The Crew: Mission Deep Sea Statistics 2026
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea reached #4 on BoardGameGeek’s all-time rankings in 2023, putting a sub-$15 card game ahead of titles with ten times its production budget. Designed by Thomas Sing and published by Kosmos in 2021, the cooperative trick-taking game has now spent four consecutive years inside the BGG Top 100. This article breaks down The Crew: Mission Deep Sea’s ranking history, award record, category performance, and the market data behind cooperative board game growth heading into 2026.
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea Statistics (Top Picks)
- The Crew: Mission Deep Sea held a BGG Top 100 position for four consecutive years from 2021 through 2024.
- The game peaked at #4 on BoardGameGeek in 2023, placing it in the 99.9th percentile of over 22,000 ranked titles.
- It won 3 out of 4 award nominations, including the 2021 BGG Golden Geek for Medium Game of the Year.
- The cooperative board game segment is growing at a 12.1% CAGR through 2030, outpacing the broader market rate of 10.5%.
- The global board game market reached an estimated $15.83 billion in 2025, per Fortune Business Insights.
How Has The Crew: Mission Deep Sea Ranked on BoardGameGeek?
BoardGameGeek’s Top 100 list tracks user ratings across a database of more than 22,000 games. The Crew: Mission Deep Sea entered the list in its release year and climbed steadily before peaking in 2023. A top-15 finish in any given year places a game in the 99.9th percentile of all ranked titles.
| Year | BGG Top 100 Position |
|---|---|
| 2021 | #22 |
| 2022 | #14 |
| 2023 | #4 |
| 2024 | #14 |
Source: Speculative LLC / BGG Data Tracking
Holding a spot inside the BGG Top 100 for four straight years is uncommon for post-2020 releases. The game’s climb from #22 to #4 between 2021 and 2023 happened without major marketing pushes or expansion releases, driven primarily by word-of-mouth and repeat plays. Its return to #14 in 2024 still places it well above thousands of newer releases.
What Awards Has The Crew: Mission Deep Sea Won?
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea received four nominations and won three awards in its first year. Its predecessor, The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine, had already taken the 2020 Kennerspiel des Jahres and the Deutscher Spiele Preis, which gave Mission Deep Sea built-in audience recognition. Reviews from Paste Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, and Polygon rated the sequel as an improvement over the original.
| Award | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|
| BGG Golden Geek — Medium Game of the Year | 2021 | Won |
| À la carte Card Game Award (Germany) | 2021 | Won |
| Dice Tower Award | 2021 | Nominated |
| American Tabletop Awards — Best Casual Game | 2022 | Recommended |
Source: BoardGameGeek, Board Game Bliss, Zatu Games
The original Crew series has collected over 30 awards globally. Mission Deep Sea’s 75% win rate across its nominations is strong for a small-box card game competing against titles with larger production values and publisher backing.
Where Does The Crew: Mission Deep Sea Rank by Category?
Outside the overall BGG Top 100, recommendation aggregators compile category-specific rankings. The Crew: Mission Deep Sea performs especially well in short-play and cooperative categories. Ranking #1 in adventure games and #6 among cooperative board games — a list that includes Pandemic and Gloomhaven — is unusual for a game priced under $15.
| Category | Position |
|---|---|
| Best Adventure Board/Card/Dice Games | #1 |
| Best Cooperative Board Games | #6 |
| Best Board Games You Can Play in 20 Minutes | #7 |
| Best Family Games | #8 |
| Best Card Games | #9 |
| Best Board Games of the 2020s | #10 |
| Best Board Games for 3–4 Players | #8 |
| Best BGG Golden Geek Award Games | #13 |
| Best Board/Card/Dice Games Overall | #46 |
Source: Boardgame.tips, 2026 data
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea Product Details
Thomas Sing designed The Crew: Mission Deep Sea with 96 unique task cards spread across six difficulty levels and 32 campaign missions. The game uses a cooperative trick-taking mechanism with limited communication between players. Sessions run about 20 minutes per mission, and the box supports 2 to 5 players aged 10 and up.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Designer | Thomas Sing |
| Publisher | Kosmos / Thames & Kosmos |
| Year Published | 2021 |
| Player Count | 2–5 |
| Playing Time | ~20 minutes per mission |
| Task Cards | 96 unique cards across 6 difficulty levels |
| Campaign Missions | 32 |
| Retail Price | Under $15 |
Source: Thames & Kosmos, BoardGameGeek
How Large Is the Global Board Game Market?
