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Of all the various “classes” of fighter that we’ve seen in history, the Pirate is easily one of the most popular due to how they were portrayed in various media. You want the look, the swashbuckling nature, the hat, the ship, and the adventurous lifestyle of it all. Well, in 2023, there are plenty of pirate games ready to fit your Pirate needs!
#13 Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew
Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S
Release: 2023
Prepare for a supernatural pirate strategy game with Shadow Dambit: The Cursed Crew. In this title, we’re settling in on a story of a mystical chain of islands that the Inquisition has taken control of. Here the Inquisition seeks to destroy any signs of supernatural powers, and it’s become a battle to secure unique treasures within them. Players will follow a group of supernatural pirates, each with their own extraordinary abilities. Venture through the islands in search of new loot, infiltrate fortresses, and, most importantly, send the Inquisition down to Davy Jones’s locker.
#12 Pirate’s Dynasty
Platform: PC
Release: Q3 2023
Pirate’s Dynasty is throwing players right into a barren island. Loss from their crew and left to die, players will step up and attempt to overcome the odds. Build up a new base and seek out resources. Soon, you’ll venture out to sea once again and become a new legend. It’s your goal to create a new pirate dynasty as you set sail in exploration, battle off other pirate crews, gather new resources, recruit a new team to aid in your journey, and continue expanding your base. Of course, you won’t have to do this excursion alone. The game does offer multiplayer support, so you and some friends can jump into the game together.
#11 Pirate Simulator
- Developer: Space Boat Studios
- Publisher: PlayWay
- Release date: TBA
- Platform: Microsoft Windows
Let’s start out with one that will help you be the pirate you want to be while helping you earn it from the ground up.
Because in Pirate Simulator, you’ll start off as a sailor, and then slowly build yourself the ship and pirate life that you want. We do mean that literally too. You’ll start out with just a canoe, then need to get crafty in order to start building a vessel worthy of a pirate.
Once you have the ship, sail around and find some worthy Pirates to be your crew. After that, you’ll set sail and make your adventures! Will you be the best pirate ever? Come aboard and find out when the game arrives.
#10 Pirate Dragons
- Developer: SuperSixStudios
- Publisher: SuperSixStudios
- Release date: 2023
- Platform: Microsoft Windows
Now here is something that you might not be expecting, but you’ll definitely want to play for yourself. Because Pirate Dragons isn’t about pirates being on dragons in terms of steeds. Rather, you’re going to BE a dragon in a world that is just begging to be burned to cinders.
You’ll choose what dragon you want to be, then fly out into the world and slowly build your power by defeating various enemies. Not the least of which are all the various pirate ships that roam the seas!
Become the ultimate dragon so that no one can challenge you! And enjoy the sensation or roaming around the free and open world…that you will soon alight.
#9 Wavetale
- Release date: TBA
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC
- Developers: Thunderful Group, Zoink Games, Thunderful Development
- Publishers: Thunderful Group, Thunderful Publishing
If you’re looking for a game that has a bit more classic adventure feel to it, you’ll want to play Wavetale when it comes out. Because this adventure title will have you set on an archipelago of islands, ones that are dying, and a mysterious force is looking to destroy them completely.
You are going to play as Sigrid, a young girl from the islands who is just trying to make it by, when suddenly she meets a mysterious shadow and they grant her the ability to walk on water!
Now, use your abilities to roam the islands, go on various missions, and stop your nemesis from destroying all who live on the islands!
#8 Essex: The Whale Hunter
- Release date: TBA
- Developers: 3T Games, SIG Publishing
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 5
- Publishers: Ultimate Games, SIG Publishing
One of the most legendary sailing stories ever is that of Moby Dick, about a captain who went to war against a whale. In Essex: The Whale Hunter, you’ll actually don your Captain’s hat and recruit a mad as hatters crew in order to go on your own hunt for whales! All the while being in the period and the actual ship in which the story that inspired Moby Dick was born in/on!
Man the Essex with your crew, and then go forth to seek out the best whales for you to hunt! Just remember, these are massive beats, and if you aren’t careful, you’ll meet the fate of Ahab and die at the hands of these mighty whales.
#7 Frigato Shadows of the Caribbean
- Release date: TBA
- Developer: Mercat Games
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S
- Publishers: Ultimate Games, FreeMind Games
Welcome to the golden age of piracy, when pirates and their ships were everywhere, and you had to be some of the craftiest of men and women in order to survive on the high seas.
