Game: Captain Park's Imaginary Polar Expedition

Thread: Re: Ridiculously Funny.

ced1106 — 2008-08-03T09:24:56+00:00

OT: Have you tried the Baron Munshausen "roleplaying" game? *Very* funny and, if you can do a short improv, I think you'll enjoy it!

Thread: Ridiculously Funny.

lord goon — 2008-08-03T06:48:56+00:00

What sets CAPTAIN PARK apart is the so-called "flavor" text on each of the cards that set the pace of gameplay. This are the funniest example of the genre that I've ever come across - a wonderful parody of the self-serious, macho rhetoric of 18th and 19th century explorers. I challenge anyone out there to come up with a game in which the cards themselves make for more entertaining reading.

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Emperor JD — 2007-08-10T20:16:40+00:00

Box cover

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Oersted — 2007-08-03T22:53:03+00:00

Gentlemen, behold my wondrous findings...

Thread: A thorough review of the Captain

schuwa — 2007-07-25T19:20:00+00:00

Games can come in all sorts of flavors from serious, to science fiction, to historical, and even humorous. The latter is what companies like Cheap Ass Games trademark themselves after. Well this game is no exception. Today I will be reviewing a older title of theirs that uses the classic tongue-in-cheek humor they are so famous for.

Title: Captain Park’s Imanginary Polar Expedition

Overview: Players represent con artists, going off on falsified adventures to get prestige. But they must watch out for the infamous Captain Park, the not-yet-caught master con artist adventurer who will reveal the players for who they really are: nothing more than everyday Joes.

Components: The company is called Cheap Ass for a reason. The game costs around $10 and comes with some black-and-white, glossy cardstock cards and a 2 piece board that you have to set together to complete the game. It also comes with a well-written instruction guide. The components are nothing fancy to look at, but they are quite functional. The instructions are extremely well written with illustrations and examples in any area that needs them. If you are looking for a game that has “curb appeal”, this won’t be it. But besides that, the components do their job.

Mechanics: At first glance, the mechanics seem quite unique. The board is a not-at-all accurate map of London, consisting of various shops, newspaper stands, taverns, and other manner of locations.

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Each location is connected to the next, as you can see from the above picture, by “streets”. Players use their movement to go from one location to the next, then, once at the location, play cards from their hands onto the table in front of them. In order to play a certain type of card, you need to be at that location that allows you to play that type. For example, if you want to play a Fact card, you need to be at a Newstand, Photos are played at Gift Shops, etc. The whole theme is you are going around London, collecting odd looking items, stories, pictures, etc. that you will use to corroborate your store of being off on a bizarre adventure. You are supposed to be “gone out of the country”, so while you are doing this, you don’t want to get seen around London. Otherwise, people will know you weren’t gone and your cover is blown!

There are 5 types of adventures, as you can see at the top of the previous picture: Africa, South Pole, China, Everest, and the Amazon. Only certain cards can be used to fake an adventure. For example, a strange looking mask might work for Africa and the Amazon, not for Everest.

The trick? Every time you play a card, a pawn representing Captain Park moves. If he lands on you, he exposes you as a fraud and, hence, not being off on an adventure. Since you have to be gone for X number of months (each turn=1 month), where X is dependent on the number of players, you will have to start over with the number of turns Captain Park does not land on you NOR do you return to the Gentlemen’s club. You can always waste time at the hotel, but you won’t get to collect cards nor play them.

Once you have “been gone” for a number of months, and have cards (i.e. stuff) to prove you were gone, you return to the Gentlemen’s Club to brag (read: collect points). You get points by:
-Having cards (each card is worth a number for each type of adventure, and this will vary depending on which adventure you claim to have been on)
-Having different types of cards will give you a bonus
-Being the first person to that place is worth more than being the second, which is worth more than being the third, etc.
-Going off on the “fad” adventure (which is randomly selected after each person score).
-Being gone longer than the minimum is worth bonus points

Person with the most points at the end, wins.

While the humor on the cards is worth a play or 2, there are a number of things that make this somewhat of a drag:
1. The mechanic of moving Captain Park around is pretty interesting, but it’s basically the same mechanic as Cheap Ass’ other game: Kill Dr. Lucky. And in that game, the mechanic is a lot more smooth and has much more strategy than Captain Park, where the only thing to do is play as many cards as possible to keep him moving until he lands on your opponent.
2. The fact that you don’t lose any cards you’ve played when you get landed on has a massive bearing on the game. Most people will just keep playing cards, and if they get landed on, it’s no big deal, since they can “sleep away their turns” in the hotel. Instead, there should be a penalty of losing cards played if you get landed on.

