Summary
Despite the lack of well-crafted pirate games on the market, some titles - such asSea Of Thieves- have managed to achieve success in the genre. However, outside of the higher-budget space, the pirate theme remains relatively underused.
Some indie games, however, have attempted to take up the mantle over the years. From space-themed pirate games such asSteamWorld Heistto the recent pirate-themed RPG,Seablip, there are a variety ofindie pirate gamesof all shapes and sizes for gamers to check out.
8Swords And Crossbones: An Epic Pirate Story
A Swashbuckling Tactical RPG
This swashbuckling indie RPG features unique pixel-art visuals and a combat system that’s somewhatreminiscent ofFinal Fantasy: Tactics. Unfortunately,Swords And Crossbonesdoesn’t lean into its apparentFF: Tacticsinspirations as much as it could, resulting in a gameplay loop that’s not as engaging as it could have been.
However,Swords And Crossbonesstill offers players an engaging adventure, thanks to an upgradeable home base, various environments, and enemy variety.Swords And Crossbones’visual style is arguably its greatest strength, though it is let down by a basic and at-times clunky user interface. Still, this indie title is sure to appeal to those looking for a charming pirate experience.
7Sea Of Survivors
Pirate-Themed Horde Survival
Inspired byhorde-survival gamessuch asVampire Survivorsand20 Minutes Till Dawn,Sea Of Survivorsoffers a unique twist on the genre with its distinctive movement controls. Unlike the games it’s inspired by,Sea Of Survivorstasks players with steering a ship through dangerous waters.
This unique setting dramatically changes the gameplay; as a result of the player character being a ship, they’re unable to move backward. This results in a survivor-like experience that’s remarkably distinct. Furthermore, the plethora of ships and aquatic monsters, as well as the original soundtrack, offer a distinct pirate theme that is sure to appeal to fans of this particular genre.
6Don’t Sink
A Swashbuckling Adventure With Vibrant Pixel Art
Don’t Sinktakes inspiration fromgames likeFTL: Faster Than Lightand pirate-themed classics such asSid Meier’s Pirates, offering a swashbuckling adventure with vibrant pixel art.Don’t Sinkisn’t quite as expansive as its inspirations, but it manages to be a consistently engaging pirate-themed experience thanks to a well-crafted gameplay loop.
The gameplay ofDon’t Sinkrevolves largely around careful resource management. This includes managing the morale of the crew, their hunger, and their thirst, as players sail back and forth between the game’s variety of islands. Exploring the world and conquering islands remains fun thanks to a simple and intuitive combat system. However,Don’t Sinkmay get tiresome quickly for those looking for a deeper game.
5Kraken’s Curse
A Minimalist Archipelago Adventure
Developed by the Sokpop Collective, a team known for games such asSimmilandandStacklands,Kraken’s Curseisa minimalist indierogue-like about searching through an archipelago for the titular kraken. Players explore the archipelago ofKraken’s Cursewith their very own boat, which they sail around themselves.
Orientation is a particularly important part of the gameplay loop inKraken’s Curse, as the game frequently asks the player to use their given information to explore with intent.Kraken’s Cursefeatures a wonderfully minimalist visual style and intuitive controls that make it easy to pick up and play. While it’s not the most explicitly pirate-themed game, the combination of exploring islands, sailing the open sea, and fighting skeletons with cannonballs makes for a decidedly similar experience.
This turn-based tactics game featuresa unique art stylethat’s in keeping with theSteamWorldfranchise and a distinctive gameplay twist that allows it to stand out among the crowd.SteamWorld Heistmay be turn-based, but players can manually aim and fire their guns, bouncing bullets off of walls to perform impressive trick shots.
AlthoughSteamWorld Heistis far from the seafaring, swashbuckling fun of traditional pirate-themed affairs, it provides a space-pirate adventure that puts players at the helm of a pirate crew. The pulpy narrative, unique setting, and fast-paced combat all add up to offer a consistently exciting pirate-themed experience.
This Early Access indie game is a strong, pirate-themed RPG wrapped in a bright and colorfulpixel art aesthetic, created by a solo developer.Seablipis an open-world adventure that allows players to role-play as a pirate, upgrading their ship and hiring a unique crew.
Furthering its pirate theme isSeablip’s bounty-hunting gameplay loop, in which players hunt down a total of seven bosses. While this is the main objective ofSeablip, the game also allows players to engage in a fishing mini-game and hunt for hidden treasure. The game’s naval combat, however, is particularly thematic.
2Pirates Outlaws
A Pirate-Themed Deck-Builder
Pirates Outlawsisa rogue-like deck-builder, similar to games such asSlay The Spire, in which players battle enemies using hands of cards. UnlikeSlay The Spire, however,Pirate Outlawsfeatures a geometric art style and a pirate theme.
While there are a handful of intricacies that separatePirates Outlawsfrom itsSlay The Spireinspirations, it plays very similarly. As a result, players who dislikedSlay The Spireare unlikely to find fun here, butSlay The Spirefans on the lookout for a similar experience are sure to enjoyPirates Outlaws.
1The Caribbean Sail
A Pirate Game Inspired By The Oregon Trail
This predominantly black-and-white indie game features a subtle sense of humor, old-school visuals, and a gameplay loop inspired byThe Oregon Trail.The Caribbean Sailis essentially a rogue-like with a focus on resource management and encourages repeat plays with its abundance of ships to sail and characters to play as.
As is the case with the games it’s inspired by,The Caribbean Sailis consistently reliant on RNG. Random encounters and poor luck will often result in losing the game, but it could be argued that this is part of the fun; these tough situations often result in enjoyable stories. As a pirate game,The Caribbean Sailfeatures plenty of nautical features, including naval combat and treasure hunting.
