15 Best Pirate Games to Play in 2026

A full cargo hold, a ship on the horizon, and a crew that suddenly has several opinions about your steering. Pirate games can turn a quiet trip into a disaster in seconds. They also cover far more than cannon fire, with everything from sword fights and treasure hunts to settlement management and ridiculous conversations.

The best pirate games give you a good reason to spend time with their crews. This list includes 15 recommendations across action, survival, strategy, RPGs, and puzzle adventures. Some let you captain a ship directly; others build their stories and systems around pirates on land. The opening table will help you find the style you want.

Several of these adventures are available through the Steam game keys selection on GameBoost. You'll also find platform recommendations below for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2 players.

1. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced rebuilds Edward Kenway's Caribbean adventure for current hardware. Captaining the Jackdaw, boarding enemy vessels, and moving between ports give its story a broad pirate focus alongside the Assassin's Creed missions.

The remake adds new story material and revises combat and stealth. Edward can crouch more freely, and tailing missions offer more room for mistakes. New shanties and shipboard pets also give long trips at sea a little extra personality.

It's a useful first choice for players who want a substantial solo campaign with action on land and water. This recommendation refers to the 2026 remake. The original Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag remains a separate option for players using older consoles.

Why It Stands Out:

• Naval combat and boarding support the central pirate adventure.

• Edward Kenway provides a strong story focus.

• Revised combat and more flexible stealth.

• Additional story missions and characters.

• New shanties and pets add life aboard the Jackdaw.

My Verdict: Black Flag Resynced is my first pick for a story-led pirate adventure. It offers a broad mix of sailing, ship battles, and action on foot in one solo campaign.

2. Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves makes running the ship a shared job. Someone needs to steer, someone needs to adjust the sails, and someone usually needs to deal with the water appearing below deck. A good crew can make all of that look easy. A new crew can make it very funny.

Voyages take you after treasure, cargo, and other objectives across islands and the sea. High Seas adds other player crews to the equation, turning a successful haul into something you still need to get home safely.

Safer Seas provides private sessions for your own crew, giving newcomers a place to learn without rival players. It's still an online game. Choose it for the sailing, teamwork, and stories that come from a trip going very differently from the plan.

Why It Stands Out:

• Hands-on sailing with jobs for the whole crew.

• Treasure hunts and varied voyage objectives.

• High Seas brings encounters with other player crews.

• Safer Seas offers private sessions with friends.

• Cross-platform play connects PC, Xbox, and PS5 players.

My Verdict: Sea of Thieves is my top choice for friends who want to run a ship together. Solo sailing is possible, though a regular crew adds a lot to the appeal.

3. Sid Meier's Pirates!

Sid Meier's Pirates! gives you a Caribbean career to build at your own pace. You can attack ships, work as a privateer, trade goods, search for buried treasure, and change your relationship with the region's competing nations.

Its activities use different small systems, from naval encounters and sword duels to dancing with a governor's daughter. That last one can require more concentration than the cannon fire. Moving between these activities keeps the career varied.

The 2004 remake is the version covered here, and PC is the most practical starting point today. Its age shows in the presentation, yet the range of choices still makes it an appealing recommendation for players who want to decide what their pirate does next.

Why It Stands Out:

• An open-ended career across the Caribbean.

• Privateering and national relationships affect your choices.

• Naval battles, duels, trading, and treasure hunting.

• Short activities keep the pace varied.

• Strong replay appeal through different career decisions.

My Verdict: Sid Meier's Pirates! is my classic sandbox pick. Choose it when a self-directed pirate career sounds more appealing than following a fixed campaign.

4. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii gives Goro Majima memory loss, a pirate crew, and an excuse to cause trouble across Hawaiian waters. Its modern setting leaves plenty of room for the series' familiar mix of dramatic scenes and absurd side activities.

Majima can switch between Mad Dog and Sea Dog fighting styles, combining quick attacks with pirate weapons and tools. Naval encounters add cannon fire and boarding, leading into fights between the two crews.

Recruiting crew members and improving the ship gives you reasons to spend time between major battles. This is an action-heavy choice with a personality all its own. Players who enjoy Like a Dragon's strange detours should find the pirate setting a comfortable fit.

Why It Stands Out:

• Goro Majima leads a modern-day pirate story.

• Two fighting styles provide different combat options.

• Naval battles lead into crew boarding fights.

• Ship improvements and crew recruitment support progression.

• Side activities keep the campaign playful and unpredictable.

My Verdict: Pirate Yakuza is my pick for exaggerated action and a memorable lead character. Its willingness to get ridiculous is a large part of the attraction.

5. Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew follows undead pirates fighting the Inquisition across a supernatural Caribbean. Its real-time stealth missions ask you to watch patrols, study sightlines, and combine your crew's unusual abilities.

Different characters can change how you approach an island. A magical cannon can send a crewmate over a wall, and another pirate can bypass obstacles from below. Choosing who to bring makes planning part of the fun before you even land.

Saving and reloading fits into the ghost ship's time-related abilities, encouraging experiments with risky plans. You'll spend much of the game arranging actions and finding safe routes through guarded areas. This is an excellent choice for players who enjoy a carefully prepared ambush.

Why It Stands Out:

• Real-time stealth tactics across guarded islands.

• Undead crew members have distinct supernatural abilities.

• Crew selection changes possible routes and tactics.

• Coordinated actions reward careful planning.

• The ghost ship gives the campaign a distinctive home base.

My Verdict: Shadow Gambit is my stealth recommendation. Pick it if combining character abilities and taking apart a guarded position sounds like your kind of pirate work.

6. Return to Monkey Island

Return to Monkey Island follows Guybrush Threepwood on another attempt to find the secret that has occupied him for years. Familiar pirates return alongside new characters, and conversations frequently send a sensible question in an entirely silly direction.

Inventory puzzles and dialogue carry the adventure. You collect objects, work out what people want, and gradually find ways past obstacles across the islands. The pleasure comes from seeing how a joke, a clue, and an apparently useless item fit together.

An in-game hint book can help when a puzzle stops being entertaining. Long-time fans get plenty of familiar names and places, and newcomers can still enjoy the comedy and puzzle structure. It's a good choice for a quieter pirate session.

Why It Stands Out:

• Pirate comedy built around conversations and puzzles.

• Guybrush Threepwood returns with familiar supporting characters.

• Inventory-based problem solving across several islands.

• A hint book helps when you get stuck.

• A relaxed pace suits players who want a story-focused adventure.

My Verdict: Return to Monkey Island is my puzzle-adventure pick. Choose it for funny writing, strange solutions, and a pirate who can complicate almost any conversation.

7. Windrose

Windrose combines pirate sailing with survival and crafting. Your captain gathers resources, builds a settlement, improves equipment, and heads out across land and sea in an alternative Age of Piracy.

Naval encounters include cannon battles and boarding, and combat on foot asks you to use dodges, parries, melee weapons, and firearms. Recruiting NPCs can also support harvesting and production at your settlement.

It's still in Early Access, so the development status belongs in the buying decision. The current version supports solo play and co-op, with the developer recommending smaller groups for performance. Choose it if you enjoy building a home base and preparing for the next dangerous trip.

Why It Stands Out:

• Pirate sailing combined with survival and crafting.

• Settlements provide a base for gathering and production.

• Naval combat includes boarding actions.

• Melee weapons and firearms support combat on land.

• Solo play and online co-op offer different ways to approach it.

My Verdict: Windrose is my survival pick for players comfortable with Early Access. Building and preparing are substantial parts of the experience, so choose it with those activities in mind.

8. Skull and Bones

Skull and Bones centres its progression on the ship. Hull choice, weapons, and equipment affect how you approach naval encounters, giving players a reason to experiment with different builds.

Sailing, gathering materials, and completing contracts feed that progression. Online encounters add other captains, and cooperative play lets a small group take on objectives together. It requires an internet connection even when you head out alone.

The main attraction is spending time at the helm and improving your vessel. Players choosing it should expect a naval action RPG with ongoing progression. For sword fights and a character-led campaign, Black Flag Resynced or Pirate Yakuza is a better match.

Why It Stands Out:

• Ships and equipment form the main progression system.

• Different weapon setups change naval tactics.

• Contracts provide goals across the sailing map.

• Online co-op supports small groups of captains.

• A strong focus on repeated ship battles and build choices.

My Verdict: Skull and Bones suits players who enjoy naval combat and improving ship builds. I'd choose it for that routine, with the online requirement in mind.

9. Rogue Waters

Rogue Waters puts Captain Cutter in charge of a crew across repeatable, procedurally arranged encounters. Naval exchanges let you target enemy ship components before boarding turns the fight into close-range tactics.

Positioning matters on deck. Crew abilities can push enemies into hazards, pin them against obstacles, or use ropes to move into a better spot. Mythical sea creatures add more options once you earn their help.

Between runs, permanent improvements give the crew and captain more room to grow. Individual outings also involve temporary equipment choices, keeping preparation varied. It's a good fit for players who enjoy working through a tactical problem one turn at a time.

Why It Stands Out:

• Naval exchanges set up tactical boarding fights.