Strategy: You can see from above there is little strategy here. One thing is to play as many cards as possible to move the Captain so he lands on your opponents. As I mentioned above, this is hardly thought-provoking. The main strategy is weighing how long to stay “out” for collecting bonus points of you are gone longer than the minimum number of months versus going back to make sure you are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc on that particular adventure. While this has an element of bluffing, it rarely is a game breaker and Cheap Ass missed their chance to make this shine.

Does it work as well with few (i.e. 3-5) players as many (i.e. 6-7) players? It probably works best with more people since the captain will be moving a lot more, which is the only thing to keep it interesting. While the months needed to be done scale UP for LESS people, it still doesn’t make up for the mechanics.

What level of Randomness does this game contain?: Using my Randomness Grading , it is a 7.

What type of Aggression does this game have?: Using my Biochemistry of Aggression , the majority of the game follows a Non-Competitive Aggression type.

Good for kids?: The rules are so simple and there is little strategy to it, that yes, it is pretty good for children. Much of the humor on the cards will be lost to many kids, but they can certainly enjoy the game nonethless.

Will my non-gaming spouse/friends like it? Based on the Non-Competitive Agression of the game, the answer is “Yes”. Although, again, there is little replay value here unless they find the humor constanly amusing.

Should I buy it?: I would advise most people to skip this and spend that hard earned $7.50 on Kill Doctor Lucky. The main mechanic is better represented in that game and there’s actually a fair amount of strategy to keep the gamer interested while the non-gamer can still enjoy it. My final verdict: Skip It.

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ooogene — 2007-01-21T02:54:51+00:00

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beri — 2006-10-19T04:33:27+00:00

The conclusion of a fine series of imaginary adventures.

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Schlupp — 2006-10-10T15:04:56+00:00

Captain Park's - Back side

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Ravsitar — 2006-09-04T05:18:03+00:00

Simulated game play

Thread: Underrated

Hotntot — 2006-05-19T14:51:00+00:00

C-PIPE is heavily underrated among most geeks. I rate it a clear 8, which is somewhat higher than the 6,1 average.

The game story is quit simple: You ponder around in London, hiding out from your club mates, as you told them you were leaving the country and go exploring the hidden parts of the world.

The purpose of this game is hence visiting enough London antique shops, libraries and coffee shops to pick up plenty of semi-strange items and stories - aka souvenirs - and use them in the club to cheat and impress your club mates - without getting caught in the act. After all, they think you went cliff hanging in Himalaya, exploring inner Africa and meeting natives in South America.

I like this game, because a central - but not scoring - part of the fun is trying to make your acquired items and stories highly impressive and convincing to your mates.

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puppi — 2005-03-07T16:53:20+00:00

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Yogurt — 2005-02-19T13:33:14+00:00

Anecdote and Fact cards

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Yogurt — 2005-02-19T13:33:13+00:00

Photograph and Hero cards

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edosan — 2004-09-17T20:14:44+00:00

Card samples

Thread: User Review

zombiemonkey — 2004-04-01T17:22:11+00:00

Captain Park's Imaginary Polar Expedition is a game involving tall tales of high adventure and derring do, recounted to the excited members of a Gentlemen's Club in London. Captain Park has been spinning these improbable yarns for a while now, and the players have discovered that the deceitful old geezer has in reality not once stepped outside of London's borders - instead, he has been traipsing through Antique Shops, Gift Shops and other secluded emporiums collecting anecdotes, artifacts, facts and details of lost heroes in order to 'prove' that he has been on a dangerous jaunt to a savage and unexplored land. Determined to share a slice of the Captain's ill-gotten fame, the players decide to scour London for their own stories and trinkets which will prove beyond any reasonable doubt that they too have been on trips to far off continents in search of adventure.

Captain Park's Imaginary Polar Expedition plays very similarly to Kill Doctor Lucky, which is no bad thing as far as I am concerned. Players take one step at a time (and then a month counter, signifying that they have been out of sight for a month), drawing a card if they arrive in a Café and laying a card if they arrive in a relevant place (Artifacts can be 'collected' at antique shops, facts at News Stands, heroes at the Hall of Records, photographs at the gift shops and anecdotes at the Gymnasium). A card laid in front of a player is then part of their inventory. Once back at the Gentlemen's Club after a specified number of months (according to the number of players the required time to be spent out of sight varies), all cards in a player's inventory can be scored as an adventure, along with bonus points dependent on variety of cards, amount of extra time spent away, extra points for going to the current 'fad' location and for being among the first explorers to visit a particular place. Obviously all month counters are lost once players arrive back at the club. The first player to reach a set number of points (again this total depends on the number of players) wins the game.

