
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,440
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Mint Tin Mini Skulduggery
- 1–4 players
- 10–25 min
- Complexity 1.0/5
- 2018

2014
Rules assistance for Mint Tin Pirates
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mint Tin Pirates is a board game released in 2014 for 2 players, 5 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by David Rene Miller and Kate Beckett and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Dice Rolling.
Two pirate galleons cross paths and a battle is launched! All ye scurvy dogs on deck! But rough seas mean that a little luck goes a long way. Cannons do the greatest damage, that is when their powder isn’t wet or they don’t miss. But cannons take long to load and you’ll be able to do more attacks by tossing hand mortars, throwing dirks, or firing flintlock pistols. But those aren’t the only tricks these pirate captains have! Summon a lost pirate from the depths of Davy Jones’ Locker or even persuade an enemy pirate to join your crew! And, even in the heat of battle, fate can smile down upon this lowly lot and uncover treasure! No pirate can resist treasure – especially if it contains voodoo that helps them fight! Once you destroy the pirate enemy, you’ve won! Or have you? The Pirate Ghost gives one last chance and can be a formidable opponent! Gameplay Aye, a sworn pirate enemy! Destroy their crew or sink their galleon to win. Pick your color and roll dice, higher goes first. Place your pirates on your ship and the matching damage token on your ship's damage counter. Place the gold cube and Pirate Ghost between the ships. Shuffle and deal 5 cards face down to each player. Place remaining deck face down. 1. On your turn discard and draw up to 2 cards, if desired. 2. Play a matching pair and roll the dice. If total matches any of the card's bottom numbers, it wins! a. Knife, pistol, bomb, or cannon - Take an opponent’s pirate and place it beside your ship as a lost pirate. Cannon hits are also counted with damage cube. Four cannon hits, your galleon sinks, and you lose the game. b. Desertion - An opponent's pirate becomes a pirate on your ship. c. Davy Jones' Locker - Raise any lost pirate and place on your ship. Doubloons are wild and may be used to complete a pair. If needed, shuffle discarded cards to continue. Top right number is the total number of that card in the deck and its chances of success - !!! best, !! fair, ! least Pirate Ghost! First one to lose their crew places the Pirate Ghost on their ship and discards 2 cards. Pirate Ghost plays with only 3 cards unless they have the gold. Pirate Ghost is always the last lost if you gain crew. Dice Doubles! Place gold on your ship and play with an extra card! If the other player rolls a double, they take your gold and an extra card, and you lose your extra card. Game interrupted early? Each standing pirate on your ship is 2 victory points, lost pirates you’ve claimed are 1 point each and 1 point for the gold. Most victory points win!
Mint Tin Pirates supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Mint Tin Pirates is 5 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Mint Tin Pirates for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Mint Tin Pirates has a complexity rating of 1.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Mint Tin Pirates belongs to these categories: Card Game, Dice, and Pirates. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Dice Rolling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Mint Tin Pirates are: David Rene Miller and Kate Beckett. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Mint Tin Pirates as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.