Man the lifeboat is an exciting, fast moving game for all the family. Each player becomes the coxwain of their own lifeboat, unselfishly braving unknown dangers in response to mayday signals of vessels in distress. The objective in this treacherous game of chance is to rescue as many people as possible.

The cartoon illustrations on each of the 24 cards are amusing and detailed. They depict different emergencies and hazards at sea. Man the lifeboat serves as a tribute to the men of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution whose real life endeavours were the inspiration behind this game. Further acknowledgement of the RNLI is printed on the outer box, which states;
"The Royal National Lifeboat Institution runs 200 lifeboat stations, and 350 boats in Great Britain and Ireland , manned almost entirely by volunteers who rescue over 1,000 people every year. The service relies entirely on voluntary contributions to maintain and improve this essential service."