[Top 15] Best Pirate Games of All Time (Ranked Fun To Most Fun)

[Top 15] Best Pirate Games of All Time (Ranked Fun To Most Fun)

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Looking for the best pirate games you can play right now? We’ve got you covered.For thousands of years, they have been the scourge of those who sail the ocean. They reave and plunder ships and cities, and some have even built empires that span the seas. Most of their kind live on in legends. They are pirates!

For better or worse, pirates have left an indelible mark on cultures around the world. They are depicted as either brave or heroic, freedom-loving swashbucklers or as bloodthirsty criminals. Sometimes they even do both in the same setting!

Whether they are based on historical figures or fictional characters, there are plenty of great pirate games out there. So, sharpen your sword, grab your hat, and get ready to set sail. Here is a list of the 15 best pirate games of all time:

15. Skull and Bones

Platforms: PC

Release Date: Coming Soon (Spring 2023)

Developer: Ubisoft

This, my dear readers, is the true best pirate game ever made. The reason it’s on rank 15 is that it’s not going to be released this year. It’s scheduled to be released next year and due to some issues has been postponed by Ubisoft. Then you might be wondering why I am singing its praises.

The reason for the high praise is that it’s the unofficial successor to the Assassin Creed Black Flag. Although the stories are different the gameplay and the graphics will remind you of a lot of Black Flag’s pirate systems. This game however is entirely dedicated to pirates, unlike black flag that had an assassin templar mix added to it. Make sure to watch the trailer at the start.

14. Blood & Gold: Caribbean

Platforms: PC

Release Date: December 10, 2015

Developer: Snowbird Games

When it comes to pirates, there is never a shortage of action and excitement. After the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean, there is no more perfect setting for a pirate game than that of the Caribbean. Blood and Gold: the Caribbean does just that by setting players right in the middle of it.

The premise of the game is quite simple. You are a pirate in the 18th century. You can sail across the open seas and set out to live your dream pirate life. Your job is to accumulate money, upgrade your ship and become even more wealthy. The thing it lacks the most is the graphics which honestly are outdated. The game is 5 years old and needs a new version or a remaster to survive. It’s a fun game to play but has plenty of cons that go with it. If the game developers want this game to live on they have to update the graphics. The  graphics are pretty much why it’s so down the list.

13. Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty

Platforms: Play Station 3

Release Date: August 21, 2008 

Developer: Insomniac games

When we last left off with Ratchet and Clank, Clank was abducted by the Zoni and taken to parts unknown. With the help of his friend Talwyn, Ratchet discovers a way to locate Zoni and find his robotic best friend. The problem is the only person who knows how to be a dangerous space pirate on a planet of pirates. You can tell that this is going to get very crazy very fast.

Ratchet and Clank Future: The Quest for Booty is a short game, lasting only three to four hours in total. However, it succeeds as a pirate game for several reasons. The game takes place in the lush and tropical settings depicted in pirate stories. On top of that, there are the droves of robot pirate enemies that Ratchet has to get through on his quest. If robot pirates do not sound even a little unusual, then I do not know what will

12. One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3

Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Windows, Switch

Release: March 26, 2015

Developer: Omega Force

Since it was first published in Shonen Jump, One Piece has risen to become the best-selling manga of all time. Long story short, it chronicles the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew as he seeks to become King of the Pirates. Aside from the merchandise, anime, and movies, One Piece also has an extensive video game library. Of all the games, the best receiver has been One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3.

Gameplay-wise, this game has a lot in common with the Dynasty Warriors series. Players take control of Luffy and the other members of his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as they fight their way through hordes of enemies.If you have read the manga, then you will know that the Straw Hats are not like most pirates. They are into the more romantic aspects of piracy like freedom and adventure over wealth and plunder. So this is what makes this game unique.

11. Tempest: Pirate Action RPG

Platform: PC

Release Date: August 22, 2016

Developer: Lion’s Shade

This is another Pirate RPG that is in the vein of Sid Meier’s Pirates, with a dash of Sea of Thieves and Black Flag’s variety.

