The year is 1789. Captain William Bligh commands the Bounty, on a mission to transport breadfruit from the South Pacific to the West Indies in the hope it will prove an inexpensive food for slaves. But the tropical isles are beguiling, and mutiny is in the wind....

The gameboard consists of six geographical 'continents,' identified by color. There are also nine 'occupational continents,' identified with symbols, many of which overlap the first six. To possess an occupational continent, you must own all the cabins identified with that occupation, even if they are in different parts of the ship. For example, to own 'Gunner' (represented by a bomb symbol) you must occupy the Gunner's Storeroom on the Fore Platform and both the Magazine and the Gunner's Cabin on the Aft Platform.

Ladders and hatches join the decks. Ladders are bidirectional, but hatches allow downward movement only. To simulate locked doors, cabins belonging to individuals make use of border modifiers to present a defensive advantage. These cabins are indicated with a red arrow, and begin as neutrals at the start of the game. Storerooms are considered undefended, and have no border modifiers.

The gameboard graphics are based on the original diagrams of the Bounty. The breadfruit garden on the lower deck and the two platforms in the cargo hold were special modifications made for the Bounty's South Pacific mission.

This game works best with 4 to 7 players.