Adding a slight complication to the proceedings is the fact that whenever a player places a little white lie into their inventory, Captain Park takes a step around his Doctor Lucky-style route through London (following a route according to the number, going from 1 to 2, 2 to 3 and so on). Activating Captain Park gives the activating player another turn, and if this means they play another card, Captain Park moves again until no cards are played. If Captain Park lands on a player, that player has been 'seen' and can no longer lie about being on an adventure...and therefore has to lose all accumulated month counters. Once out of sight again, players can restart the process of collecting months...

The board and cards are of slightly higher quality than is often expected of Cheapass, with the cards being double sided (one side bearing the Captain Park logo) and being a little sturdier than usual. The usual Cheapass sense of humour is prevalent throughout, and much enjoyment can be had from recounting the strange and wondrous adventures once safely back at the Gentlemen's Club, simply by reading the very funny text on each card. It does help to embellish a little - and to have players willing to join in by questioning the adventurer on details of his journey. I can see the humour getting a little old after several games, but by the time that this happens players will have had more than their money's worth from the game.

Captain Park's Imaginary Polar Expedition is fit to sit proudly alongside Cheapass Games' other fine titles, perfect for gamers uninterested in heavy strategy games or mainstream dice rolling fare such as Monopoly. Those looking for a less serious game with plenty of laughs and very light strategy to add to their collection would be well served by the lying old git and the gullible London toffs. Highly recommended.

Thread: User Review

rochs77 — 2003-02-14T00:56:14+00:00

Captain Park's Imaginary Polar Expedition is a witty game by the people at Cheapass. I like Cheapass' premise that all games are basically the same with expensive parts. That is not always true, as anyone who reads the Geek can attest.

PRODUCTION

This section will, of course, be rather short. The production is typical cheapass: cardboard box, light card playing boards, and light card cards. The cards are actually a step up from Dr Lucky cards, these actually have some gloss and have the Captain Park image on the back. Not bad for Cheapass.

MECHANICS

This game has been described as "avoid Dr Lucky", and that is a good way to sum it up. You have discovered that the famous Captain Park had actually never been to the South Pole. What he had done instead is visit various locations in the English town of Stepney collecting stories, artifacts, and pictures to "prove" he had in fact been to Antarctica. You could turn him in, but have decided to get some fame of your own. You and your friends decide to have "adventures" of your own to China, South America, Africa, and of course Antarctica. But Captain Park won't allow you to steal his thunder that easily.

So the game consists of moving about a board, which the developer describes as "highly uncharacteristic of London", trying to obtain and play cards that will help to "prove" you have been on an expedition. There are cafe's, which is where you draw cards. This is supposedly where people tell you where to get stuff for your proof. This is your hand of cards, which is esentially a shopping list. Then you go to the antique shop to play artifacts from your hand, the Hall of Records to play people from your hand (who are all ostensibly dead), and various other places.

The trick is that you have to be away for at least 3 months (turns) before you can go and cash in your adventure. This is where Captain Park comes in. He moves around the board every time a card is played (a la Dr Lucky), and if he lands on you, you loose all of your month counters and have to start over.

Also, different locations have different values depending on whether you have been there first, second, or third. Also, some are just more popular than others and have bonus points.

GAMEPLAY

Gameplay is rather bland. You move about the board, one space at a time, trying to obtain cards, play cards, and avoid Captain Park.

Your major decisions consist of whether to cash in as soon as you have 3 months (turns), or to wait and accumulate more. All extra months over 3 give you bonus points, but you are still better off cashing in a bunch of smaller adventures rather than one big one.

RATING

This game is funny, that goes without saying. It is worth the $7.00 just to read the cards. It is probably a real hoot if playing with a "Cheapass group". If you get into the game, and like the theme, it can be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I've never found a "Cheapass group". After you have played and read through the cards once, the game gets kind of boring.

I could probably get talked into playing it again, but I think I'm the only one in the group that would try to convince anyone to play this one. I would really like to play it with a group that is really into the theme.

Ratings are out of 10, 10 being the best:
Production: 3
Mechanics:3
Gameplay:3
Overall:3

Thread: Session Report

tipsyweasel — 2002-12-24T05:09:52+00:00

Players: Tami, Dave, Carlos, Pete, Jay, Mike, and Marty.

Tami won this game in the gift exchange, so we decided to play it. Jay had played once before, so we had the rules down fairly quickly.

In many ways, this game plays like Kill Doctor Lucky. There's a non-player pawn that moves around the board by special rules, and each player has a pawn as well. The difference is that in KDL, you're trying to get Dr. Lucky alone in a room, while in CPIPE, you're trying to avoid Cpt Park entirely.

