If you’ve spent any time with The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine (read my review), you already know the magic of "silent" trick-taking. It’s that unique brand of cooperative tension where a single card played can feel like a triumph or a total catastrophe. It’s the same cooperative experience (play it at 3+), but it swaps the vacuum of space for the crushing depths of the ocean. More importantly, it swaps a rigid mission structure for something much more clever.
The Evolution: From "What" to "How"
In the original Planet Nine, the missions were fixed and specific. The missions would be like: "Win the Pink 3." After a while, it felt a little repetitive. Mission Deep Sea introduces a difficulty level based on player count. You can either draw task cards up to a specific difficulty number or follow the logbook of 32 missions. The 96 task cards can task you with things like:
- Winning more yellow cards than blue cards
- Winning exactly X tricks
- Not winning any cards with a value of Y
- Winning a trick using a Submarine (the trump suit)
Why I Prefer the Deep Sea
While I’ll always respect Planet Nine, Mission Deep Sea is the version that’s staying in my collection. Here is why:
- Infinite Variety: tasks are drawn randomly to meet a difficulty total, you will never play the same mission twice. The puzzle is fresh every single time the cards are dealt
- More "Puzzle," Less "Math": the original felt very much like "I have the 9, guess who has the 8? Let’s see if we telepathically line them up." The sequel feels like a logic puzzle. You have to manipulate the flow of the game to meet strange conditions, which feels incredibly rewarding when (and if!) it clicks
- Better Scaling: the difficulty feels more balanced. If a mission feels too easy, the next one might pull a combination of tasks that forces you to rethink everything you know
- The "Ah-Ha!" Moments: there is nothing quite like the feeling of someone completing a "win exactly zero tricks" task by the skin of their teeth. The stories you get out of these missions are not only memorable, they make you feel like you’ve won a championship
Comparison at a Glance
In Mission Deep Sea, the ordered 1-5, first and last tokens are removed. The task mission cards are more than doubled, and it is easier to follow as the how and when instructions are baked into the mission cards
Bottom Line
If you already own and love The Crew, you might wonder if you need the sequel. For me, it’s a resounding YES! While the original is a fantastic teaching tool, Mission Deep Sea is the refined version. It takes a brilliant concept and adds layers of creativity and variety that make it impossible to put away. The original got me into the genre, but the sequel is the one that perfected it. If you are debating which one to buy, I'd say, get this one!
If you loved the cooperative chaos of The Crew...
- Same Vibes: The Mind and Bandido
- Want More? The Game and Beacon Patrol
- For the Fantasy Fans: The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring Trick-Taking Game
(Warning: I am recently obsessed with LotR, and we just picked up the sequel to that - I’m beyond hooked!)
About the Author
Coty is an avid reader, board gamer, reviewer, and playtester who enjoys everything from fine-tuning rulebooks (even in Spanish!) to designing 3D print upgrades. Follow her on Instagram. More thoughts and favorites are shared at KaCo Plays.
