I recently went back through some old notes, and I came across the script for the Bermuda Triangle review from the old Gaming on a Budget show. I periodically reviewed board games, and this was one of the archives that I eventually planned to include in the show. I figured I’d post it here for your enjoyment, and hope you find it enjoyable.
Today we review the board game Bermuda Triangle.
Bermuda triangle is a roll and move board game that puts you in control of 4 boats traveling through the Bermuda Triangle. You must go from port to port (note: consider using an Austin Powers reference here), receive rewards for shipments made to those ports, and avoid the mysterious storm that threatens to suck your ships and leave them lost at sea.
As a roll and move game, there isn’t much skill to Bermuda Triangle. In fact, the only decision that you have to make after you roll the die is which ship you want to move. While this does make the game very luck based, it also prevents analysis paralysis, and keeps the game moving along.
The gimmick that makes this game work, though, is the storm. As you go through the game, the main thing that you must take into consideration when deciding which piece to move is that piece’s proximity to the storm. If you have a ship on a straight path to the storm, it might be a good idea to move that ship out of the way, even if it means delaying a port visit by a turn or two.
On the other hand, there is a certain strategy to using the storm. The game ends when one player reaches three hundred and fifty thousand dollars, or when a player loses his last ship. It is possibly, then to seize the lead, lose your last ship, and win the game. This is a rare occurrence, and isn’t something to shoot for, as your loss of ships will generally be slower than your opponent’s ability to catch up to your cash value.
Is this a strategy intensive game? No. Nonetheless, it is a good “beer and pretzels game.” If you are looking for a light thirty minute game that all age groups can enjoy, I recommend searching E-bay for this little gem.