Broadsides and Boarding Parties is a light tactical wargame during the age of sail where two ships face off against one another on the sea.

There are two layers to the game; the broadsides portion in which players plot their movement with a deck of cards, attempting to maneuver their ships in such a way that they can fire a volley of cannon balls at the opponent while minimizing the risk of return fire.

The second layer of the game begins when the movement of ships results in them bumping into on another. In these instances the Boarding Parties portion comes into play. Here, players line up their ships next to one another and attempt to storm the other ship and kill the opposing captain. Players can only move a limited amount of their units each turn and so some planning is required to hem in the opposing captain.