Der Fliegende Holländer

Hold secret shares in merchant ships and pray the ghost ship doesn't find yours.

Designer: Klaus Teuber
Published by: Bandai Co., Ltd.
Editions by: Parker Brothers, New Games Order, LLC, Parker Spiele, Huki

Ships sail the seas, their values rise and fall with treasure chests on the board, and you hold hidden shares in three of them. Then the ghost ship shows up and forces shareholders to reveal themselves and pay. An odd, likeable early Klaus Teuber design.

Hidden shares in coloured shipsGhost ship forces public revealsShip values rise along a treasure track

Who it's for

Groups of four or five who like nautical themes and hidden-information games with a strong luck component.

Not for you if…

You want control over your fate. Dice and the Dutchman's movement swing outcomes hard, the rules mesh takes explaining, and with only a few hundred ratings this is a curiosity rather than a proven classic.

Vibe's take

Chatty and unpredictable, with moments of quiet dread when the Dutchman changes course toward a ship you're heavily invested in.