VERITAS BOARD GAMES

Ever wanted to know what it's like to fly a plane?
In Sky Team, you get the chance, with one main mission: to land the plane successfully! However, this is more difficult than it seems at first glance, as verbal communication is not allowed during the entire flight. At this point, it might be a good idea to go over the safety instructions with the passengers, as there is a high chance of a bumpy flight. 😉

Prepare for the flight:

Agree who will be the pilot (blue) and who will be the co-pilot (orange). The dashboard is placed between the pilot and co-pilot and serves as the cockpit. Both pilots also get their own screen, which serves as a partition for the dice, so that the pilots do not know each other's dice values.
Also useful: on the inside of the screen there are important reminders as well as the requirements for a successful landing.
There are 21 flight paths (also called approach paths) around the world.
The approach track and the altitude track (showing the flight altitude) must remain synchronised with each other and are placed at the top of the cockpit.
There are also three mini tokens that need to be laid out on some of the tracks: The aerodynamics stones are blue and orange. The blue one shows the minimum speed, which is placed between the numbers 4 and 5 on the speedometer. The orange one represents the maximum speed and is placed on the same meter between the numbers 8 and 9.
There is also a red brake token, which is always placed on the left of the 2 on the brake track at the start of the game. We also have a total of 12 aeroplane tiles, 3 coffee tiles and 3 re-roll tiles, more about these later.

Flying the plane:

Every round consists of 3 phases:

1. Consult and roll dice
2. Take actions
3. End of round

Consult and roll dice: The consultation is intended to discuss the overall strategy, for example: ‘let's not wait too long to use the brakes’, but you are not allowed to discuss the value of a dice roll or that a certain number must land on a certain square. From the moment the pilots roll their dice, there is no further communication allowed.

Take actions: placing dice are the actions you perform as a pilot/co-pilot. Each pilot has 4 dice and therefore 4 actions to perform. The mandatory fields that must be filled in on the cockpit are marked with a ⚠️. These include the axis and the engines.

• Axis: the axis must remain balanced, i.e. it must not end up at ❌, otherwise the plane will tilt and it will be game over immediately. On some flight paths, the axis must even end up in a specific position due to the many turns that have to be made.
• Engines: the engines determine the speed of the aircraft. You must take into account the landing gear (which can only be operated by the pilot) and the aircraft flaps (which can only be operated by the co-pilot), but also make sure that you do not fly too fast or too slow in gusty winds or heavy air traffic.

The other spaces that can be filled are:

• Radio: this allows pilots to communicate with the control tower to avoid collisions with other aircraft (represented by the aircraft tokens). The pilot has 1 space and the co-pilot has 2 spaces to remove the aircraft out of the way in time.
• Concentration: flying a plane requires focus, so if a pilot places a dice on this space, they receive a coffee token to help them stay alert.
  This can be used to increase or decrease the value of the dice by one.
• Braking: at the end of the flight, sufficient braking must be applied to bring the aircraft to a standstill after landing.

End of round: in this final phase, the aircraft descends and a decision is made as to whether everything is still in order to continue the flight (start a new round) or whether the flight has already come to an end. (And are you ready for another attempt?)

- Text continues after slideshow -

The Montreal flight route can be seen as a warm-up, after which the real work begins! From that moment on, each flight route has its own challenges and the pilots' skills are put to the test; weather conditions can cause heavy air traffic or the plane may experience a fuel leak. An intern accompanies the flight to Atlanta and must be successfully trained during the flight. To land in Keflavik, they have to take into account a frozen runway, but a combination of these factors can also affect the landing. These are just a few examples of what you will encounter as a pilot in Sky Team, and this also means that there are some new mandatory spaced added that must be completed before landing.

Reading the above, you might not dare to even step into the cockpit, but fortunately I can report that the pilots' efforts are also rewarded with special skills that can be used. The right special skill or a combination of different skills can ensure a successful landing even in the most dire situations. During the descent, the pilots also encounter “reroll” tokens, which allow them to reroll at least 1 and up to all 4 dice in the hope of having better luck in the cockpit.