This is another Pirate RPG that is not well known. But it falls short in terms of graphics. The gameplay is quite good and they put a lot of thought into the game. There are 3 continents, the entire open ocean between them, for us to explore. This game has plenty of quests that reward handsomely. There are mythical beasts that lurk in the waters. You have the Kraken’s, leviathans, dragons, and many more just waiting for you. This game may not be perfect. Some have complained about issues like “auto-scaling makes level grinding pointless” or that it is a mobile game that was put on Steam. But for the most part, its reviews are mostly positive.

10. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360

Release Date: May 10, 2011

Developers: Traveller’s Tales, TT Fusion

One thing that LEGO likes to do is make LEGO versions of favorite film and TV franchises. Another thing they want to do is create LEGO video games based on those franchises. In this case, Pirates of the Caribbean got the LEGO treatment. As IGN notes in their review, after all, it was only a matter of time.

For those who have played any of the other LEGO games, then they will know what to expect from this. Everything from the films reenacted in the silly, slapstick format that LEGO loves. Considering the source material with Jack Sparrow’s antics, this fits right in. There is a point in Davy Jones’ Locker where he can ride goats. That seems like something Jack Sparrow would do.

Based on the first four films, LEGO Pirates Of The Caribbean keeps the formula that fans are used to: play through events from films, break LEGO pieces, collect studs, unlock characters, and have fun with cartoon action.

9. Assassin Creed Odyssey

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Google Stadia

Release Date: October 2, 2018

Developers: Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Quebec, Ubisoft Singapore

Assassin Creed Odyssey is a massive RPG game that is based on Greek and Spartan History. The game is not exclusively a pirate game but it has the most amazing naval action and fight systems. There are very few games that can compete with this game in terms of graphics and gameplay. You can upgrade your ship, recruit powerful crew members, and raid forts in all of the greek.

The only reason it is ranking so low is because it is not an exclusive pirate game. You don’t have guns but you get to truly experience Greek and Spartan pirates in all their glory.  The game is extremely huge and you will spend hours at sea. It’s definitely worth playing if you love pirates and action at sea.

8. One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4

Platforms: Xbox 1, PlayStation 4, Windows, Nintendo Switch

Release Date: April 27, 2020

Developers: Omega Force, Bandai Namco

If you love one piece anime then this is the game for you. One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 is the latest part of the One-piece Game franchise.  It was recently released and has amazing graphics that pirates are sure to love. It is the sequel to One piece Pirate Warriors 3 and was beautifully made. The game is really fun to play and you get to experience the story of Luffy. The combat system is fun to play around with. It now has a titan mode where enemies become bigger and tougher. It also has 4 new multiplayer modes which are a lot of fun to play with friends. So make sure to play as the most amazing pirate.

7. Risen 2: Dark Waters

Developer: Piranha Bytes, Wizarbox

Released: 2012

Available on: PC, PS3, X360

For those after a gritty, swashbuckling pirate experience, Risen 2: Dark Waters is a solid pick. Developer Piranha Bytes did an excellent job in capturing what I've always imagined the pirate world must be like – a beautiful world of glassy oceans and thriving tropical islands, full of thieving, drunken, barbaric thugs. As a third-person action-RPG, the pirate world comes to life with a long list of quests to complete and exciting character progression. Interestingly, the pirate theme is also mixed with fantasy elements in a world where magic and voodoo exist. (It actually works better than you might think.) It’s certainly not without its faults, with slightly frustrating combat mechanics and the occasional bug, but Risen 2 is a worthy inclusion on our list.

6. Blackwake

Platforms: Windows

Release Date: Feb 20, 2020

Developers: Mastfire Studios

Blackwake is a new recently launched multiplayer naval FPS game. The game is focused on teamwork and cooperation with your crew and is one of the few latest pirate games in the market. The gameplay is okayish but the graphics are great. It is one of the most realistic pirate simulation games out there. You can fire the cannons, sink enemy ships or board them with firearms and steel so start epic pirate battles. The game is a bit on the violent side and thus is not recommended for kids.

