Game University: Pirate's Blast
Friday, April 15, 2011 
With Fells Point Privateer Day fast approaching, HABA’s Pirate’s Blast is the perfect game to accompany this weekend’s festivities. As with all of HABA’s wonderful games, its high quality, longevity and the possibility for free play are just a few of the many reasons it stands out from mass market products and souvenirs you'll find at the festival.
Pirate’s Blast is an exciting two-player game that is excellent for building hand strength, increasing precision and refining basic motor skills. Each game comes with two pirate ships, two islands, a stack of treasures, two cannons, a die and two bellows for making winds to sail the ships. You’ll need a smooth surface such as a table or hardwood/laminate floor on which to play.
Each player sets up their island, ship, cannons and treasures as shown below. To begin, roll the wind die. The number shown is how many puffs of air from the bellows you have to blow your ship to the other player’s island. This is great for technique and strategy building as it’s not nearly as easy as it looks. It takes a bit of persistence and trial and error to find the best method.
Do you blow the wind in the sail? Aim at the wood on back of the boat? Do you make a few hard gusts of wind, or try to softly sail your ship into the harbor? These are all things that players work through while playing the game.
If you don’t reach the harbor on your turn, the other player gets one shot from their cannon to try and sink your ship. If they hit, the ship is sent back to the harbor and you must begin again. If they miss, you’re safe for that round and the ship stays where it is. Then it’s the other player’s turn to sail.
When either player reaches their opponents harbor, they get to hunt for treasure. But be careful, as there’s not a treasure on each piece - sometimes you find merely plants and dirt. The first player to make enough trips across the ocean and gather all of the other player’s treasures wins the game.
Pirate’s Blast is great a great game for active kids who love adventure. It helps develop persistence and patience, as the concept is unique enough to hold a busy kid’s attention. It is slated for players ages 5-99 and takes about 10-20 minutes to complete.
Don't forget to visit us during Privateer Day! We'll be here and ready to provide pirate-themed toys and games to celebrate the day.
Reader Comments (5)
That was such a great activity!. Your kids will be entertained with it too.
Very interesting game. I hope I can try this.
Kids are called little explorers. They are curious about all that they see and hear. They tend to touch, bite and smell what all reach their hands. It is by feeling them with senses they understand things and learn skills.
This product gives a great offer for the kids consumer. It can develop the motor skills of the children while playing it. Addition to that, it helps children to think tactics to win the game.
If I'm not an adult, this game would be so much interesting!
Games are getting more and more interactive these days.