In Frigato Shadows of the Caribbean, you’ll command a crew of pirates on a quest for treasure and glory. All the while screwing with and defeating your “superior rival” in the British Navy. You can’t just win on guts and guns alone though. You’ll need to use tactics and skills to outmaneuver and outthink enemies.
Also, you might want to be careful about that treasure you’re going after. Legend says it might be cursed…
#6 Pirate’s Den Renovator
- Developer: Space Boat Studios
- Publisher: PlayWay
- Release date: TBA
- Platform: Microsoft Windows
If you want something a bit more unique, how about Pirate’s Den Renovator?
Yes, really. You’ll play as a retired pirate who sets up shop on an island, and then starts to run various businesses himself, or through hired hands in order to help out pirates and make a good living for himself.
You’ll have a LOT to do in this game. Including setting up the actual business itself, making a shipyard so you can host and take care of arriving ships, you’ll be able to explore the island to see what it offers too. If all that fails and you’re strapped for cash, you have some underwater treasure troves that you can search for!
In other words, this pirate ain’t retired just yet.
#5 Pirates VR: Jolly Roger
- Developer: Split Light Studio
- Publisher: Split Light Studio
- Platform: Microsoft Windows
- Release date: TBA
If you’re truly seeking a game that can help you FEEL like you are the one who is the pirate, then put on your VR headset and try out Pirates VR: Jolly Roger.
In this game, you’ll be put onto a mysterious island. One that has a wealth of things to explore and do. Not the least of which is to seek out a mysterious treasure that all the other pirates out there have looked for.
But don’t think it’s that easy. There are horror-elements in this game, puzzles to solve, and mysteries to unravel. Just what will you find at the end of this journey…
#4 Tide of Thieves
- Developer: Note Missing Games
- Publisher: Note Missing Games
- Platform: Microsoft Windows
- Release date: 2023
The next pirate adventure you can have is Tide of Thieves, a game that’ll have you navigating all sorts of areas in order to get and reclaim treasure, fight enemies, and more! This top-down action and puzzle experience will have you taking part in a LOT of battles as you try and reach the goal of a level.
Along the way, you’ll get to interact with your crew and see what they’re like. They’re a chatty crew, so you’ll hear from them a lot. The world of Tide of Thieves is large, and there’s a lot to do in it. So be afraid to hoist anchor and set sail!
#3 Pirates Bay
- Developer: Kraken Ink Studio
- Publisher: Kraken Ink Studio
- Release date: TBA
- Platform: Microsoft Windows
Do you want to be a pirate ship with friends and then go on an adventure together? Then Pirates Bay is the one you’ll want to get. Here, this low-poly game will have you gathering a crew of your friends and taking a pirate ship out on the open waters in order to experience life on the high seas!
You’ll get to see the vastness of the ocean, but be warned, because you’re not alone on these waters! There are monsters that you’ll have to fight, and there are enemy ships with rival players that want nothing more than to sink you!
So work as a proper pirate crew and come out on top!
#2 Pirate Commander
- Developer: RockGame S.A.
- Release date: TBA
- Platform: Microsoft Windows
- Publishers: RockGame S.A., PlayWay
Most games will have you commanding a singular pirate or the overall ship. But in Pirate Commander, you’re going to have a much grander task before you. Because you’ll be in charge of the ship, its crew, and everything that goes on with it.
For example, you won’t just be trying to get the best crew for your ship, you’ll need to take care of your crew and ensure they’re physically and mentally able to sail and fight for you.
Then, you’ll need to go to ports in order to upgrade your ship and prepare for grand battles against enemy vessels. Due to how you control your weapons, you’ll have dynamic fights ahead of you. So see everything that goes on with your ship and become the ultimate pirate vessel and crew!
#1 Skull & Bones
- Developer: Ubisoft
- Publisher: Ubisoft
- Platforms: PC, PS5, X/S
- Release date: March 9, 2023
This action-adventure game is currently under development by the company behind the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Ubisoft. Skull & Bones will be a tactical action game set in an open world. Players will be able to control a customizable pirate captain and set sail in the Indian Ocean. The game will offer a single-player campaign, as well as a PvP option with five allied players. Developers have said they drew inspiration from the naval battles of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag for Skull & Bones. Unfortunately, while the game was slated to launch in 2022, the development team has since pushed the game back to March of 2023.