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Today is "Talk Like a Pirate Day." While Krispy Kreme celebrates by giving away a free original glazed donut "if ye speak pirate" or a full dozen "if ye dress pirate," this is Ars Cardboard—and we celebrate by gaming it up.
Fortunately, we're flush with choices. Tabletop games have embraced piracy; indeed, the website BoardGameGeek lists more than 900 entries in the "pirate" category. Many of these are only good once you've had a bit too much grog, though, so let's winnow down the list to five piratical favorites. Hoist the main sail and fly the Jolly Roger, mateys—it's time to plunder!
What's a pirate to do when there's no grog or sword fighting to distract him? Challenge other pirate crews to a race 'round a tropical island, naturally, which is the premise of Jamaica. Each ship has five cargo holds that can be stuffed with food (needed for movement), gunpowder (needed for combat), and doubloons/treasure (some of it cursed). During the race, each ship will jockey for position at sea, in ports, and in the skull-shaped Pirate's Lair as the crew tries to secure the most doubloons and treasure before hitting the finish line at Port Royal. The artwork and production of Jamaica are truly stunning—I love just looking at the colorful map—and the game is a perfect "family game night" entry that can be played in as little as half an hour.
One of the first titles from storied publisher Days of Wonder, the company that would later put out Ticket to Ride, Pirate's Cove is a light- to medium-weight piratical adventure with terrific art and some fine plastic ships. Players navigate between islands and coves, gathering treasure, firing cannons at other ships, and avoiding (or chasing) the Legendary Pirate. Play can be a bit random, and a game stretching to 90 minutes may be a little long for younger gamers. Like Jamaica, the game is firmly in the gateway/family game territory—and it actually works better with more players.
Libertalia
2-6 players, 45 minutes, Age 14+
Enlarge/ The central ship with its holds of goods and various role cards already played.
A "pirate game" that isn't about ships and cannonballs, Libertalia fuses action selection with treasure acquisition. Players start with identical decks of 30 roles, everything from the Parrot (#1) to the Spanish Governor (#30). One player draws nine of these roles, and all other players follow suit. Turns consist of selecting roles, which each have different effects and which are resolved in order of their strength. Players will collect loot, attack other players, or even peek in another pirate's treasure hold based on the role they choose. At high player counts, the variety of roles and difficulty of predicting which will be played can feel chaotic, but Libertalia remains a well-regarded pirate package for those who don't need to sail and sink other ships.
Real 18th-century pirates are hardly the sorts of people you would want as role models for your kids, yet somehow, scurvy-ridden sea dogs have become great family entertainment. That's true again in Black Fleet from Space Cowboys (the French publisher that has also brought us Splendor and T.I.M.E Stories), a lighter pirate adventure for three or four players. The components—metal coins, plastic ships, large and colorful board—are top-notch.
The game gives would-be captains three kinds of ships: merchants (for earning doubloons), pirates (for stealing goods from merchants), and the Navy (which sinks opposing pirate ships). Play a movement card on each turn and then move your ships that distance, taking their particular actions—unloading goods, attacking merchants, or sinking pirates—if in the appropriate position to do so. Earn enough money and you can upgrade your ships; be the first to upgrade them completely and you win the game. Slightly more advanced than Jamaica.
Enough with the gateway games—Merchants & Maraudersis a serious, three-hour exploration and conquest "gamer's game" set in the Caribbean. When I asked one of my friends what he loved about it, his answer was simple: "It's basically Sid Meier's Pirates!—in a board game." In Merchants & Marauders, you get your pick; will you earn your money as an honest merchant or a scheming pirate? Merchants are hunted by pirates, but the pirates are hunted both by other players and by non-player captains controlling naval ships.
The game has tons of options as you explore ports, research rumors, complete missions, earn treasure, trade goods, and buy better ships, better ammunition, and better crew members. If you truly want to "feel like a pirate," this is the game for you—but just be warned that it's much heavier than the other options and far longer. (A quick glance through the manual should let you know if this looks too complex for your tastes.)
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