52Sails
Command your fleet through cursed waters. All you need is a deck of cards and the nerve to face what lurks beneath.
52Sails is a two-player tactical naval combat game set in a world of pirates, curses, and supernatural power. Using a standard deck of playing cards as both your action system and movement tools, you command a fleet of three ships through treacherous waters. Race to plunder sunken treasure, survive a kraken's crushing tentacles, or navigate waters torn apart by breaching whales — all while hunting your opponent's fleet.
How It Plays
Your Deck Does Everything Cards are your actions, your movement templates, and your weapons. No rulers, no tokens, no extra components required.
Choose Your Curse Each captain wields one of Malachar's cursed artifacts, giving you unique abilities your opponent has to play around.
Every Action Is a Gamble When you attack or board an enemy ship, both players commit cards face-down in an escalating clash. Press your luck or hold back — but every card you spend now is a card you won't have later.
What You Need
2 Players
25 to 45 Minutes
2 Standard Card Decks
10 Dice
3 Ship Miniatures per Player
Easy to transport.
Death is just the beginning in the Cursed Seas.
52Sails is a fast tactical skirmish game for two players using a standard deck of playing cards. Command a fleet of three ships, outmaneuver your opponent, and send them to the bottom. Your cards do double duty as both actions and measuring tools, making every hand a decision about what you're willing to spend.
Six scenarios keep every battle fresh:
∙ Last Band Standing — pure elimination, no mercy
∙ Plunder — race to escape with treasure before your opponent hunts you down
∙ Shipwreck Salvage — collect and escape before the enemy does
∙ Whale Migration — fight through feeding grounds while avoiding massive breaching whales
∙ Storm Passage — eliminate the enemy while navigating deadly storms
∙ Kraken’s Wrath — survive the hunt while a legendary creature attacks both sides
Five of Malachar’s Cursed Artifacts give every captain a unique playstyle — each one changing how you approach every decision on the board.
Death is just the beginning in the Cursed Seas.
52Sails is a fast tactical skirmish game for two players using a standard deck of playing cards. Command a fleet of three ships, outmaneuver your opponent, and send them to the bottom. Your cards do double duty as both actions and measuring tools, making every hand a decision about what you're willing to spend.
This free quickstart gets you to the table in minutes with the core rules and everything you need to play your first game.
Meet the Designer
Hi, I'm Kory, founder of Ground Level Games. I design tactical games that are easy to learn and built to fit into a busy life. 52Sails started as a random spark of inspiration and grew into something I'm really proud of. I wanted a game with zero setup friction and real tactical depth. Something you could pull out anywhere and be playing in minutes. I think we nailed it.
I hope you enjoy 52Sails as much as I enjoyed making it. If my design philosophy resonates with you, check out the blog and subscribe.
There's plenty more on the way!