Pirate games have always been a good genre to get lost exploring the vast seas and finding lucrative treasures. There is always combat to engage in whether it be out in the sea or on land. They also provide an opportunity to be set in an interesting time period, which was some of the darkest and most ruthless times in history. Here are the best Pirate games to play this year.
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Best Pirate-themed Games to Play
Here are the best of the finest sea-faring games from the years past that takes the pirate fantasy to the max and shivers your timbers to the core.
10. The Pirate: Caribbean Hunt (2016)
Looking for an adventure out in the seas without hurting your wallet? well, look no further. The Pirate: Caribbean Hunt is a free-to-play strategy title where you get to captain your own ship out in the Caribbean Sea. With hundreds of islands and ports to visit, there is always a quest to do and other pirates to battle against. It features multiple classes of ships to best suit your style and purpose. While it does contain micro-transactions to skip the slightly grindy nature, The Pirate: Caribbean Hunt is still worth several of your hours.
9. Age of Booty (2008)
Gold, wood, and rum are all accepted as currency for upgrades in Age of Booty which takes players back to seas of centuries past where you are tasked with setting sail and capturing towns for your chosen pirate faction as you fight with other factions along the way. The map is divided into hexagons where you engage in combat with any enemy ship at adjacent hexagons. With lots of replayability and a whole lot of booty to plunder, it makes for a solid pirate adventure.
8. Risen (2009)
Risen is an action RPG set along the Mediterranean Sea where you explore a vast map and fight with enemies in the well-known RPG fashion. It takes the classic RPG formula and applies it to a pirate-themed swashbuckling adventure. While the two sequels that came out following it were met with mixed reviews, Risen itself packs a lot of punches where it’s required and ends up as an overall decent pick for a Pirate-themed action RPG.
7. Blackwake (2017)
If you are looking for something that is more focused on the seafaring side of things then try your hand at Blackwake. Blackwake is a first-person game that puts players on a ship along with other players as fellow crew members. Players are expected to work cooperatively to not only fend off opposing pirates but also to maintain their own ship. The community surrounding the game is a little thin but if you manage to find buddies to play with it can lead to some fun moments and crazy journeys.
6. Sid Meier’s Pirates! (2004)
Those that are familiar with the grand strategy of the Civilization series might recognize Sid Meier’s name. Made by the same people, Sid Meier’s Pirates! is pretty much like Civilization but based around pirates instead with real-time strategy gameplay. It is a remake of the original 2004 title that brings all the needed updates to make the experience that much better. The goal is to be the greatest pirate of them all and get all the plunder and riches for yourself.
5. LEGO Pirates Of The Caribbean (2011)
If you are looking for a more family-friendly alternative, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean keeps to the LEGO games formula and delivers it onto a pirate-themed narrative. It features fights from the movie such as with the iconic villain Hector Barbossa to even Davy Jones as you go along a fairly linear yet fun experience for all age groups. LEGO Pirates Of The Caribbean is sure to bring you and your family some laughs even despite the lack of dialogue.
4. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (2018)
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is an isometric RPG similar to the likes of Diablo, Torchlight, etc. It features extensive character creation and a big open world to explore with nicely detailed environments. while naval combat has some rough edges, it makes up for it in land combat. It is made by the developers of The Outer Worlds, which is considered to be a great RPG so you can expect the same quality and polish from this title.
3. GreedFall (2019)
When it comes to freedom of choice, there is no other game in this list that does it better than GreedFall. GreedFall truly puts the choice in the player’s hands of how to tackle the hurdles in their pirate adventures, whether they want to play it quietly and stealthily or use diplomacy and wits or even go all-out aggressive. While inspired by the 17th century period, it’s set in a witcher-like fantasy world where you can even stumble upon vicious monsters trying to bring you down, so better be ready for some brutal fights.
2. Sea of Thieves (2018)
If anything Sea of Thieves does the best, it’s the exploration. Sailing the vast seas feels incredibly immersive in this first-person title, especially along with other players as your crewmates. There is always a risk of stumbling upon other player pirates that can either want to help you, ignore you, or loot you. While being decent at launch, it has since then got multiple updates and expansions that add many new features, locations, and monsters that satisfy the itch of that pirate life out on the seas.
1. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (2013)
Everyone recognizes Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag as that quintessential pirate game because it offers almost everything that you would want in that genre. The Assassin’s Creed titles before it was already known for great stealth and combat gameplay, this one takes that and adds a whole pirate adventure to it where you are the captain of your very own ship with your own crew along with the classic Assassin’s Creed gameplay when off the ship. It features some of the best Naval combat ever along with an open world that keeps you intrigued at all times.
These are all the best games that provide the most fun and entertaining Pirate adventures out there. For more Pirate shenanigans, check out our other article on the best Pirate Ship Names List.