The Captain is Dead

Released: Jan 31, 2021
Platforms: WindowsmacOS
Last updated: 05 Sep 2026, 13:45 GMT

Updates & announcements

20 posts

02 Feb 2022Developer post
Duke Nukem joins the crew!
When your crew is facing deep-space disaster, you can always rely on one man to rock up at the eleventh hour and save your sorry butts… Duke Nukem! That’s why we've enlisted legendary voice actor, Jon St. John , to provide the voice for the final crew member in their laser-powere
22 Dec 2021Developer post
It's the Final Countdown...
Stand by for action, brave commanders! Here at Thunderbox HQ we're getting ready for our final crew update, and it's a good one... This update will finally max out the crew roster (to 18), and adds numerous enhancements. Joining the existing crew are The First Officer and Janitor
Stand by for action, brave commanders!
Here at Thunderbox HQ we're getting ready for our final crew update, and it's a good one...
This update will finally max out the crew roster (to 18), and adds numerous enhancements.
Joining the existing crew are The First Officer and Janitor - bringing totally new strategies to the game with their unique set of abilities...
L O G I C A L
The deceased captain's Number One brings a distinct tactical advantage to your crew, with his mastery of Battle Plans. Able to draw these game-changing cards more efficiently than other crew members, the First Officer can be powered up to select any plan he chooses... particularly handy when the dilithium hits the fan.
I M M A C U L A T E
If you like the floors on your spaceship to sparkle like a crystalline entity, then the Janitor's your man! He may like to think of himself as the sheriff, but his improvisational know-how lets him use Action points as wild Skills, enabling him to repair pretty much anything, anytime, anywhere!
E N H A N C E D
And new crew isn't the only torpedo in our tube - we're busy adding a ton of enhancements, including...

Improved Tactical HUD
WASD scrolling
Crewman loadout selection
Maximum crew to 7
Steam leaderboards
And more!
S E C R E T S
We also have a biiiiiiig secret about one of the final two characters, that we're not quite ready to share just yet. If you want to find out what it is, head on over to Discord to join the final round of beta testing. All we can say for now is that we've had to take the nuclear option...
Original post
20 Oct 2021Developer post
Three to beam up!
New crew have just beamed aboard... and not a moment too soon! Get ready to turn the tide of battle as three versatile new specialists join the fight... D I P L O M A C Y Maybe those pesky space aliens are just getting their Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra confused with Shaka when th
25 Sep 2021Developer post
The Telepath beams aboard!
...Your thoughts to my thoughts! It's time for the Beta Channel to get cosmic with the addition of a mysterious, new crew member: The Telepath! P S Y C H I C The Telepath can use his mind-bending power to trade skills with any crew member on the ship without the use of the Comm S
02 Sep 2021Developer post
New Crew Incoming!
Fresh Update incoming!!! Check out new crew and features for The Captain is Dead ! U P D A T E v 1.3 The latest update brings the Medical and Weapons Officers to the main build, ready to heal injured crew while grumbling incoherently, and dispense smooth torpedo justice to any ji
Fresh Update incoming!!! Check out new crew and features for The Captain is Dead!
U P D A T E v 1.3
The latest update brings the Medical and Weapons Officers to the main build, ready to heal injured crew while grumbling incoherently, and dispense smooth torpedo justice to any jive-talking alien spaceships lurking off your starboard bow.
You'll also notice the crew are a little... chattier than before, as the new banter system has been shaken down and integrated into the main release!
B O N U S
On top of this, brave space adventurers on the Beta Channel get TCID's answer to Chrisjen Avasarala, in the form of the no-nonsense Diplomat, whose mad negotiational skillz allow her to override alerts on other crew member's turns!
...and if the Diplomat's voice sounds familiar, that's because you'll have heard it in games like Mass Effect, Starcraft and Professor Layton. Bonus points if you can work out which characters!
F U T U R E
And stay tuned to the beta channel for more crew as soon as they are ready to rock. Over the coming weeks we'll be introducing....