• Turn-based combat gives positioning real value.

• Crew classes provide different battlefield roles.

• Sea creatures can assist during encounters.

• Permanent progression supports repeated runs.

My Verdict: Rogue Waters is my turn-based combat pick. Its boarding battles should appeal to players who enjoy squeezing an advantage out of positioning and environmental hazards.

10. Republic of Pirates

Republic of Pirates asks you to build a functioning pirate settlement. Production buildings, storage, docks, and the needs of your citizens turn a small outpost into an economy that can support bigger ambitions.

The fleet handles the dangerous side of the business. Recruiting captains and constructing ships lets you challenge rival factions, take islands, and conduct real-time naval battles. Diplomacy also affects your relationships with pirate crews and trading companies.

Free play and map-editing options give you ways to return after the campaign. This is a useful choice for players who enjoyed the production chains in our strategy list and want a pirate setting. A successful raid still needs somewhere to put the cargo.

Why It Stands Out:

• Pirate-themed city building and production chains.

• Citizen needs give settlement growth a clear purpose.

• Fleet construction and captain recruitment.

• Real-time naval combat against rival factions.

• Free play and map tools support further sessions.

My Verdict: Republic of Pirates is my settlement-management pick. Choose it if planning docks, production, and fleet growth sounds as appealing as capturing the next island.

11. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game adapts the first four films through brick-built environments, physical comedy, and character-based puzzles. Jack Sparrow's adventures give it a familiar cast and plenty of scenes to turn into jokes.

Switching characters helps you use different abilities and get past obstacles. Collectibles give you reasons to return to completed levels, and the PC and home-console versions support two-player local co-op.

Its older hardware list needs attention today. PC remains a straightforward way to play, and the Xbox 360 release works on newer Xbox consoles through backward compatibility. This is a particularly good fit for a relaxed couch session with a player who enjoys the films.

Why It Stands Out:

• Covers scenes from the first four Pirates of the Caribbean films.

• Familiar characters bring different puzzle abilities.

• Local co-op on PC and home-console versions.

• Collectibles encourage return visits to completed levels.

• Visual comedy gives the adventure a lighter tone.

My Verdict: LEGO Pirates is my local co-op recommendation. It's a comfortable choice for film fans who want simple action, puzzles, and plenty of silly cutscenes.

12. Tortuga: A Pirate's Tale

Tortuga: A Pirate's Tale makes you responsible for a fleet, its captains, and the people expecting a share of the loot. Keeping the crew satisfied becomes part of the job, with poor decisions bringing the threat of mutiny.

Naval battles take place on a hexagonal grid. Ship equipment, position, and the conditions at sea affect your choices, letting you consider each move before committing the fleet to another exchange.

Upgrading vessels and deciding who to work with supports the campaign between fights. This is a good option for players who want the responsibilities of a pirate captain alongside turn-based battles. Dividing the spoils may be less glamorous than firing cannons, though your crew will have opinions if you skip it.

Why It Stands Out:

• Turn-based naval battles on a hexagonal grid.

• Fleet equipment and ship types support tactical decisions.

• Crew morale adds consequences between encounters.

• Captains and historical pirates affect campaign choices.

• A single-player focus suits deliberate planning.

My Verdict: Tortuga is my fleet-management recommendation. Choose it if you want to plan sea battles and deal with the less glamorous responsibilities of keeping pirates cooperative.

13. Risen 2: Dark Waters

Risen 2: Dark Waters takes Piranha Bytes' RPG approach into a pirate setting. Sea creatures threaten travel, and the hero's search for an answer brings him into contact with pirates across the southern islands.

Conversations, quests, and character skills form the centre of the experience. Different approaches to problems give you reasons to consider who to help and how to build your character. The island locations provide a useful change of scenery as the story moves forward.

It's an older recommendation with a rougher feel than the bigger modern action games here. PC is the practical starting point for most readers today. Choose it for pirate-themed role-playing, character progression, and the freedom to work through quests in different ways.

Why It Stands Out:

• A pirate setting built around third-person RPG play.

• Island locations support the wider adventure.

• Character skills influence how you approach problems.

• Dialogue and quests give the supporting cast room to matter.

• Different solutions encourage character-focused decisions.

My Verdict: Risen 2 is a niche pick for players who enjoy older RPGs. Its pirate setting and quest choices are the reasons to consider it, with age and rough edges part of the deal.

14. Tempest: Pirate Action RPG

Tempest: Pirate Action RPG gives you a ship to improve and seas filled with quests, trade opportunities, forts, and rival vessels. Ship equipment and crew development provide a steady reason to keep heading out.