5. Furious Seas

Developer: Future Immersive

Release: July 16, 2018

All right, lads it's time for a really unique Pirate game. There have been a few pirate games made but one comes close to Furious seas. It is the first VR pirate game, with graphics so amazing and oceans so real, that you can almost smell the sea salt and hear the gunfire. You do need a proper VR headset for this game which you need to buy.

You are the caption of the boat. You are in charge of your crew and ship which you need to take proper care of. As pirates, we sail and explore, battle against fleets of enemy forces and other pirates, and become the king of pirates.

4. Assassin Creed: Rogue

Platforms Available: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Developer: Ubisoft Sofia

Release Date: November 11, 2014

Since its launch in 2008, Assassin’s Creed has become one of Ubisoft’s flagship titles. Just like Assassin Creed Black Flag, Assassin Creed Rogue also was based on naval fights and pirates. It had a great storyline and was loved by many. It has amazing graphics and gameplay that made the assassin creed community ecstatic. The only place it fell behind was innovation since the game felt quite similar to the black flag. Thus the game ended up receiving a mixed review overall. You get to play as Shay Cormac, a former Assassin who ends siding with their Templars. We are then forced to hunt the assassins in order to help the templars.

You are able to roam the North Atlantic and inland rivers with new naval weapons, warfare, and the added danger of the Assassin’s, trying to hunt you down. The game is no doubt amazing compared to other games on the list but compared to the black flag many people felt that it lacked the wow factor. Nonetheless Rogue has made its way to the top pirate games in the world according to us.

3. Sid Meier’s Pirates! (2004)

This is it, people. This is the golden standard that all pirate games need to be set to until the seas dry up. While the original was heralded as one of the greatest games of all time, the 2004 remake takes everything about it and adds on modern graphics. Besides, the new game starts with a backstory for your character.

In the new backstory, Marquis Montalban sells your character’s family into slavery after they fail to pay off a massive debt to him. You evade capture, and ten years later, set out for the Caribbean in search of your family. After leading a mutiny and seizing control of your ship, it is up to you to build your legend as a pirate.

2. Sea of Thieves

Platforms: PC, Xbox One

Released: March 20, 2018

Developer: Rare

What is better than being able to play out your pirate fantasies? Being able to play them out with your friends. That is why Sea of Thieves looked like it was going to be such a fantastic game. Another thing so special about Sea of Thieves is the capability of cross-platform playing between Xbox and PC players. Players can gather loot by taking it from other players, finish missions or raid forts. 

Rare made a big splash with their ambitious Sea Of Thieves. At launch, this Xbox and PC exclusive instantly caught the attention of players with its open-ended gameplay that allowed the player to explore and go about the game in any way they want. This game is one of the most fun games to play with your friends. You get to choose from a huge variety of characters and the game is originally meant to be played online with your friends. The goal of the game just like most pirate games is to get gold through voyages, which are missions that you do.

1. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One

Release: October 29, 2013

Developers: Ubisoft Montreal

Before the release of this game Sid Meier’s Pirates! was the greatest pirate game of all time, but in 2013, Ubisoft changed that. Assassin’s Creed IV: Blak Flag revolutionized the pirate game industry, bringing a whole other definition of wow with it. Ubisoft went beyond when it came to this game. This time they introduced a young welsh pirate determined to prove that he deserves more than his place in life grants him. The game let the players interact with well-known historical figures and legendary outlaws of the Golden Age of Piracy.  This game brought out the pirate inside the players and let them feel like a pirate from the moment they fired the cannons at another ship until the moment when they would run their sword through the enemy captain. Assassin’s Creed IV was the best game of the Assassin’s Creed Franchise until the release of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, this fact was recognized by Ubisoft so much that they decided to make a pirate-exclusive game, Skull and Bones which is said to be released in spring 2023.

That’s about all from the top 15 Pirate games in the world. If you are a pirate games fan then you should definitely check out these games. We started ranking the games from number 15 to the best. We started with Skull and Bones as the 15th best Pirate Game and eventually reached the Best game that is Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. So what are you waiting for? Go on and start playing the best pirate games from today.