Don't miss the boat!
Don't miss the boat!
Don't miss the boat! is a simple board game for 2–4 players. There are no dice, no cards, and no elimination. The rules are easy enough for a child to learn, but you can use smart strategy to win.
It was first published by Parker Brothers in 1965 and then by Waddingtons in 1966. Hasbro now owns the game, but it is no longer made.
The board is a raised cross with a circular canal around it. Each player has eight pieces and a boat of their color at one dock on the edge of the cross. The starting setup never changes. The aim is to move five of your eight pieces into your own boat.
On your turn you move one piece to an adjacent square in any direction, including diagonals. You can extend your move by jumping over one or more pieces (your own or others), and you can chain jumps when possible.
When a piece lands in its boat, all boats rotate clockwise around the board by 90 degrees. This can move a boat away from the dock you targeted, which is part of the game’s trickiness.
Pieces move like a king in chess, but you can jump to extend your moves like Halma or Chinese checkers. There’s no luck—success comes from planning and moves. Players try to predict others’ moves and how the boats will shift, and you can even work with others to slow down a leading player.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:14 (CET).