Telepath - this master of mysticism can trade skills without the Comm System and absorb the unique skills of nearby crew.
Science Officer - want to upgrade your ship or frazzle away those pesky sub-space Anomalies? Then this crazy lady has got you covered!
...with more to come!
That's it for now. Have fun with the new crew!
Sincerely,
Dan
Thunderbox Entertainment
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1126580/The_Captain_is_Dead/
Original post
23 Jun 2021Developer post
The Mission Continues...
Space... The final frontier... Our mission continues... to bring you more crew... more features... and more laser-to-face danger! C R E W Get ready for the next crew members to beam aboard: The Weapons and Medical Officers! The Weapons Officer is a smooth operator... but you woul
09 Jun 2021Developer post
v1.2 - Achievements, Crew & More!
Ahoy there, crew! Our second major update is officially live today, as we continue our plans to emiggen your bad-ass space posse, with 2 new crew members for you to command! The versatile Hologram is only activated in dire emergencies... which pretty much describes your current s
25 May 2021Developer post
Achievement Hunters Wanted!
We've been working like crazy on the next update, and I'm excited to say that it's a biggie! Aside from a major pass on the animation, to improve the silky smoothness, we're adding two new characters (the versatile Hologram, and mysterious Scholar) and 36 brand-new achievements .
We've been working like crazy on the next update, and I'm excited to say that it's a biggie!
Aside from a major pass on the animation, to improve the silky smoothness, we're adding two new characters (the versatile Hologram, and mysterious Scholar) and 36 brand-new achievements.
You may have already heard that these Medals (as we like to call them) are all rock hard. Our team have only been able to hit a paltry nine of them so far...
That's why we need help from you - the fearless, alien-fighting, ship-saving badasses - to make absolutely sure they all work as intended!
If you are going on an achievement hunt, you might want to arm yourself with the following knowledge...

You can view your Medal collection at any time from the Settings menu under Game -> Medals.
Click on a Medal to read the win conditions... working them out is half the battle!
Some of the Medals are hidden... these are character based and will be revealed if you start a game with the appropriate crew member.
Typing T-C-I-D will make the bug button appear at the top of the screen so you can use it to send feedback.
The Medals are not easy to get! Did we mention this already... don't expect a space cakewalk, m'kay!
Just sign up to the beta channel, let the auto-updater work its magic, and then go save that ship!
WAIT!
I almost forgot...
New crew incoming! You'll also get the Scholar with the latest beta update:
This wise, and mysterious lady will make getting those achievements juuuust that little bit easier. And trust me, you'll need all the help you can get!
Join the discussion on Discord to let us know how you do- we are standing by to be suitably impressed by your epic Medal collections!
Original post
07 May 2021Developer post
Activate the Emergency Hologram!
Heads up, crew! We've just uploaded a new beta release, with bug-fixes, tweaks and, oh yeah... THE HOLOGRAM! That means that if you've subscribed to the beta , this photonic fellow will be waiting for you when you next fire up the game. There are two things you need to know about
23 Apr 2021Developer post
Achievements are coming soon...
Let's cut straight to the chase here, people: Achievements are for the weak! Most games reward you for just booting them up... but not The Captain is Dead . No sirree! We've decided to do things differently with our Achievements, and have crafted them with the following tenets in
Let's cut straight to the chase here, people: Achievements are for the weak!
Most games reward you for just booting them up... but not The Captain is Dead. No sirree!
We've decided to do things differently with our Achievements, and have crafted them with the following tenets in mind...

To have value, they must require effort.
To reflect mastery, they must encourage advanced techniques.
To have meaning, they must stay in context.
To respect the player, there must be no grinding.
That's why you won't get Achievements in The Captain is Dead, you'll get Medals.
Each medal requires the use of a different crew member or advanced technique to attain it, and getting your hands on that sweet, sweet chest-candy won't be easy. In fact, just working out exactly what you have to do to win a medal will be part of the challenge.
The easiest one is to save the ship... and we all know just how difficult that is. After that they just get tougher. We've worked with the valiant commanders on our Discord channel to create some truly epic throw-downs. Have you got what it takes to perform a Krangon Death Ritual? Do you think you can beat the no-win scenario to collect the Kobayashi Star? You'll be able to find out soon, as we're very nearly done getting all 36 Medals into the game.
So pick your crew, and get practicing, because these formidable challenges will really put your alien-blasting, system-repairing, ship-saving skills to the test!
Original post
08 Apr 2021Developer post
Play anywhere, even on an away mission!
Flip open your Communicator, and bust out the PADD - it's time to go mobile! Don't get caught short on an away mission... The Captain is Dead is available for all good mobile devices. And even some bad ones. Check out the pan-galatic pocket panic, in the mobile launch trailer fro
25 Mar 2021Developer post
v1.1 Update - Time to get Tactical!
Ahoy there, crew! Our first update is officially live today, adding (among other things) 2 new crew members to your team! The Teleporter Chief can get you what you need, where you need it. He'll keep your systems running smoothly, and can beam crew and tools around the ship for f
12 Mar 2021Developer post
New crew are on the way...
Here at Thunderbox HQ we've been working away diligently on upgrading and improving your starship! We'd like to share a quick road-map of what's coming up in the not-too-distant future... More Crew! We're aiming to deliver a new crewman roughly every month, starting very, very so
Here at Thunderbox HQ we've been working away diligently on upgrading and improving your starship!
We'd like to share a quick road-map of what's coming up in the not-too-distant future...
More Crew!
We're aiming to deliver a new crewman roughly every month, starting very, very soon. The next three space cases to join your intrepid team will be...

