The Pirate Game! uses card drawing and board elements to allow players to outfit a sloop, sail the caribbean, and compete to amass the most gold by the end of the game. For 2 to 4 players, a game has 12 turns, and lasts approximately 120 minutes.
Players collect cards through visits to port and spending orders during their turn. Players use cards to pursue and fight merchant ships and to avoid being robbed by other players. As the game progresses, players use the proceeds from theft, or the buying and selling of cargo, to add crew to their ship (adding those crews abilities to their own), to repair damage, and to add cannon.
The winner has the most gold at the end of the game.
The boards are two sided, one side devoted to the standard game and the reverse to rules variations specifically for two player contests.