The Best Pirate Board Games

By now it’s clear that it’s not just little kids who like to play pirates. Obviously, being a grown up doesn’t mean you don’t like having fun, sinking enemy ships, plundering, taking prisoners are all fun elements of the games we are discussing in this article. Pirate board games vary significantly depending on the objective and gameplay, that’s one of the reasons we think this list could be very useful as it allows you to discover and choose the best pirate board games on the market right now.

Jamaica

Pros
✓ A board game that all members of the family can enjoy.
✓ Players learn to defend themselves and seek wealth.
✓ The rules are presented on a large treasure map, with illustrations.

Cons
✕ Once players learn all the tricks, the game quickly falls into monotony.
✕ May not be suitable for players looking for more combat.

Characteristics
● Brand: Asmodee
● Number of players: 2 to 6
● Age: 8 years and over
● Duration of a game: 30 minutes
● Game type: Racing, combat, piracy

This game is played on a board that represents Jamaica and its surrounding islands. Players put themselves in the shoes of villainous pirates. They have to participate in a great boat race, organized by a former pirate, who has become president of the island. By circumnavigating Jamaica, they must make their way back to their departure ports.

The end of the game is marked by the return of a player to the departure port. Everyone then receives points based on the distance they’ve traveled. After tallying up the points, the player with the highest score wins the game. Throughout the course of the game, pirates can attack each other, especially when one wants to invade a territory occupied by an opponent. They can choose to use the gunpowder tokens to increase their odds of winning once they roll the combat die. The victor has the right to seize the resources of the vanquished.

Whoever lands on a pirate’s lair (indicated by a skull and a treasure token) can draw a Treasure card. On port spaces, players must pay a fee. To stock up on food, players can choose between buying from the bank, or fighting other players. Treasure theft is permitted. There are a lot of useful cards in the treasure pile which can significantly help players.

Our opinion: Jamaica is packed with enough action for those who want to have some competitive fun. It all depends on the number of players, and the fighting spirit of each.

Mille Sabords (A Thousand Portholes)

Pros
✓ Suitable for all age groups.
✓ The rules are easy to grasp.
✓ Can be played anywhere.

Cons
✕ One player could re-roll the dice too many times.
✕ The game can end very quickly which can be frustrating.

Characteristics
● Brand: Gigamic
● Number of players: 2 to 5 people
● Age: 8 years and over
● Duration of a game: 30 minutes
● Game type: Cards, chance, dice

In this game, players find themselves aboard a pirate ship. Using the dice, they will fight to obtain the most points. The Pirate cards, which represent the draw pile, are placed face down in the center of the table. Each player draws one and unveils it, putting it in front of themselves. Each turn a player rolls the 8 dice, and acts according to the Pirate card they drew.

If a player receives a Treasure Island card, then they can roll the dice again. Additionally, in that instance the player doesn’t have to roll all of the 8 dice, instead they can choose the number of dice they want to roll. The Pirate card doubles the points of whoever draws it. The Guardian card allows you to re-roll a Skull die. The Gold Coin card entitles you to a gold coin, which is worth 100 points. A player who rolls 4 skulls is exiled to Skull Island. They continue their game if at least a skull and crossbones appear.

Points are calculated according to the identical symbols shown when the dice is rolled. When a player accumulates 6000 points, then there is one turn left for each player and then the game is over. The player with the most points wins.

Our opinion: The game depends on chance as the actions are indicated by the pirate cards. It’s actually possible for a player to reach 6000 points in just 2 turns, if they get to roll the dice enough times.

Pirate’s Cove

Pros
✓ A game full of twists.
✓ Understandable rules, even for children.
✓ Teaches sea battle strategies.

Cons
✕ Too many cards, and each card has its own characteristics.
✕ Takes a long time to set up.

Characteristics
● Brand: Asmodee
● Number of players: 3 to 5 people
● Age: 8 years and over
● Duration of a game: 60 to 90 minutes
● Game type: Fighting, luck, cards

The game takes place on a board which displays a Pirate’s Cove and the islands surrounding it. Players are pirates, each with their own ship. Each player’s goal is to become the wealthiest pirate. This is achieved through fighting, looting, and upgrading amongst other aspects. The points are calculated according to the wealth of each player.

