Official Sail Game Rules

Last Updated on October 30, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Sail is a two-player cooperative trick-taking game where communication is limited and every play counts. You and your partner must work together to steer your ship across treacherous waters, battling the mighty Kraken and surviving storms to reach safety. Timing, intuition, and teamwork are key—can you read each other’s intentions without words and make it through alive?

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How to Play Sail (Complete Game Rules)

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Components

• 34 Cards: 27 Player Cards, 6 Pirate Cards, 1 Kraken Card
• 3 Boards: Ocean Board, Kraken Board, Play Area Board
• 5 Trackers: Kraken Meeple, 2 Trick Cubes, Round Disc, Ship Meeple
• 26 Tokens: 1 Start, 1 End, 12 Islands, 9 Kraken Tokens, 4 Storms
• 4 Player Aids

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Setup

1. Arrange the Boards:
   Place the Ocean Board between both players, with the Play Area Board and Kraken Board on opposite ends.
2. Choose a Scenario:
   Select a scenario from the Scenario Book and set up tokens (Islands, Storms, etc.) as indicated.
3. Select Pirates:
   Each player picks a Pirate Card, which grants them unique abilities.
4. Position Trackers:
   • Place the Kraken Meeple on the lowest space of the Kraken Board.
   • Put the Trick Cubes on the “0” of each Trick Track.
   • Place the Round Disc on “1” on the Round Track.
   • Set the Ship Meeple on the Start Token.
5. Prepare the Decks:
   • Kraken Deck: Shuffle cards numbered 1–2 and place them face up below the Kraken Board. Add the Kraken Card to the bottom.
   • Player Deck: Shuffle cards numbered 3–9 and place them face down on the Play Area Board.

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How to Play Sail

The game is played over a maximum of five rounds, though players can lose sooner if the Kraken prevails.

Communication Rule

You may discuss strategy before a round, but no communication is allowed after cards are dealt until all tricks of that round are played.

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1. Deal and Exchange

• Each player is dealt 9 cards from the Player Deck.
• Each player secretly chooses one card to give to the other before looking at the card they’ll receive.

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2. Playing Tricks

• The player with the Round Disc leads the first trick. Afterward, the winner of each trick leads the next one.
• The lead player plays a card, then the other must play a card of the same color if possible.
• The highest card of the lead color wins the trick.
• Advance the winner’s Trick Cube one space and discard both cards.

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3. Performing Actions

Certain combinations of symbols on played cards trigger actions:

Card Combination	Effect
Ship + Sail	Move the ship forward toward the trick’s winner.
Ship + Cannon	Move the ship forward and deal 1 damage to the Kraken.
Sail + Sail	Move the ship forward and take 2 Kraken damage.
Ship + Wheel	Advance the ship forward one space straight.
Cannon + Cannon	Perform a Cannon Action (flip the top card of the Player Deck, resolve its action, and discard it).
Any other combo	No effect; still advance the Trick Cube.

Cannon Actions may include:

• Moving the ship forward,
• Moving the ship straight ahead, or
• Dealing damage to the Kraken.

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4. End of Round

A round ends when one player wins four tricks. Then:

1. The Kraken damages the ship according to its current position on the Kraken Board.
2. Move the Round Disc to the next number.
3. Reset Trick Cubes to zero.
4. Shuffle all cards (discarded + unplayed) to form the new Player Deck.

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Hazards at Sea

• Islands: The ship cannot enter island spaces. If a move would land on an island, the ship does not move.
• Kraken Spaces: Entering one causes damage to the ship.
• Edge of the Board: The ship cannot move off the map.

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Winning and Losing

You Win If:

• The ship reaches the End Token before the end of Round 5.

You Lose If:

• Round 5 ends before reaching the End Token.
• The ship hasn’t passed the first storm by the end of Round 2.
• The ship hasn’t passed the second storm by the end of Round 4.
• The Kraken Card is the only one left in the Kraken Deck.
• The Kraken Meeple reaches the final “Dead” space.

If an effect causes both a win and a loss simultaneously, you win.

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FAQ: Sail Game Rules

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Conclusion

The Sail game blends trick-taking mechanics with cooperative strategy, where every decision pushes your ship closer to victory—or doom. Fans of cooperative games like The Crew or Forbidden Island will love mastering the teamwork and timing that Sail demands. Gather your first mate, face the Kraken, and set sail toward victory!