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Sky Team Review: Prepare for Landing

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You're at 6,000 feet, and you, the co-pilot and the pilot, need to prepare for landing with limited communication, as you need to focus completely on the proper procedures. You'll have to coordinate your efforts to land your plane safely. Can you feel the tension in the cockpit?

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Traduit par Joey

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revu par Tabata Marques

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Aviation

Oh, how many of us have played "make-believe" and pretended we could fly, with our arms stretched out as we ran through our backyards? Flying has always been one of our dreams as humans, and it became possible thanks to Santos Dumont, a Brazilian inventor also known as the "Father of Aviation", and his 14-bis airplanes.

Santos Dumont and his 14-bis airplanes.
Santos Dumont and his 14-bis airplanes.

Since then, technology advanced more and more, and made "almost" everything possible in aviation. However, one of the most critical moments in this field is still the landing; everything needs to be perfect, and you need to go through a series of procedures and checks very carefully.

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The co-pilot and the pilot are responsible for these checks and procedures, obviously aided by their respective Control Tower. It is fair to say this is a moment filled with tension, controlled tension, obviously, but it is stressful, and Sky Team definitely makes us feel as if we're actual pilots landing a plane!

Let's go together into the cockpit to land our plane in Sky Team!

Game Info

Sky Team is played with 2 players, ages 14 and up, created by Luc Remond. Eric Hibbeler and Adrien Rives illustrated it.

Game Box
Game Box

It was released by Le Scorpion Masqué in 2023 in a few countries, and so far, yes, that's right, so far, hasn't been released in countries like Brazil (however, when you read this review, it will most likely be available in these countries). Its basic mechanics are: dice rolls, cooperative gameplay, and limited communication.

Sky Team undoubtedly stands out, as it features 11 airports, and more than 20 situations inspired by actual landing scenarios. Furthermore, it includes multiple other challenges: landing setups for exceptional conditions and elite pilots, and also heroic landing scenarios.

If that wasn't enough, you can also add special abilities, simulate busy air traffic, turbulence, fuel problems (either consumption or leaks), get (or not) help from your crew, wind and ice landings, and real-time landings. Yeah! Sky Team really has a lot of options!

Components that add variety to the game.
Components that add variety to the game.

This game is definitely an international phenomenon, and has been stacking up prizes and nominations since it was released. It got Dice Tower's Seal of Excellence, and was named the Best 2-Player Game by Game Boy Geek, Squirrelly, and Board Game Arena. It was also named the Best Coop Game by Gaming Trend and by Board Game Quest. And we're not done!

In 2024, it was awarded even more prizes. It was named the Best Coop Game and Best 2-Player Game by Golden Geek and Origins Awards, Breakout Game of the Year by Big Awards, and, of course, it was also nominated for Board Game of the Year. Yes, it was nominated for the iconic Spiel des Jahres (the board game "Oscars").

Is that enough for you to believe this is a good game?

The Game

Sky Team focuses on a crucial moment in any flight, the landing. And you, as pilot and co-pilot (the choice is up to you), will be up to your hair in tasks to complete. By the way, the choice between pilot and co-pilot is incredibly relevant. Both have important roles to fulfill, but they're different from one another, and you can't land the plane if your partner doesn't do their part. Cooperation is the heart and soul of Sky Team.

Game Components
Game Components

You're in the cockpit. Now, you have to prepare and check if everything is alright for the landing. In front of you, you'll find information about the current altitude, how far away is the airport, the air traffic, your speed, and the plane's axis.

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In addition to this information, which you can check at any point, you'll need to: communicate with your control tower to clear the air traffic and avoid any collisions, deploy your landing gear, deploy your flaps, and slow the plane to a stop. And, in the middle of all of this, you'll also need coffee to concentrate on the task in front of you. It might seem silly, but having coffee during the landing process makes a considerable difference in the game.

As if all of that wasn't enough, you'll have to complete some of these tasks with your partner, and some you'll have to do on your own - either as pilot or co-pilot. This means you two have very distinct, defined, roles, and each of you will have different responsibilities.

