Rum and Bones: Second Tide—A piratical tabletop MOBA

Enlarge (credit: Charlie Theel)

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Rum and Bones: Second Tide is a board game that combines pirates with ideas drawn from Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs). The concept alone is worth a million doubloons; but how well does it work in practice?

If you're not familiar with a MOBA, it's basically an online multiplayer arena brawl where two teams of players square off. Each controls a single character attempting to push up through "lanes" and slay AI-controlled minions as well as opposing heroes. It's an addictive esport due to the intense level of competition accompanying RPG-like character growth. This winning formula has propelled games like League of Legends to the top of the charts.

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