How to Play Sky Team

Last Updated on July 17, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Sky Team is a cooperative board game where two players work together as pilot and co-pilot to land a passenger plane. Combining elements of puzzle-solving, resource management, and real-time pressure, players must coordinate their actions to navigate obstacles, manage the plane’s systems, and land safely.

buy now!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see our disclosures here.

SKY TEAM OVERVIEW

In Sky Team, you and your partner take on the roles of a Pilot and a Co-Pilot attempting to safely land a commercial airplane at busy airports around the world. Landing a plane involves more than just aiming for the runway. You must communicate with Air Traffic Control to avoid mid-air collisions, manage your descent and speed to ensure a proper approach, deploy flaps and landing gear in the correct order, maintain balance along the plane’s axis, and finally brake before you overshoot the runway. Every decision counts—success depends on silent coordination and strategic dice placement under pressure.

GAME SETUP

Preparing the Control Panel

Remove All Advanced Modules
When opening the box for the first time, discard all Control Panel parts marked with the advanced module icon. These are for later games.
Assemble the Plane Components
- Stick the airplane sticker onto the Airplane Axis disc and place it in its designated space.
- Apply the 9 double-sided stickers to the marked areas inside and on the back of the Control Panel.
- Insert the 10 Switches onto the green indicator lights on the panel.
Set the Control Panel
- Place the Control Panel between the two players, ideally sitting side by side.
- Rotate the Airplane Axis so its arrow points to the black triangle.
- Ensure all switches are covering their respective green lights.
Set Gauges and Trackers
- On the Speed Gauge, place:
  - The blue Aerodynamics marker between 4 and 5.
  - The orange Aerodynamics marker between 8 and 9.
- On the Brake track, position the red Brake marker just left of the “2”.
Assign Roles and Dice
- The player on the blue side becomes the Pilot (receives 4 blue dice).
- The player on the orange side becomes the Co-Pilot (receives 4 orange dice).
Insert Tracks
- Slide the Altitude Track (green/yellow side up) into the top-right slot until “6000” is visible in the display window.
- Insert the YUL Montréal-Trudeau Approach Track into the top-left slot until the correct symbol appears in its window.
Place Tokens
- Add Reroll tokens to each reroll icon on the Altitude Track.
- Place Airplane tokens on each space of the Approach Track that shows a Traffic icon.
- Create a Coffee token reserve off the board.
- Each player receives a player screen with gameplay reminders inside.

GAMEPLAY STRUCTURE

Sky Team is played over 7 rounds, each representing 1,000 feet of descent. Each round consists of 3 phases:

Phase 1: Briefing and Dice Roll

You may discuss your strategy freely (e.g., “We need to clear the second plane,” or “We should try to advance 1 space.”).
You may not discuss your dice or numbers. No hints, no indirect clues.
After planning, each player rolls all 4 of their dice behind their screen.
From this point until the end of the round, no talking is allowed, unless correcting a rules mistake.

Phase 2: Dice Placement

Take turns placing one die at a time onto the Control Panel, following these rules:

Color Restrictions:
- The Pilot may only use blue spaces.
- The Co-Pilot may only use orange spaces.
- Some spaces are dual-colored and may be used by either player.
Number Restrictions:
- Many spaces only accept certain die values. You must respect these limits.
- For example, the Flaps’ first slot only accepts dice showing 1 or 2.
Mandatory Actions:
- Each round, both players must place:
  - One die in the Axis section.
  - One die in the Engines section.
- Failing to do so results in instant loss.

Phase 3: End of Round

Once all 8 dice are placed, speech resumes.
The plane descends by 1,000 feet—advance the Altitude Track one space.
Return all dice to the players.
If the Airport symbol appears in the Position window and the Airplane symbol appears in the Altitude window, proceed to the final landing round.
Otherwise, begin a new round.