Multiple research firms track the board game industry, and their estimates vary based on what they include. Fortune Business Insights pegged the global market at $14.37 billion in 2024 and $15.83 billion in 2025. SkyQuest Technology’s figures ran slightly higher at $15.77 billion and $17.36 billion for those same years. The gap comes down to whether miniature games and RPGs are counted alongside traditional board and card games.
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Board Games Market | $14.37B | $15.83B | Fortune Business Insights |
| Alternative Market Estimate | $15.77B | $17.36B | SkyQuest Technology |
| Projected Market by 2032 | — | $32.00B | Fortune Business Insights |
| CAGR (2025–2032) | — | 10.58% | Fortune Business Insights |
Source: Fortune Business Insights, SkyQuest Technology
All major reports agree on the direction. Fortune Business Insights projects the market will hit $32 billion by 2032 at a compound annual growth rate of 10.58%. For context, that means the industry could roughly double in size within seven years.
How Fast Is the Cooperative Board Game Segment Growing?
Cooperative games are growing faster than the board game market as a whole. Mordor Intelligence reports a 12.1% CAGR for cooperative and legacy game formats through 2030, compared to the overall market rate of roughly 10.5%. In 2024 alone, cooperative game sales increased by 20 million units over the previous year.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cooperative/Legacy Game CAGR (through 2030) | 12.1% | Mordor Intelligence |
| Co-op Sales Increase in 2024 | +20 million units | Fortune Business Insights |
| Co-op Share of Total Sales (2025) | 12% | Global Market Insights |
| Gen Z Players Preferring Co-op | 38% enjoy board games | Co-op Board Games |
Source: Mordor Intelligence, Global Market Insights, Co-op Board Games
This growth aligns with demographic shifts. Gen Z players show a strong preference for collaborative formats over head-to-head competition. For inexpensive cooperative games like The Crew: Mission Deep Sea, the combination of a 20-minute playtime, low price point, and easy onboarding makes it a natural entry point for these newer players.
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea Key Metrics Summary
The table below collects the most-referenced numbers from across this article into a single reference.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Years in BGG Top 100 | 4 consecutive (2021–2024) |
| Peak BGG Position | #4 (2023) |
| Awards Won | 3 of 4 nominations |
| Task Card Varieties | 96 |
| Campaign Missions | 32 |
| Difficulty Levels | 6 |
| Play Time | ~20 minutes |
| Retail Price | Under $15 |
| Co-op Segment CAGR | 12.1% through 2030 |
| Global Board Game Market (2025) | $15.83 billion |
Source: Speculative LLC, Boardgame.tips, Fortune Business Insights, Mordor Intelligence, Thames & Kosmos
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea holds a rare combination of data points: a sub-$15 price, four straight years in the BGG Top 100, a 75% award win rate, and positioning inside the fastest-growing segment of a market expected to double by 2032. Among recently released board games, few titles carry that kind of sustained statistical performance. For two-player trick-taking fans, The Fox in the Forest Duet is another cooperative option worth considering alongside The Crew.
FAQ
How many players can play The Crew: Mission Deep Sea?
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea supports 2 to 5 players. It includes a two-player variant, though most reviewers find it best at 3 or 4 players.
What is The Crew: Mission Deep Sea’s highest BGG ranking?
The game reached #4 on BoardGameGeek’s all-time rankings in 2023, its peak position. It remained inside the Top 100 through 2024.
How much does The Crew: Mission Deep Sea cost?
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea retails for under $15 in most markets, making it one of the cheapest games in the BGG Top 100.
How many missions are in The Crew: Mission Deep Sea?
The game includes 32 campaign missions and 96 unique task cards spread across six difficulty levels, giving it high replay value.
Is the cooperative board game market growing?
Yes. Cooperative and legacy formats are growing at a 12.1% CAGR through 2030, faster than the overall board game market rate of 10.5%.
