Pirate games have had a surprising resurgence over the last few years. Arguably starting with Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, the pirate-themed Assassin’s Creed game, the pirate games genre is now a bonafide staple for many gamers. So, let’s have a look at some of the most exciting new pirate games for 2022. We have a list of a few new pirate games as well as some bonuses down below. Take a look!
#7 Salt 2: Shores of Gold
Developer: Lavaboots Studios
Publisher: Lavaboots Studios
Platforms: PC
Release: September 20, 2022
If games like Sea of Thieves looked appealing, but you lost interest in trying it out because of the multiplayer component attached, we have you covered. Salt 2: Shores of Gold is a pirate game that focuses purely on a solo experience. It’s a PvE experience here where you don’t need any additional players aiding in your ship or potentially causing a new threat to overcome. Instead, this game puts players into a captain on a ship. With a procedurally generated world, players can take to any location and uncover new islands, quests, and potential loot to gather. Seek out resources to further upgrade your skills or decorate your vessel. With that said, this game is not a fully launched title quite yet. Instead, players are getting an early access experience which means you’ll likely see new content slowly added over time.
#6 Return to Monkey Island
Developer: Terrible Toybox
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platforms: PC Switch September 19, 2022
Release: PS5 XSX|S November 08, 2022
When it comes to classic adventure games, you’d likely find the Monkey Island series featured rather prominently. What might have come as a surprise is that we would be looking at this franchise for a brand new release years later. While the series had had a few games over the years, Return to Monkey Island would come to fruition after The Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm. Once again, players are getting a 2D point-and-click adventure game. In this title, we’re following the old captain Guybrush Threepwood who sets out hoping to find the secret of Monkey Island. If you enjoyed the past installments, you’d find that this narrative will take players back to some of the more familiar locations of the series, along with brand-new islands. While this game genre might be more appealing to fans of the old-school style of adventure games, it’s nonetheless a well-received title by critics and fans alike.
#5 Captain Bones
- Developer: Saygin Karahan
- Publisher: Saygin Karahan
- Platforms: PC
- Release: 28 July 2022
In Captain Bones, you get to explore pirate life in a charming, hand crafted open world. While a curse often creates difficult situations for you, you can explore islands around you after you build your own raft, of course. Dodge the Navy trying to cramp your style while you gather a loyal crew. Making connections and gathering resources will let you own your own boat and set sail to become the best pirate you can be. Pillaging other ships will help you keep your ship and crew in tip top shape too. This pirate game has a much lighter feel to it than many others but still lets you live that pirate dream.
#4 Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure
- Developer: Snowcastle Games
- Publisher: Snowcastle Games
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows
- Release: 18 August 2022
Maybe you’re not trying to be a pirate. You think they are lawless jerks with bad hygiene. Hey, that’s okay! Ikonei Island: An Earthlock Adventure lets you take a stand against monsters and pirates alike as you protect your magical island home. Most of the game is gathering resources for building your home and fighting off monsters. Befriending cute animals native to the area will give you some allies in the struggle. There are pirates lurking around in camps as they try to trap and trade the native fauna. Sneak into their camp to free the animals they have captured, and you’ll have your new best friend.
#3 Rise of the Third Power
- Developer: Stegosoft Games
- Publisher: DANGEN Entertainment
- Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch,
- Release: February 10, 2022
Rise of the Third Power is a pirate-themed RPG with a retro style. Interestingly, the game is loosely based on the political climate of Europe in the 1930s, set in a world that is recovering from the Great War. It is a fusion of Japanese and Western-style RPGs. Players can join a party of eight unique and equally playable characters who are put up against various enemies. Rise of the Third Power is currently available across all consoles and Steam.
#2 Sea of Craft
- Developer: Wizard Games
- Publisher: Green Man Gaming Publishing
- Platform: PC
- Release: Q1 2022
Sea of Craft is an ultra-realistic physics-based ship construction game. Players can choose from hundreds of building materials and weapons as they try their hand at building a worthy sea vessel. Similar to Kerbal Space Program, once construction is complete, gamers can test out their ship and check if it’s sea-worthy. Sea of Craft also allows fans to join players from around the world to battle mysterious sea monsters. Check out this realistic ship-building game in Q1 of this year on Steam.
#1 Sea of Thieves Update
- Developer: Rare
- Publisher: Microsoft Studios
- Platform: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
- Release: February 17, 2022
The popular action-adventure game, Sea of Thieves is hosting a special event called Shrouded Islands. This limited-time voyage allows players to travel to various islands that are covered in a dense fog. The story takes gamers on a journey to find out the mystery of what’s happened to the Golden Sands outpost and the locals that once inhabited the area. Players must also find out where the ghostly Captain Flameheart has disappeared as he is mysteriously no longer in his usual spot in the sky. The first part of this event ends March 3 and will be a multi-story event, having three separate releases. So if you want to play through the first part, be sure to check out Sea of Thieves: Shrouded Islands before then and be all caught up for parts two and three out later this year.
Bonus: Buccaneers!
- Developer: Skyward Digital
- Publisher: Vakyrie Initiative
- Platform: PC
- Release: March 7, 2022
Buccaneers! is a classic RPG with a pirate twist. Players can find legendary treasures, battle powerful ships, affect history, and join factions in an effort to conquer the Caribbean sea. This open-world action game features hours of replayability, all played within a single-player campaign. Players can take command of their own ship and engage in intense battles where strategy is key. Buccaneers! will launch next week on Steam. Get ready to become the most feared pirate captain in the Caribbean.