The fantasy elements add sea monsters and magical artefacts to the usual cannon fire. Encounters with creatures such as the Kraken give the sailing a different flavour from games built around historical privateering.

PC players can play alone or share the setting with friends. Console players should look for the related adaptation, Under the Jolly Roger, and check that version's features separately. This is a smaller-scale recommendation for players who enjoy ship progression and supernatural encounters.

Why It Stands Out:

• Ship customisation supports continued progression.

• Crew members improve as you play.

• Quests, trading, and raids provide different goals.

• Sea monsters and magical artefacts add fantasy elements.

• PC multiplayer gives friends a way to sail together.

My Verdict: Tempest suits players who want another ship-focused RPG with fantasy creatures. I'd consider it after the broader sailing recommendations, especially if the supernatural setting appeals to you.

15. One Piece Odyssey

One Piece Odyssey follows Luffy and the Straw Hat crew after a storm leaves them stranded on an island. Their adventure provides the pirate theme, with the game concentrating on party-based RPG play and a story built around the familiar cast.

Turn-based battles divide characters and enemies across different areas, making positioning and team choice part of each encounter. Crew members also use their individual abilities outside fights to help with travel and obstacles.

It's a good recommendation for One Piece fans who want more time with these characters. Knowing the series adds context to its revisited events and locations. Choose it for turn-based combat, party progression, and an anime pirate story.

Why It Stands Out:

• A story starring Luffy and the Straw Hat crew.

• Turn-based combat with separate battle areas.

• Character abilities also help outside encounters.

• Party progression supports different team choices.

• Strong appeal for players familiar with One Piece.

My Verdict: One Piece Odyssey is my anime RPG pick. Fans get the most from its cast and references, and its turn-based pace gives it a different role in this list.

Best Pirate Games on Each Platform

Best Pirate Games on PC

All 15 recommendations have PC versions. Black Flag Resynced is a strong choice for a solo campaign, Sea of Thieves suits a regular crew, and Windrose combines sailing with survival and crafting in Early Access.

PC also has several of the best management options here. Sid Meier's Pirates! offers an open-ended career, Republic of Pirates focuses on settlements and production, and Tortuga provides turn-based fleet battles.

Find your next voyage among the PC game keys on GameBoost. Check the launcher on each listing: the supplied Black Flag Resynced and Skull and Bones offers use Ubisoft Connect.

Best Pirate Games on PlayStation

PS5 players can choose Black Flag Resynced, Sea of Thieves, Shadow Gambit, Skull and Bones, Rogue Waters, and Return to Monkey Island. That covers solo action, online sailing, stealth, turn-based combat, and puzzle adventures.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Tortuga, and One Piece Odyssey have PS4 and PS5 versions. The original Black Flag also offers an older-console alternative. LEGO Pirates and Risen 2 have PS3 releases, so those versions require separate hardware checks.

Planning another PS4 or PS5 adventure? The PlayStation game keys selection gives you more options to compare for your console.

Best Pirate Games on Xbox

Sea of Thieves is an easy starting point for friends on Xbox One or Series X/S. Pirate Yakuza, Tortuga, and Rogue Waters also support both generations, giving Xbox One players several choices from this list.

Black Flag Resynced, Shadow Gambit, Skull and Bones, Return to Monkey Island, and One Piece Odyssey have Series X/S versions. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean's Xbox 360 release is playable on Xbox One and Series consoles through backward compatibility.

Your next crew, campaign, or naval battle could be waiting in the Xbox game keys selection. Match the offer's console and activation region to your account before purchasing.

Best Pirate Games on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2

Return to Monkey Island, Rogue Waters, and One Piece Odyssey are available on the original Nintendo Switch. For Black Flag's original adventure, Assassin's Creed: The Rebel Collection includes Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin's Creed Rogue.

Under the Jolly Roger offers the console adaptation related to Tempest. Nintendo players should search for that title and check its edition separately. Black Flag Resynced, Sea of Thieves, and Windrose don't have native Nintendo releases among their currently listed platforms.

Switch 2 owners should check compatibility for the original Switch version they intend to buy. The Nintendo game keys selection is a useful place to find an adventure for your next handheld session.

FAQs About the Best Pirate Games

Final Words

Black Flag Resynced is a strong place to start for a solo pirate campaign, and Sea of Thieves gives friends a ship to run together. Windrose adds survival and crafting, Shadow Gambit rewards patient planning, and Return to Monkey Island handles the comedy.

Choose the pirate job you actually want to do. Steering a ship, building a settlement, solving a ridiculous puzzle, and keeping a crew from mutiny all make good adventures. They just ask for very different skills.

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