Summary

  • Indie pirate games offer unique experiences, from tactical RPGs to space-themed adventures with distinctive gameplay twists.
  • Some pirate games allow players to engage in swashbuckling adventures with vibrant pixel art and complex resource management.
  • Players can discover a variety of rogue-like adventures from minimalist archipelagos to bounty-hunting RPGs, each offering a different take on the pirate genre.

Despite the lack of well-crafted pirate games on the market, some titles - such as Sea Of Thieves - have managed to achieve success in the genre. However, outside of the higher-budget space, the pirate theme remains relatively underused.

Three forgotten video games about pirates.
10 Forgotten Pirate Games

There are many pirate games out there, making it easy to forget about some of the hidden gems that allow players to swashbuckle, steal, and sail.

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Some indie games, however, have attempted to take up the mantle over the years. From space-themed pirate games such as SteamWorld Heist to the recent pirate-themed RPG, Seablip, there are a variety of indie pirate games of all shapes and sizes for gamers to check out.

8 Swords And Crossbones: An Epic Pirate Story

A Swashbuckling Tactical RPG

Tactical combat in Swords And Crossbones
  • Platform: PC
  • Released: September 30, 2015
  • Developer: Epic Devs LLC
  • Genre: RPG

This swashbuckling indie RPG features unique pixel-art visuals and a combat system that's somewhat reminiscent of Final Fantasy: Tactics. Unfortunately, Swords And Crossbones doesn't lean into its apparent FF: Tactics inspirations as much as it could, resulting in a gameplay loop that's not as engaging as it could have been.

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Most Replayable Strategy Games

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However, Swords And Crossbones still 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.

7 Sea Of Survivors

Pirate-Themed Horde Survival

Fighting a Sea Monster in Sea of Survivors
  • Platform: PC
  • Released: 18 October, 2023
  • Developer: Nah Yeah Games
  • Genre: Bullet Hell

Inspired by horde-survival games such as Vampire Survivors and 20 Minutes Till Dawn, Sea Of Survivors offers a unique twist on the genre with its distinctive movement controls. Unlike the games it's inspired by, Sea Of Survivors tasks 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.

6 Don't Sink

A Swashbuckling Adventure With Vibrant Pixel Art

Naval combat in Don't Sink
  • Platform: PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
  • Released: April 13, 2018
  • Developers: Fern Nigro, Christopher Anselmo, Daniel Marques
  • Genre: Adventure

Don't Sink takes inspiration from games like FTL: Faster Than Light and pirate-themed classics such as Sid Meier's Pirates, offering a swashbuckling adventure with vibrant pixel art. Don't Sink isn'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 of Don't Sink revolves 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 Sink may get tiresome quickly for those looking for a deeper game.

5 Kraken's Curse

A Minimalist Archipelago Adventure

Exploring an island in Kraken's Curse
  • Platform: PC
  • Released: December 8, 2018
  • Developer: Sokpop Collective
  • Genre: Adventure

Developed by the Sokpop Collective, a team known for games such as Simmiland and Stacklands, Kraken's Curse is a minimalist indie rogue-like about searching through an archipelago for the titular kraken. Players explore the archipelago of Kraken's Curse with their very own boat, which they sail around themselves.

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8 Best Minimalist Sandbox Games, Ranked

Sandbox games don't always need to be complicated; some are based on the concept of minimalism and offer simple yet fun experiences.

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Orientation is a particularly important part of the gameplay loop in Kraken's Curse, as the game frequently asks the player to use their given information to explore with intent. Kraken's Curse features 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.

4 SteamWorld Heist

Space Pirates In A Steampunk Setting

A combat scene in Steamworld Heist
SteamWorld Heist
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Action-Adventure
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Released
December 10, 2015
Developer(s)
Image & Form
Platform(s)
3DS, iOS, PC, PS4, PS Vita, Switch, Nintendo Wii U
Genre(s)
Action-Adventure

This turn-based tactics game features a unique art style that's in keeping with the SteamWorld franchise and a distinctive gameplay twist that allows it to stand out among the crowd. SteamWorld Heist may be turn-based, but players can manually aim and fire their guns, bouncing bullets off of walls to perform impressive trick shots.

Although SteamWorld Heist is 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.

3 Seablip

A Pirate-Themed RPG

Two ships fighting at sea in Seablip
Seablip
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Open-World
Adventure
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Released
May 17, 2024
Developer(s)
Jardar Solli
Platform(s)
PC
Genre(s)
Open-World, Adventure

This Early Access indie game is a strong, pirate-themed RPG wrapped in a bright and colorful pixel art aesthetic, created by a solo developer. Seablip is 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 is Seablip's bounty-hunting gameplay loop, in which players hunt down a total of seven bosses. While this is the main objective of Seablip, 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.

2 Pirates Outlaws

A Pirate-Themed Deck-Builder

A battle in Pirate Outlaws
  • Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Mobile
  • Released: March 5, 2019
  • Developer: Fabled Game
  • Genre: Rogue-Like Deck-Builder

Pirates Outlaws is a rogue-like deck-builder, similar to games such as Slay The Spire, in which players battle enemies using hands of cards. Unlike Slay The Spire, however, Pirate Outlaws features a geometric art style and a pirate theme.

While there are a handful of intricacies that separate Pirates Outlaws from its Slay The Spire inspirations, it plays very similarly. As a result, players who disliked Slay The Spire are unlikely to find fun here, but Slay The Spire fans on the lookout for a similar experience are sure to enjoy Pirates Outlaws.

1 The Caribbean Sail

A Pirate Game Inspired By The Oregon Trail

A ship floating near an island in The Caribbean Sail
  • Platform: PC
  • Released: September 19, 2017
  • Developer: Victorian Clambake
  • Genre: Adventure

This predominantly black-and-white indie game features a subtle sense of humor, old-school visuals, and a gameplay loop inspired by The Oregon Trail. The Caribbean Sail is 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 Sail is 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 Sail features plenty of nautical features, including naval combat and treasure hunting.

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12 Best Open-World Games For Underwater Exploration

Most open-world games allow players to explore across a wide variety of lands, but few try to expand upon the oceans and let players explore there.

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