Ship, Captain & Crew
Roll a 6, a 5 and a 4 in order, then load the best cargo.
How to play Ship, Captain & Crew
Ship, Captain and Crew is a quick pirate dice game, also called 6‑5‑4 or Ship, Captain and Mate. You get five dice and three rolls to put a full crew on your ship. Whatever is left over is your cargo, and that is your score. Here you play against 1 to 5 computer pirates.
Goal
Have the highest total score after the last round. You can play 3, 5 or 10 rounds, or until someone has 50 points at the end of a round.
Turn by turn
- Press Roll to throw all five dice. You have three rolls in your turn.
- You need a 6 (the ship), then a 5 (the captain), then a 4 (the crew), in that order. They are set aside for you as soon as they count.
- The order matters. A 5 only counts once you have the ship, and a 4 only once you have the captain. If you roll a 5 and a 4 but no 6, you keep nothing. If one roll gives 6, 5 and 4 together, you keep all three.
- Roll the dice that are left to look for the missing pieces.
- Once ship, captain and crew are aboard, the other two dice are your cargo. Their sum (2 to 12) is your score.
- If you still have rolls left, choose: keep the cargo, or roll both cargo dice again. The new roll counts even if it is lower.
- No ship, captain and crew after three rolls means no cargo: you score 0 this round.
End of the game
Every player takes one turn per round, and the first player moves one seat each round. After the last round the highest total wins. If the top players are tied, only they play extra rounds until one is ahead.
Playing here
Use the buttons, or press R to roll and K to keep your cargo. Press S to skip ahead during the computer turns. There is no money or betting of any kind.
Strategy tips
- Re-roll small cargo. Two dice average 7. With one roll left, roll again on 6 or less and keep 7 or more.
- With two rolls left, aim a bit higher. The second chance is worth something, so the break-even point rises to about 8. Keep 8 or more, roll again on 7 or less.
- Expect to miss sometimes. You find ship, captain and crew in about 54% of turns, so a few zeros are normal. On average a turn scores about 4 points.
- Play the scoreboard in the last round. If you are behind, a safe 8 may not be enough. Roll again to have a chance at a win. If you are already ahead, keep what you have.
- The last player has the edge. They know exactly what they need. The first player moves each round to keep it fair.
Ship, Captain & Crew FAQ
Can I keep a 5 before I have a 6?
No. The ship (6) must come first, then the captain (5), then the crew (4). Dice that do not fit the order are rolled again, and the game sets the right ones aside for you.
Do I have to re-roll both cargo dice?
Yes, in this version both cargo dice are rolled together, and the new sum replaces the old one, even if it is lower.
Is this game related to Liar's Dice or Yacht?
It is a cousin of both. It uses plain six-sided dice like Yacht, and like many pub and pirate dice games it is quick and full of luck.
How do the computer levels differ?
Easy keeps or re-rolls the cargo almost on a whim. Medium only re-rolls small cargo. Hard re-rolls whenever the expected value of the rolls left is higher, and in the last round it plays for the win.