Flight evaluation, or: what do I think of Sky Team?

Gameplay
Before you can play the game, some preparation is required to get the cockpit ready; parts need to be punched out and, for example, the aircraft disc and switches need to be put together, but this is actually quite quick and the instructions are clearly described. A distinction is made between the steps for preparation when you open the box for the first time and the preparation for each game, which is very convenient.
I also think that the rules of the game are explained in a pleasant and clear manner.
There are two rulebooks included: a landing procedure book with a brief overview of the game on the front cover and clear illustrations of the game play inside, and with strategic tips on the back cover that you can easily refer to while playing. You will only need the Flight Log once the aeroplane has successfully landed in Montreal. It describes the new effects and lists the 21 flight routes in order.

I consider myself a novice player in the world of board games, and when playing Sky Team, I spent the first few rounds thinking carefully about which dice to place where, because what would be the best move? After all, I don't know what values my fellow pilot has. Not being allowed to communicate verbally with each other really does add to the difficulty, but at the same time, it makes the game unique and challenging, and it tests cooperation on a whole different level compared to other cooperative games or in real life.
For me personally, Sky Team is challenging every round, because you don't know in advance how the landing will end. The dice determine everything.
Of course, sometimes you quickly realise that the flight is not going to work out, but sometimes it can also end surprisingly well and suddenly you find yourself successfully landing your plane. My fellow player and I also switch roles in a new game, which adds some variety to your actions and can also contribute to a bit of luck (or maybe that's just what I think). I find Sky Team addictive in a way, because I notice that I get so absorbed in the game that I feel really frustrated when I fail to land and want to do everything I can to succeed on my next attempt, but even after a successful landing, I want to fly on to the next city.
It's easy to refer back to the rulebooks while playing, because let's be honest, there's a lot to remember. Every action has a consequence, and especially with the new effects, I sometimes have to consult the rulebook, but as you play more rounds, this becomes less necessary. There are also three flight routes that are officially timed; each round can only last 60 seconds (!). I haven't tried these myself yet. Just the thought of it makes my stress levels shoot up, so for now I'll leave this to the elite pilots.

Theme and Artwork
I think the flying theme has been implemented well throughout. You are really focused on the cockpit and the airspace because that is your playing board. In fact, that's all there is to it.
I like the design on the lid, and the theme and colours are nicely continued on the bottom of the box. There is unity in the colours chosen, which are even reflected on the screens, so you can tell that a lot of thought has gone into this.
The flying theme is also reflected in the details on the special ability cards, and the flight paths are printed on both sides (this compensates for the fuel emissions from the flights! 😉).
The mini-stories accompanying the scenarios are also cleverly conceived and add an extra dimension to the start of a new flight.
The cockpit and all its components are made of sturdy cardboard and are of excellent quality. The switches are not particularly smooth to operate, but it is convenient that you do not have to remove them after every game (note to self: provided you keep the dashboard upright). The tokens and stones are supplied in a bag. I personally put them in a sorting box so that I don't have to worry about losing anything.

Who is this game suitable for?
Sky Team is definitely not a game for everyone. You obviously need to enjoy cooperative games, but you also need to be really good at working together (you have one mission together) and trust yourself. In other cooperative games, you can still consult with each other and a fellow player can make a suggestion for your turn, but in Sky Team you are largely on your own. It is also important that you enjoy strategic thinking and are good at puzzles. In Sky Team, you are constantly placing dice tactically and deciphering what your co-pilot is trying to tell you with his or her dice.
You don't need to be an advanced player, because the rules of the game are explained and illustrated so clearly that even as a beginner you will quickly understand how it works.
And even if you'd rather not get on a plane in real life, you can still have a lot of fun with Sky Team 😊

⭐ Score: 8,5 / 10

This review is not sponsored and does not contain any paid promotion;
it is solely a personal recommendation.