How To Play: Pirates

Overview

Ahoy mateys! If you’ve ever tried to plunder treasure with friends and ended up the unlucky landlubber, this guide is for you. After many nights playing (and losing) How To Play pirates, I’ve gathered all the best tips to help you win. I’ll give you a quick outline of the rules, then share the sneakiest and smartest strategies that actually work. No sea legs required—just grab your crew and let’s set sail!

What’s in the box

• 1 Game board
• 5 Pirate ship miniatures
• 50 Gold coins
• 1 Treasure chest
• 40 Crew cards
• 15 Event cards
• 5 Player boards
• 5 Reference cards
• 1 Custom die
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Pirates: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Each player picks a pirate character and takes the matching ship token.
2. Shuffle the treasure cards, then deal two to each player. Put the rest in a pile face down.
3. Place the game board in the middle and scatter rum, cannon, and map tokens on marked spaces.
4. Give each player a crew card and three gold coins to start.
5. Choose someone to go first—preferably whoever can say “Arrr!” with the most gusto. (This always starts the table laughing.)

Gameplay

1. On your turn, roll the dice to move your ship. You can move, search an island, or challenge another player.
2. If you land on a treasure spot, draw a treasure card and follow its instructions. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you find a soggy boot.
3. Use action cards or crew abilities as needed. Never forget to check if you’re holding something sneaky!
4. Trade, steal, or make alliances—but remember, pirates are not famous for honesty.

Winning

1. The first pirate to collect three treasures and return to their home port wins. It’s that simple (unless your friends team up against you—trust me, it happens).
2. If no one reaches three treasures by the time the treasure pile runs out, the richest pirate wins.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If your ship gets hit by a cannon, you must skip your next turn to patch the holes. No exceptions, even if you beg.
2. Rum tokens let you reroll any dice, but using too much in one round sends your pirate to take a nap on the dock.
3. Map tokens reveal secret treasure locations—so grab them whenever possible!
4. If two pirates land on the same spot, they must battle. Each rolls a die, highest wins and takes a treasure or coin from the loser.

Now you know how to play pirates! Gather your crew, set sail, and remember: trust nobody wearing an eyepatch. Good luck, mateys!

Best Pirates Strategies

Treasure Location Strategy: Find the Gold Before Your Friends Do!

Scout Early and Often

Right from your first turn, search the map like a hungry seagull at a beach picnic. Don’t let your mates beat you to that shiny loot!

1. Check every spot you can reach, even the obvious ones.
2. Use clues found in How To Play pirates to guess hidden spots.

Keep Notes Like a Pirate Accountant

Trust your memory less than a soggy map. Write down clues and mark locations you’ve checked.

1. Track what each player found or didn’t find.

Bluff and Distract

Act suspicious and throw off your friends. Point at nothing, gasp at empty sand. It’s all part of How To Play pirates like a champ!

1. Lead others away from real treasure sites.

Become Captain of Crew Optimization!

Pick the Right Role, Matey!

1. Always match your crew role to your strengths. If you bluff like a pro, grab the Navigator. If you love swinging cutlasses, fight for Gunner. Friends will underestimate you until you steal their loot!

2. Change roles every round. Surprising your rivals keeps you unpredictable, and unpredictability is your best parrot—er, pal—in How To Play pirates.

Communicate and Plot

1. Work with your crew, not against them. I tried keeping secrets once, and it blew up in my face—literally, the cannon backfired. Sharing plans (but not all secrets) means more treasure for everyone.

Exploit Weaknesses

1. Notice who’s slow or distracted. Target them for role swaps or sneaky sabotage. In our games, poor Dave never guarded the rum—and he paid the price!

The Secrets to Surviving a Pirate Skirmish

Know When to Fight

1. Pick your battles. I once charged in just because I could. Lost all my gold. Don’t do that.

2. Watch for weak opponents. Not everyone can fight back. Target them, but expect payback later.

Pathways to Escape

1. Plan a route before trouble finds you. I’ve dodged three ambushes just by knowing my exits.

2. Use islands and obstacles. They slow down chasers and make you look cool.

Bluff Like a Pirate King

1. Pretend you have more firepower. I tricked Rob twice—he ran the other way both times.

2. Act broke to lure greedy pirates into traps. It’s mean, but it works in How To Play pirates.

Sail Off Victorious: Mastering How To Play pirates

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the great pirate battles last Saturday, it’s that luck may help, but good choices win the day. Plan ahead, don’t trust Dave (he always double-crosses me), and never pass up a chance to grab extra loot. How To Play pirates is simple to learn, but playing well takes guts and a sneaky mind. So gather your crew, yell “Arrr!” every chance you get, and soon you’ll be ruling the seven game-night seas. May your dice roll high and your parrot never steal your cards!

Want to know what we think of Pirates? Read our detailed review of Pirates here