A game is made up of 12 turns, which represent 12 months in the life of a pirate. Each pirate is entitled to a Treasure card, which reveals the riches they can obtain. The steering wheel is used to indicate the island to be plundered. If there is another player on an island, then there will be a battle. A worthy pirate plunders wherever they go.

The Combat Cards show the different steps to follow when attacking another ship, as well as the corresponding points. A pirate loses 2 points when their ship is fleeing, and the crew starts a mutiny. A pirate loses 1 point if their parrot dies.

Our opinion: During the 12 turns, the players have plenty of time to fight, loot, and amass treasures. Despite the randomness of the dice rolls, there are plenty of opportunities to use strategy to increase a player’s wealth.

Libertalia

Pros
✓ All players have the same odds of amassing fortunes.
✓ Well-designed stages throughout the 3 campaigns.
✓ Ambient gameplay where the actions are performed simultaneously by the pirates.

Cons
✕ You have to know all the characters.
✕ The most cunning player is most likely to amass the most wealth.

Characteristics
● Brand: Asmodee
● Number of players: 2 to 6 people
● Age: 14 and over
● Duration of a game: 60 minutes
● Game type: Maps, plunder, conquest

This is a board game, where the crewmembers of each pirate ship will campaign together to plunder other ships. Libertalia is the name of the conquered territory where the pirates go to rest and enjoy the riches they have acquired. The game is divided into 3 different campaigns. Players start with the same cards, and act at the same time.

The character cards include the rank and value of the character represented. The calculation of doubloons depends on the value of the cards available to each. The Spanish Officer has the most important position. His influence is of great value.

The same character appears on cards of different colors. The blue parrot is worth more than the red parrot.

Points are calculated by counting duplicates. Aside from coins given out at the end of a campaign, loot is counted to determine each pirate’s fortune. A set of 3 cards is worth 12 doubloons. Chests are valued at 5 doubloons, and jewelry at 3 doubloons. The richest player at the end of all campaigns wins the game.

Our opinion: The pirates’ actions must be based on the value of the character cards to obtain more points. They must remain observant and sharp to be able to keep the most valuable cards in their dens.

Jack le Pirate (Jack the Pirate)

Pros
✓ Simple game, accessible to children.
✓ Teaches how to calculate.
✓ Very short game duration.

Cons
✕ Boring for older kids.
✕ There is no action.

Characteristics
● Brand: La Ducale
● Number of players: 2 to 4 people
● Age: 6 years and over
● Duration of a game: 15 minutes
● Game type: Calculation, maps

This game is a simplified version of Black Jack. The rules are quite similar.
The players are pirates who share the loot in one of their lairs. The treasure that’s to be distributed consists of 10 gold coins. To win them, everyone tries to get a total of 21 with the cards in their hands. The game is over when the gold coins run out or when all the cards have been dealt.

To start, everyone receives 2 cards and keeps them face down. During their turn, the player has the right to ask for one or two more cards, by calculating their values. If a player exceeds 21, they are eliminated during that turn. When everyone is finished, all the players show their cards. Whoever has 21 takes the gold coins put into play during the game.

Revealed cards don’t get returned to the draw pile. If two or more pirates get 21, each wins a coin. If a player gets 21 without having to ask for more cards, they win 2 coins. It’s a Blackjack. Pirate cards are worth 10 points and Flag cards are worth 1 or 11 points.

Our opinion: The game is simple and encourages players to do calculations. Players should not be too greedy or they might lose the game.

Fortunes de Mer (Fortunes of the Sea)

Pros
✓ A game filled with action and twists.
✓ Introduces the players to trading and investing.
✓ Learn how to captain a boat (maneuver, approach, protect, resist attacks, etc.).

Cons
✕ The rules are a bit complicated.
✕ The game duration is very long.

