“Ladies and gentlemen, we are starting our descent into Keflavik. Please ensure your seat backs and gaming tables are in the upright position, you have gathered up all your dice and your mouth is in silent mode.”

In ‘Sky Team’ players take control of a passenger plane preparing to land at one of over 20 destinations. The shared dice board is set up like a console in a cockpit with all sorts of buttons, sliders and a transparent disc which shows us the lateral position of the plane. Players roll dice secretly and then take turns to place a die onto the console, without being able to discuss it. Depending on the numbers shown on the dice, players can regulate flight speed, take course corrections such as a slight left turn or deploy the landing gear. Some of the spaces need to be filled with increasing numbers, for others the sum of the dice or the difference between them will determine the effect. Depending on the destination airport, players may be faced with additional obstacles, including an icy runway or a fuel leak. The intern, who needs to be trained during the flight and isn’t even allowed to make coffee, is one of the easiest of these exercises.

Jury statement

‘Sky Team’ is impressive from take-off to landing in terms of gameplay, atmosphere and theme. The short rounds can be very rewarding if you win and if you miss the landing, you will want to try again straight away. With each new attempt, both roles become attuned to the other’s wavelength, learning together how to communicate without words so the team can beat even the trickier modules.