The theme of the game is that the players are all members of the Gentleman's Club in London, and rather than go on real adventures, they are going to just hide out for a few months, pick up some unusual items in thrift shops, and then make up stories of their expeditions. Of course, if you're going to claim to have been to the South Pole for the last three months, you can't get caught at the local Gymnasium.

There's a lot of opportunity for amusement in this game, but clearly we had too many players for that to happen. The Captain moves every time someone plays a card, so he zips around the board quite a lot with 7 players.

If you're a fan of KDL, you'll be happy with the mechanics of this game, but it really felt like a cheap knock-off game. And considering that it's from CheapAss, it's probably true!

Thread: User Review

lorna — 2002-07-25T16:11:23+00:00

Captain Park's Imaginary Polar Expedition is one of last year's contributions from Cheapass games. Like most, it is fun and funny the first time but I'm not sure it will hold up.

You are fellow members of Captain Park's "club." To outdo other club members you must come up with tale tales from abroad without getting caught by Captain Park.

The game plays like a reverse Kill Dr. Lucky. You start with 5 cards which provide you with tall tales. There are 5 different types of tales and each must be played when your marker is on a specific location on the map of "London". When you play a card, Dr. Lucky...er I mean, Captain Park moves. If Captain Park catches you or you land where he is you lose all your "month" counters (1 for each round you have played). Month counters are used to track the minimum amount of time you must wait (depending on number of players) before you can go back to the club and tell your tale tales and score for them. You score for the destination you have "gone" to visit(imaginarily), the number of month couters you have obtained and the number of different kinds of tales told. Bonus points for being the first to a destination and for "fads" (the current popular destination).

No news-breaking mechanics here. A twist on Dr. Lucky but not quite as good or as funny in my opinion. Rating a 5.5

Thread: User Review

MurWiz — 2002-07-15T12:12:35+00:00

We played this on 7/7/02, with two old fogey gamers and three young ones (ages 15-18). While it was a pleasant game, I wouldn't call this a must-have from the Cheapass stable.

The theme of the game is very well realized. You are a not-so-intrepid member of a Gentlemen's Club in London during the late 19th Century or so, at which Capt. Park is also a member. He has returned from one of his many trips into unexplored (insert continent here), and the Club is abuzz. Deciding that anything he can do, you can fake better, you set out to gather evidence that you have actually travelled to (insert dangerous overseas location here).

The problem is that you can't be seen by Park, or the jig is up. That means that you have to plan your moves around the small board (about 16 locations) carefully, because the Capt. moves too--from numbered room to room, whenever anyone plays a card--since a player can play as many cards as he wishes, as long as he moves to a space permitting card play, that means you aren't safe on any numbered space in a large game.

The mechanics are pretty simple. Every turn, you start by taking a "month counter". This represents how long you have been "out of sight"; you must lay low for at least a certain number of months (turn) in a row, which varies with the number of players, in order to convince the Club that you actually went to China. Then, you move to an adjacent location, and either play a card matching that location (Facts at the Newsstand, Heros at the Library, etc.) or finish your turn. Some locations allow you to draw a card, or to exchange cards from your hand for fresh draws, but you end your turn when you land there. As long as you can play cards, you can keep moving. Each time any player plays a card, Capt. Park marches along the board in a prescribed path. If he meets up with any player, that player loses all their "month counters" and is thus set back at least a couple of turns.

Once you have some number of counters and cards in front of you, dash back to the Club and score your adventure. Scoring is determined by (a) your destination, (b) how many other adventurers have been there before you this game, (c) bonus points for visiting the "fad" location, which is determined by a random draw each time a player completes an adventure, and (d) your cards played (as each has a bonus value depending on where you went).

When we played, it seemed like two good (or three mediocre) adventures would win it, and you had less control over the quality of your adventures than you did the timing of where you were when Capt. Park came around. (Never, ever get caught on a numbered space when your opponents have a lot of cards, unless you have just one "month counter" and feel like gambling. One player managed to play far more cards than the winner did, but since he got caught "in the open" several times, he wasn't able to complete two adventures in the time the winner did three.)

The cards are the humorous bits in this game, much like Cheapass's earlier "Witch Trial" and the like. The descriptions of the circumstances surrounding how each artifact, photo, anecdote and companion was found (or lost!) are pretty amusing. And there are of course running gags that get funnier as the game goes on. But this game has too many similarities to "Kill Dr. Lucky"; if you have that one and really enjoy it, then $7.50 for a game you'll play perhaps three or four times isn't too bad.