Characteristics
● Brand: Asmodee
● Number of players: 2 to 4 people
● Age: 13 and over
● Duration of a game: 180 minutes
● Game type: Trading, combat, piracy

Each player is the captain of a ship. At the beginning of the game, there are only Merchant ships which travel the seas to sell goods or to buy them at ports. The captain becomes a pirate when he obtains a bounty after attacking other Merchant ships. To win the game, a player must have 10 Glory points.

To receive Glory points, a captain must win in a naval battle, manage to sell 3 of their Cargo cards, accomplish a mission, acquire a Frigate or a Galleon, gain 12 gold coins during a plunder, have 10 gold in their chest, or prove that a rumor is true. If several players have 10 or more Glory points, the one with the most points, not counting the Gold in the chest, wins the game.

Each player has a board where he puts his Captain, a treasure chest, a Boat card, a Glory card, 10 Gold. During their turn, a player draws an Event card and acts according to its instructions. Then, the player has the right to perform 3 actions: navigate from one zone to another, spot another boat or attack one, or carry out trading activities at a port.

Our opinion: The game is quite extensive. Completing the 3 actions can take up to 45 min. Which makes a single game last a long time. It is therefore important to control the flow of the game.

Dreadfleet

Pros
✓ A naval combat game, full of action.
✓ Many twists during a game.
✓ A consolation for video game lovers.

Cons
✕ The undead pirates can scare toddlers.
✕ Game pieces need to be assembled and painted.

Characteristics
● Brand: Games Workshop
● Number of players: 2 to 10 people
● Age: 10 and over
● Duration of a game: 60 minutes
● Game type: Combat, actions, navigation

The game consists of a fight between living pirates and undead pirates, the Ultimate Alliance fleet against the Dreadfleet. The Dreadfleet is made up of titanic ships, led by former pirates, thought to be dead, but who return to torment those who fought them while alive.

The Ultimate Alliance consists of large ships, equipped for naval combat. Jaego Roth, the pirate captain, leads the entire fleet with a warship he had stolen from the Imperial Navy. He is accompanied by other pirates who have their own ships. The objective of the fleet is to defeat the undead by attacking them in their realm.

During the course of the game, the player performs many actions depending on the circumstances: attacking enemy ships, stealing treasures, etc. Each ship has special features that the captain can use in battle. The Heldenhammer has 108 guns and a battalion of soldiers. The Scimitar of Flames has a 2-headed creature who throws fireballs at enemies.

Our opinion: Each player must take note of the features of their ship in order to evaluate the actions they should take in combat. It is best not to play this game with small children.

Cartagena

Pros
✓ A quick game with easy to understand rules.
✓ Entertaining for those who love competition.
✓ 2 possible variants: Jamaica and Tortuga.

Cons
✕ Not too many choices in regards to the actions to be performed.
✕ The movement of the pirates depends on the random card drawn.

Characteristics
● Brand: Ravensburger
● Number of players: 2 to 5 people
● Age: 8 years and over
● Duration of a game: 30 minutes
● Game type: Racing, strategy, chance

Players will be tasked with helping pirates who have escaped from Cartagena’s prison. The game takes place on a board, the 6 pieces of which must be assembled to form the underground course of the prisoners. The fortress is the starting point. At the other end is a boat moored to a port.

Each player receives 6 tokens of the same color, which represent the player’s group of pirates. The goal is to get them all onto the boat. You have to be quick because the boat cannot contain all the fugitives. The first player who gets their whole group on the boat wins the game, and flees with them.

The movement of the tokens is carried out according to the cards. The player moves their token to the space corresponding to the symbol on the card. They can also push back a token or draw 2 other cards which allow them to perform 2 other actions. At the beginning, the players decide together to play the Jamaica variant (each player hides their cards) or the Tortuga one (the cards are revealed for all to see). A player can slow down their opponents with Dagger cards.

Our opinion: The game requires good strategy because it’s not just speed that wins as the opposing players must be prevented from reaching the boat as well.

Comparison Table