KEY ACTION AREAS

AXIS (Mandatory)

Controls the plane’s horizontal roll. After both Axis dice are placed:

If values are equal, the plane remains level.
If values differ, rotate the Airplane Axis toward the higher die’s player, by the difference in values.
If the axis arrow ever reaches or passes the red danger zone, the plane spins out of control—you lose.

Endgame Requirement: The axis must be perfectly horizontal at the end of the final round.

ENGINES (Mandatory)

Determines forward motion. After both Engine dice are placed:

Add their values for total speed.
Compare to the blue and orange Aerodynamics markers on the Speed Gauge:
- If less than the blue marker: Don’t move.
- Between both markers: Advance the Approach Track 1 space.
- Greater than the orange marker: Advance the Approach Track 2 spaces.

Hazards:

Collision: Advancing into a space with an Airplane token = lose.
Overshoot: Advancing past the airport = lose.

Final Round Rule: Instead of comparing speed to the Aerodynamics markers, compare it to the Brake marker. If your speed exceeds your brakes—you crash!

RADIO

Clears air traffic by removing Airplane tokens:

The Pilot has 1 space, Co-Pilot has 2.
The die’s value = how many spaces ahead to remove a plane from, starting from the Current Position.
If no token is in that space, the action has no effect.

LANDING GEAR

Deploy in any order, using valid die values.

Flip the associated Switch to green.
Move the blue Aerodynamics marker forward one space.
Re-activating an already deployed gear has no effect.

Endgame Requirement: All Landing Gear switches must be green.

FLAPS

Deploy in strict numerical order: 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, etc.

Use valid dice values to activate the next Flaps slot.
Flip the Switch to green.
Advance the orange Aerodynamics marker forward one space.

Endgame Requirement: All Flaps switches must be green.

BRAKES

Used only in the final round.

Deploy in order: 2 → 4 → 6.
Each new brake increases the red Brake marker by one space.
You don’t need to deploy all brakes, but your final speed must be less than the Brake marker.

CONCENTRATION

Place any die in a free Concentration space to gain a Coffee token.

Max 3 Coffee tokens on the board at any time.
Use Coffee tokens at any time during dice placement to modify a die by ±1 (not beyond 1–6).
Any player may spend them, even if they didn’t generate them.

REROLL TOKENS

If a Reroll token appears in the Altitude space, it becomes available for use that round.
Spend it to allow both players to reroll any number of their dice once.

WINNING THE GAME

You win Sky Team at the end of the final round only if all of the following conditions are met:

No Airplane tokens remain on the Approach Track.
All Flaps and Landing Gear switches show green.
The Axis is level (arrow pointing straight up).
Your final Speed is less than your Brakes.

LOSING THE GAME

You immediately lose the game if:

The Axis arrow reaches the spin zone.
You collide with a plane.
You overshoot the airport.
You descend to 0 altitude without reaching the airport.
You fail to place required dice on the Axis or Engines.

STRATEGY & TIPS

Use the Briefing Wisely: Before dice rolls, discuss your priorities. Plan how many spaces you want to advance and where the biggest risks are.
Body Language through Dice: After rolling, you cannot speak—but your dice placements communicate intentions. Consider how your partner will interpret your move.
Don’t Delay the Axis: Axis dice are mandatory. Saving them for last is risky—place one early if possible.
Coffee Wisely: Don’t waste useful dice—turn them into Coffee tokens when needed. They can be game-saving modifiers.
Timing Matters: Flaps and Landing Gear affect your Aerodynamics, changing how far you move each turn. Use them only when the timing is right.
Read the Approach: Keep an eye on air traffic and prepare to clear your path in time using Radio dice.
Final Round Focus: Prioritize brakes, minimize speed, and align all conditions for a smooth landing.

Sky Team offers a dynamic and strategic gaming experience, combining elements of resource management, negotiation, and competition in the airline industry. With its thematic gameplay and engaging mechanics, it provides an immersive gaming experience for players of all skill levels.