# Sea of Lies ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2022 - **BGG Rating**: 8.3 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 3-7 - **Duration**: 20-35 min - **Weight**: 1.00 / 5 - **Designers**: Bruno Zinneck - **Publishers**: Cordilheira Games, Mind's Vision - **Categories**: Card Game, Deduction, Party Game, Pirates - **Mechanics**: Betting and Bluffing, Storytelling, Take That, Variable Player Powers ## Verdict A fast-paced and chaotic bluffing party game, perfect for those who love fooling friends with wild tales.Very quick gameplayHigh social interactionEasy to learnHilarious and dynamicNeeds an energetic groupCan cause heated debatesRECOMMENDED ## Description The captain has vanished, and the crew is in total chaos! Who will step up to lead this band of scoundrels? In Sea of Lies, you play as an ambitious pirate vying for the support of 15 crew members to claim the captaincy. But fair warning: being a great sailor isn't enough—you'll need to be a world-class liar! The core of the experience revolves around storytelling: each turn, you pick a story card and must spin a tale of your grand deeds (or a blatant lie) to impress the crowd. The real tension rises during the debate. Your fellow pirates will scrutinize your words to decide if you're telling the truth or just pulling their leg. If you successfully bluff, you gain crew support. However, watch out! If someone catches you in a lie, you might lose the very support you were chasing. The game also features 'Darkest Secrets' to sabotage your rivals and 'Hairy Hearsay' that can ruin your reputation instantly. It's a game of pure persuasion, where reading your friends' faces and knowing exactly when to bluff is the key to victory. Fast-paced, chaotic, and perfect for a game night where everyone enjoys a bit of social deception and friendly betrayal! ## How to Play Game Goal The Captain has mysteriously vanished! In Sea of Lies, you are a pirate competing to take command of the ship. To do this, you must gather the support of the crew by telling tall tales—some true, some complete lies. Your goal is to be the first player to get the support of fifteen (15) crew members to immediately win the game and become the new captain. Setup Tale Cards: Shuffle all Tale Cards and place them face down in the middle of the table to form the Draw Pile. Excluded Pile: Without looking, remove the top card of the Draw Pile and set it aside as the Excluded Pile; this card will not be used in the match. Discard Piles: Draw the top 5 cards from the Draw Pile and place them face up. Eventually, you should have four Discard Piles, one for each kind of Tale Card. Character Cards: Randomly deal one Character Card to each player (or choose them). Remaining cards are returned to the box. Note: For 3-player games, it is not recommended to use Balik (the Quartermaster), Skully, or Sirena (the Siren). Crew Tokens: Place all crew tokens in a General Stock. Deal two crew members to the first player and three crew members to all other players. These tokens must remain visible to everyone. Main Deck: Place the Main Deck near the Draw Pile and add one crew member to it. Starting Hand: Deal one Tale Card from the Draw Pile to each player. Keep these secret. Turn Order: The winner of the last match plays last. If it is the first match, choose the first player randomly. Play proceeds in clockwise order. Game Flow The game progresses in turns. Each player's turn follows this specific sequence: Draw: Draw a Tale Card from the Draw Pile (you will have two cards in hand). Play: Choose a card, play it face down, and declare out loud the kind of tale and its effects (and targets, if applicable). Contest: Check if any other player wants to contest the tale. Reveal: Reveal the played card. Discard: Place the card into the appropriate Discard Pile. Main Deck Resolution: Resolve the Main Deck rules based on whether you told the truth or lied. Effect Resolution: Resolve the effect of the declared tale according to your Character Card. Actions and How to Play Telling a Tale When playing a card face down, you must declare which kind of tale you are telling. You can tell the truth (the card matches your declaration) or lie. There are four types of Tale Cards: Great Feat, Foul Rumor, and Creepy Secret: These have specific effects based on your character. Hogwash: This card has no effect. If you play this card, you must lie and declare a different kind of tale. The Main Deck Rules The Main Deck can hold a maximum of 5 crew members. If you told the truth (and weren't contested): Add 1 crew member from the General Stock to the Main Deck. If you lied (and weren't contested): You take all crew members currently on the Main Deck and add them to your collection. If the Draw Pile runs out, create a new one using the Discard Piles, shuffle, and discard 5 cards (one of each kind) to start the new pile. Contesting a Tale Any player who is not the current player may contest a tale by accusing the player of lying. To contest, you must have at least 2 crew members in your support. Contested a Truth: The current player steals two crew members from the contestant and continues their turn normally. Contested a Lie: The contestant steals two crew members from the liar. The current player loses their action and their turn ends immediately. Only one player can contest a tale; if multiple players try, the first one to speak/shout gets the right to contest. Character Effects Effects are found at the bottom of your Character Card and generally fall into these categories: Gain: Take crew members from the General Stock. Steal: Take crew members from another pirate. If the target has insufficient tokens, take all they have. If the effect mentions the Main Deck, take from there instead. Creepy Secret: These effects are explained individually on each Character Card. End of Game and Scoring The game ends immediately when a player reaches the support of fifteen (15) crew members. That player is declared the winner and becomes the ship's new captain. Special Victory Conditions: The Quartermaster: If their effect causes two characters to reach 15+ crew members, the player who is not the Quartermaster wins. The Siren: If her effect causes two characters to reach 15+ crew members, the player who is not the Siren wins. Tips for Winning Risk vs. Reward: Lying is high-risk but high-reward, as it allows you to take all crew members from the Main Deck, whereas telling the truth is safer but grants less support. Card Counting: Keep track of the Discard Piles. Since there are only 10 of each Tale Card (and one is excluded), you can deduce if a player is lying based on how many cards of that type have already been played. Contest Wisely: Remember that you cannot contest if you have fewer than 2 crew members, as you must be "respected by the crew" to make an accusation. ## FAQ ### How long does a game last? It's very quick! On average, you'll be done in 20 to 35 minutes. ### What is the recommended age? Since it involves bluffing and storytelling, it works best with older players or kids with supervision. ### Is it hard to learn? Not at all! The rules are straightforward, focusing on conversation and fun. ### How many players can play? From 3 to 7 players. The more, the merrier (and more chaotic)! ### Do I need to know English? There is some language dependency, but it's easy to manage with translated cards or a quick guide. ### Is it a heavy strategy game? No, it's very light. The focus is on social interaction and improvisation rather than complex math. ## Price Comparison ### Best Offers in Brazil - **Amazon**: R$ 272,77 (https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B0CPK7WCJ5?tag=bgbot26-20) - **Bravo Jogos**: R$ 120,81 (https://bravojogos.com.br/jogos-de-tabuleiro-e-cardgames/jogo-mar-de-mentiras-p?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Omniverse**: R$ 120,90 (https://www.omniverse.com.br/produto/mar-de-mentiras?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **Brechó Lúdico**: R$ 153,91 (https://brecholudico.com.br/produto/mar-de-mentiras/?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on Compara Jogos: https://www.comparajogos.com.br/item/mar-de-mentiras