Joint tasks (pilot and co-pilot):

  • Communicate with the control tower;

  • Adjust the plane's axis;

  • Adjust the engine speed;

  • Make some coffee.

    Pilot tasks:

  • Deploy your landing gear;

  • Slow the plane to a stop.

    Co-Pilot tasks:

  • Deploy flaps for the landing.

    Did you notice that, besides your joint tasks, neither of you can land the plane without the other? That's what's cool about Sky Team!

    You'll play together in the following way: players can talk to one another before they roll their dice to review landing strategies, that is, what they'll do. After this, they'll both roll their dice (4 each) in secret (behind a player's shield), and, from then on, both will have to focus on their actions and can't talk anymore. You'll need a lot of focus. This is one of the game's rules: you each have a set of tasks to complete, and the right time to do them.

    You can only put your dice in two places: the axis (to keep the plane in the right landing position) and the engine (to control your speed). So, each player will only have 2 dice left to do their own tasks, and there are a lot of them.

    Oh, and I haven't said yet, but the numbers you get on your dice (1 to 6) influence your actions, obviously. Each result affects the game differently depending on where you place them. For instance: for the engine, the pilot's and the co-pilot's dice, together, indicate the speed of the plane and thus how fast it goes (or not) to the airport.

    Dice in the axis work like a tug-o-war. The difference between the pilot and the co-pilot's dice indicates how inclined the plane's axis is, and thus how "turbulent" the flight is.

    The plane's axis, which indicates turbulence.
    The plane's axis, which indicates turbulence.

    Deploying the landing gear is a pilot's responsibility (as we mentioned before), and you can do it at any time, but you'll need to roll 3 certain numbers on your dice. Deploying and regulating the flaps works similarly, but it is a co-pilot responsibility (as we mentioned before), and you'll need to go through 4 stages in a certain order and get certain values on your dice. It isn't easy to be a co-pilot!

    You'll also have to go through a certain order and get certain values on your dice to activate your brakes, and it's up to the pilot to control them, stop after you land, and not go beyond the track.

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    Dice that control the speed of the plane during the flight, and for the landing.
    Dice that control the speed of the plane during the flight, and for the landing.

    The value on your dice also indicates where the plane is in the air traffic. That's how the control tower can communicate with you and clear the traffic on your approach path. This is crucial! I'll stress that the co-pilot can communicate with the control tower twice per turn, which is one more than the pilot, who'll obviously have to focus on other activities.

    The only task that doesn't involve dice is preparing coffee, and that makes sense in the game, as maybe you get a number on your dice that makes no sense anywhere else. You'll just spend them on coffee. Coffee helps you mitigate your dice RNG as well, considering you can prepare up to 3 cups of coffee, and, when you use it (take it), each cup lets you change the number on your dice by 1 (either more or less). That's really helpful!

    Preparing Coffee
    Preparing Coffee

    Well, now that you know you need to put dice in the engine and the axis, and you have to manage the others as pilot and co-pilot without talking to each other (because you need to focus), it's up to you to land the plan together.

    I'll stress that the numbers you get from your dice count from the minute you place them somewhere (I lost some matches because of this). That means, if you put 2 dice in the engine speed and that makes you go towards the airport, the plane will move right then. If you only warned the control tower about your moves afterward, and there's a plane in your approach path, you will collide and lose. So, pay attention to this. In Sky Team, the order of the factors does alter the results!

    Engine speed also interacts with the plane's axis; if you change the axis beyond what the plane can take, you'll lose control and crash it. So, place your 4 dice carefully!

    Dice in position.
    Dice in position.

    That's a Sky Team turn!

    End of the Match

    You'll only have 6 turns until the plane gets to the right altitude to land. Therefore, you need to get to the airport by then because if you get to the airport too fast, at the wrong altitude, you'll have to hoover the airport until you get into the proper altitude, and control (quite heavily) your speed.

    Landing time.
    Landing time.

    At this moment, that is, when you see the airport and are at the right altitude, that's the last moment you'll have to do anything (in the right order) to not mess up the landing procedures. Clear the air traffic (and make sure there are no other planes in your approach path), set the plane's axis (no inclination), deploy your landing gear, activate your flaps, and slow your speed until it's less than your brakes.

