It`s a minimalistic strategy/role-playing game. While not being exactly picturesque with most of encounters illustrated in text the game does manage to capture an atmosphere of a dreadful, yet adventurous business that whaling was in early 19th century. The game loves chance. A lot of decisions and the combat are chance based. Your captain and crewmen have a die based on their profession. And initially not all die slots are occupied with an action; some are left blank which constitutes as a null move. Round begins with every character rolling a picked die. The actions are then selected by the player (one action per whaling boat if in water, or one per crew when fighting on ship). Nantucket is played with constantly updating your save files or instead presenting a fatalist outlook of Rocky`s Drago: “If he dies, he dies”. A lot of whaling expeditions and encounters can go horribly wrong with your most skilled crew just biting the dust because the dice didn`t land in your favour a couple of times. That`s probably my biggest disappointment from the game right here: it`s just too random at times. To make matters worse, your opponents never have a nil action, which gives a bit of advantage to them and make some battles just too chance-based, like pirate attacks. Wild and untamed combat is coupled with a navigation mechanic where you sail your ship between ports, seasonal whaling spots, and other points of interest. You are also tasked with supplying your ship as things like water, food, booze, and timber for repairs tend to be consumed while travelling. While the mechanics of the game can be a bit too brutal Nantucket offers great atmosphere and storytelling that allow you to experience the setting in its full toughness. It is a worthy experience provided you do not mind odds often stacking up against you. Shortened version. Full version available at: https://barn11.blogspot.com.au/2018/02/plaid-nantucket-of-dice-and-whales.html
