The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine Board Game Review
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine is a cooperative trick-taking card game designed by Thomas Sing and published by KOSMOS in 2019. It seats two to five players, is rated for ages ten and up, and plays in about twenty minutes. The game won the 2020 Kennerspiel des Jahres, the Golden Geek Best Cooperative Game award, and several others — a record that pushed it toward the top of many recommendation lists. This review covers how it plays, who it suits, and whether it lives up to the reputation.
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine Overview
Players work together as astronauts attempting to reach the mysterious Planet Nine. Across fifty missions recorded in a logbook, the team must complete specific card objectives — winning particular tricks, in particular orders, under particular conditions — all without freely talking to each other.
It is a cooperative trick-taking game, which is a combination that sounds odd on paper but works well in practice. The restrictions on communication are what create the tension.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Designer | Thomas Sing |
| Publisher | KOSMOS |
| Year Released | 2019 |
| Players | 2–5 (with 2-player variant) |
| Age Range | 10+ |
| Playing Time | ~20 minutes per mission |
| Game Type | Cooperative, Trick-taking, Campaign |
| Complexity Rating | 1.97 / 5 |
What’s in the Box — The Crew Components
The box is small and packs efficiently. Everything fits in a compact form that slides easily into a bag.
| Component | Notes |
|---|---|
| 36 task cards (coloured suits) | Four suits in distinct colours; clean, readable design |
| 4 rocket (trump) cards | Always trump any coloured suit |
| 10 task assignment tokens | Numbered 1–5 in each order type |
| 1 commander token (captain standee) | Space helmet design with card reflection detail |
| 1 radio token per player | Used for the single communication action each round |
| 1 logbook | Contains all 50 missions, score tracking for 5 teams |
| 1 rulebook | Comprehensive; some players find it daunting at first |
Card quality is good — they have a linen finish in the English edition. The cards in each colour connect to form a continuous scene, which is a minor design touch but a nice one. The captain standee is the standout component; the detail of playing cards reflected in the helmet visor is a clever nod.
The Crew Pros and Cons
Pros
- 50 missions give substantial replay value in a tiny box
- Setup takes about one minute; teardown even less
- Communication restrictions create genuine tension without complicated rules
- The two-player JARVIS variant works well and holds up
- The campaign pauses and resumes easily between sessions
- Three additional missions were released in spielbox magazine
Cons
- The rulebook reads harder than the game actually is
- Card distribution is random — early missions can occasionally be harder than later ones by chance
- Players unfamiliar with trick-taking will need a primer before the first game
- Not ideal for groups who dislike silent play or restricted communication
How to Play The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
Each session covers one mission from the logbook. Read the mission text, distribute task cards accordingly, then deal out the main deck evenly.
Setup
Shuffle the 40 coloured cards and deal them equally. The player with the 4 rocket card becomes the commander for the round. Draw task cards — these are the specific cards each player must win during that mission. Tasks are assigned based on the logbook’s instructions for that mission.
Turn Structure
The commander leads the first trick. Each player in turn must follow the suit led if they have it. If they do not have that suit, they may play any card. Rocket cards always beat coloured cards. The player who wins the trick leads the next one.
Once per round, each player may use their radio token to communicate one piece of information: place it on one card in your hand to signal whether it is your highest, lowest, or only card of that suit. That is the extent of table talk.
Winning and Losing
The team wins the mission only if every player completes their assigned tasks. One player failing to win their required card — or winning it in the wrong order — fails the whole group. The logbook records how many attempts were needed. Fewer attempts means a better score.
Where to Buy The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
| Platform | Notes |
|---|---|
| Amazon | Widely available; often discounted |
| Thames & Kosmos Store | Publisher’s official store (store.thamesandkosmos.com) |
| Out of Town Games | UK specialist board game retailer |
| Board Game Prices | Price comparison across multiple UK retailers |
| Board Game Arena | Digital version available to play online |
The Crew Game Mechanics
Trick-taking is the core mechanic: everyone plays one card, suits are followed where possible, the highest card of the led suit wins unless a rocket (trump) beats it. Any player familiar with Hearts, Whist, or similar card games will recognise the structure immediately.
What The Crew adds is a cooperative objective layer on top. Instead of trying to win the most tricks or avoid certain cards, the team has asymmetric tasks — player A needs to win the blue 5, player B needs to win the red 3, and so on. Coordinating this without speaking is the actual puzzle.
The communication limit mechanic does most of the heavy lifting. Each player gets one signal per round: place the radio token on a card in your hand to indicate whether it is your only card of that suit, your highest, or your lowest. That single piece of information has to be read and interpreted by everyone else at the table. Getting it right feels genuinely satisfying. If this kind of silent coordination appeals to you, there are other cooperative limited communication games that use similar constraints in very different settings.
The campaign structure through the logbook gradually adds constraints. Some missions require tasks to be won in a specific sequence. Others require one player to win zero tricks. The rules themselves do not change, but the conditions tighten with each mission, which is how a 1.97/5 complexity game still manages to feel demanding by mission 30.
Who Should Play The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
The Crew is well suited to couples and small groups who want something with depth but no long setup. The 20-minute play time means one or two missions in an evening feels natural, and the logbook format encourages returning to it across multiple sessions. For couples specifically, it ranks among the stronger cooperative board games for two players, thanks largely to the JARVIS variant holding up well.
It works as a solid entry point for groups who already understand basic card games. Players with no trick-taking background will need five minutes of explanation before the first hand, but the mechanic is not complicated once demonstrated. Families looking for something at this level will find it fits naturally alongside other cooperative family board games that balance accessibility with real decisions.
Groups who enjoy games like The Mind will find The Crew sits in a similar space — silent coordination, shared failure, collective triumph — but with more structure and strategic depth. It also works well as a travel game given its compact footprint.
Groups who dislike restricted communication or prefer games where table talk is open may find The Crew more frustrating than fun. The silence is the point of the game, not a limitation of it, so players who resist that constraint will not get the most out of it.
FAQ
Is The Crew good for beginners?
Yes, with a caveat. The rulebook looks intimidating but the core game is simple. Players who already understand basic trick-taking will pick it up quickly. Those unfamiliar with trick-taking will need a short walkthrough first, but the mechanics click fast once demonstrated at the table.
How long does The Crew take to play?
Each mission runs about fifteen to twenty minutes. Setup takes under two minutes. Most groups play two or three missions in a sitting. The campaign spans fifty missions total, so the game provides several hours of play spread across multiple sessions.
What is the best player count for The Crew?
Three to four players is where the task distribution works best and the coordination challenge feels right. The two-player JARVIS variant functions well and is worth trying. Five players is fun but harder to manage the communication window effectively.
Is The Crew worth buying?
At its typical retail price of around £12–£15, it is one of the better value buys in hobby gaming. Fifty missions in a box this small, with a complexity level that keeps it accessible, makes it easy to recommend for most households. If you’re looking at this from a budget angle, it also features on our list of the best cheap board games worth owning.
What games are similar to The Crew?
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea is a direct sequel with added mechanics and a new underwater theme. The Mind shares the silent coordination theme but is less structured. No Thanks and Lost Cities appeal to similar audiences. For cooperative card games with more complexity, try Hanabi or Spirit Island.
