is mostly due to the asymmetry of the factions, where one is strong and the other is fast. But also because fighting is so costly. It takes multiple actions to load the cannons and attack. Then you’re still not guaranteed an outcome. So you’re better off avoiding fights altogether if you can.

That applies to the Bluefin Squadron and Mollusk Union, meanwhile, the Smugglers are relegated to cheerleader status. Although they change how much fame each region is worth, and can play kingmaker in the overall battle. Their actions aren’t as interesting, and a non-interactive gambling mechanic determines if they’re going to win.

Compared to the other two factions, they have a lot less agency. Meaning whenever you play the Smugglers you’re usually wishing you were a different faction.

Learning the game is harder than it looks

Despite being on the lighter side, the complexities around the asymmetry make Ahoy a medium-weight game. I found learning the game to be a frustrating experience. Several rules took a while to click, and I found the rule book a step backward from Leder Games’ other titles.

Specifically, Oath: Chronicles of Empires and Exile did a fantastic job of going through some introductory turns, and explaining the motivations behind the actions of the different factions. This was sorely missed in Ahoy, as it took a couple of games to understand and feel how you were meant to play these factions.

That said, the new approach of giving everyone a mini rule book is great. Except, in this case, these books didn’t teach enough about the factions or the exceptions they add. Meaning I still had to give a rules explanation after we finished the book club.

Now although Ahoy is a better-than-average board game, it’s a miss coming from Leder Games. Dragged down by the expectations created from their previous hits. Hits that commit to their design philosophies for better or worse. Ahoy, on the other hand, is a more placated experience that misses the hook that keeps you coming back play after play.