Teleporter Chief - this surly gent is an expert at beaming both crew and tools alike.
Tactical Officer - from her post on the Bridge, she can keep the shields up, and the skills flowing.
Hologram - laser beams pass straight through him, making him real handy when aliens are around.
We'll be releasing the crew in sets of two, so keep your comm frequency open for more news! But if you want to break the temporal prime directive, then you can travel to the future and get the characters early... just activate beta mode in the game's properties. You'll find the Teleporter Chief is already waiting for you!
More Features!
Along with the extra laser fodder, we're also adding strange, new stuff to the game. Here are some of the new-fangled doo-dads we're upgrading the ship with...

Crew Randomiser - don't just play with the A-team*... Mix it up for even more disaster!
Tactical HUD - got a massive, hi-def monitor? Lucky you! See everything from the main ship view...
Achievements - how could we not? Everybody loves achievements!
Check out this sneak, work-in-progress peek of the Tac. HUD...
That's it for now - if you have an idea for a feature, or want to make sure your favorite crew member is released right-frickin'-now, then join the melee on Discord. We have laser pistols...
* If you're having trouble saving the ship... if no one else can help.... maybe you can hire... the A-Team... of Admiral, Chief Engineer, Soldier & Cyborg!
Original post
20 Jan 2021Developer post
Elias Toufexis joins the crew!
Fresh from starring in Immortals - Fenyx Rising for Ubisoft, and Blood of Zeus on Netflix, prodigious actor Elias Toufexis joins the crew of The Captain is Dead for some over-the-top, sci-fi survival strategy. If you’ve played a videogame in the last 10 years, you will undoubtabl
23 Oct 2020Developer post
Dice Tower Vs. Deadly Mode - Episodes 1 & 2
Join Mandi & Suzanne from The Dice Tower, along with Ashley from Meeple Mountain, as they try out a new, extra dangerous rule variant, exclusive to the digital edition of this stylishly intense, sci-fi, survival/strategy game. It's called Deadly Mode ... how hard could it be?
14 Oct 2020Developer post
Tabletop Fest - The Dice Tower vs. Deadly Mode
It's the last 10 minutes of your favourite sci-fi show… except that this time things have gone seriously wrong and The Captain Is Dead! Join Mandi & Suzanne from The Dice Tower, along with Ashley from Meeple Mountain, as they try out a new, extra dangerous rule variant exclus
07 Oct 2020Developer post
It's a board game... but not as you know it, Captain.
Here at Thunderbox, The Captain is Dead is one of our most favoritest board games EVAH! Recreating the intense experience of battling a relentless alien nemesis with a band of your best buddies is a daunting task... so we decided to skip the literal approach that most digital boa
02 Oct 2020Developer post
Can the designers beat the game?
Space can be a dangerous place. Particularly if your Jump Core has blown a fuse. You may think you're a seasoned, interstellar hard-case... but things can go south pretty fast when the sub-space anomaly hits the fan. Join the digital designer, from Thunderbox Entertainment, Dan T
17 Jun 2020Developer post
It's a board game... but not as you know it, Captain.
Here at Thunderbox, The Captain is Dead is one of our most favoritest board games EVAH! Recreating the intense experience of battling a relentless alien nemesis with a band of your best buddies is a daunting task... so we decided to skip the literal approach that most digital boa
16 Jun 2020Developer post
Livestream with Mandi & Suzanne from The Dice Tower
The dynamic duo of Mandi Hutchinson and Suzanne Sheldon are pretty amazing. By day they review board games on The Dice Tower ... but by night they also stream the latest and greatest digital editions under the secret identity of Salt and Sass ! And if you were wondering why voice

Updates & announcements

N U K E M

B O W I E

M O R E !

L O G I C A L

I M M A C U L A T E

E N H A N C E D

S E C R E T S

D I P L O M A C Y

T E L E P A T H Y

S C I E N C E Y

P S Y C H I C

P O W E R F U L

B E T A v 1 . 3 2

U P D A T E v 1.3

B O N U S

F U T U R E

C R E W

B E T A

B A N T E R

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