    If you meet all of these conditions, victory! Otherwise, it's over for you and your partner as pilot and co-pilots. You'll either go beyond the track (as you won't be able to use your brakes), crash with the track because your axis is wrong, or can't deploy your landing gear, or activate the flaps. Or worse, you'll lose altitude far away from the airport and have to do an emergency landing that will kill all passengers.

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    In Sky Team, you either win or die! It's that simple!

    Strategic Advice

    Get ready for incredibly stressful and focused moments - it's a good type of "stress", and actually is one of the game's features.

    It may seem like you don't get to play much: you only have 4 dice per turn, and you have to place them somewhere. However, it's not like that in practice. You know, as well as your partner, what you need to do, but each number you get on the dice affects the way you play, and not knowing what your partner got makes everything more exciting.

    The engine and the axis, which rely on both players simultaneously, are the most critical aspects of the game, and messing them up is often how you lose the game.

    Use your smallest numbers in the axis, as it has a limit. If you overload it, the plane will tip over and crash. Use your mid-to-high numbers in the engine, as you have to boost it, but not a lot, and get the plane to the airport.

    It's not that simple, however: there are places (which we've mentioned before) that ask for specific numbers, and some even ask for a specific order. This means you can't get the dice you need that easily. Sky Team leans heavily on dice management, and relying on your partner's focus completely as well.

    Obviously, a little bit of coffee goes a long way to mitigate this, but you only get to take 3 cups per turn, and you have to make it to consume it, so it's not that simple. I strongly recommend you make some coffee early on, and make more any time you can.

    As the game only has 6 turns before you have to land your plane, be careful with your flaps; they need to go through 4 stages. This means, in the worst-case scenario, it might take 4 of your 6 turns. You'll also need to deploy your landing gear (3 stages) and your brakes.

    I've lost many Sky Team matches because I messed up the order of my tasks. For instance, I lost because I boosted my engine and only afterward talked to the control tower. I couldn't clear the traffic and collided mid-flight.

    Because I didn't have coffee, I've lost many matches, as my dice made me lose control of the plane once I put them on the plane's axis, and we crashed into the landing track. What I mean with all of this is that the order in which you do your tasks matters in Sky Team. Be careful with that!

    Follow these tips and land your plane safely! That's the idea behind Sky Team!

    Unboxing, Rules, and Gameplay Videos

    Check out this unboxing:

    Learn the rules:

    Watch some gameplay:

    Teaching Opportunities

    If you want to show someone, like your kids, that teamwork is important and a part of life, that everyone has responsibilities, and that they need to control their stress and anxiety, Sky Team is perfect for you! Besides, obviously, teaching them some math and logic, as usual.

    I've played many coop games in which the iconic "alpha player" called the shots, and bossed everyone around. Sky Team solves this issue by limiting the communication between players, so you'll need to work together. Your partner is important and you both actually do help each other, as both of you have crucial roles to play. Without them, you can't finish your tasks. That's quite a lesson!

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    Sky Team shows us what responsibilities are like, as there are tasks only one of you, in particular, can complete. That's great, as it makes everyone feel important, and active - your responsibility is crucial for the game. Your partner needs you, and if you don't play your part, you'll fail. This is great for your self-steam.

    There are two features I consider critical in Sky Team: the axis and the engine. They are responsible for the most stressful moments in the game, and, obviously, give you a lot of anxiety, as both players need to set them to succeed. Controlling them is important. You need to put the right dice on them, as you can't put just any dice, and thus the number you get from your dice makes all the difference in the world. Learning how to make the right choice in tough situations is great for the game and our lives.

    And, as usual, Sky Team also teaches you some math and logic, as the order you set your dice, that is, the logic you put them on the board is critical (I told you how I lost the game many times because of this). Their numbers are also essential, that is, to put the right number on the right spot. This is great for kids.

    The main lessons in Sky Team are: learning how to work as a team, taking responsibilities, and keeping a cool head in tough situations. These skills make us all better!

    I strongly recommend Sky Team for your collection!