
- BGG rank
- BGG #23,595
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Operation: Maccabee
- 1–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2010

2006
Rules assistance for Pirate King
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.
Pirate King is a board game released in 2006 for 2–4 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Flaster Siskin.
Pirate King is a game where players take on the roles of pirate captains. Players sail around the Caribbean trying to become the Pirate King by smuggling cargo and capturing territories. Players set sail by choosing how far they would like to move each turn and roll a d12 to determine how far they will move. Rolling too low or too high will cause a player to overshoot or undershoot his or her target, but a good roll will hit a player right where he or she wants to go. Wherever a player lands on a territory, he or she has choices to make about what actions to take, whether that be to capture the port, pay the owner a dock fee, or attempt to wrest control of the port from the current owner. Players draw cards that have good or bad effects on the Pirate's Booty or Captain's Log spaces, and further spaces have effects on players Players gain points by holding territories, having Great Treasures, or by defeating the Commodore. The game is over when a player has 16 points.
Pirate King supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Pirate King is 120 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 Pirate King for ages 8 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.
Pirate King has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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.
Pirate King belongs to these categories: Economic, Territory Building, and Adventure. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Pirate King and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Pirate King are: Flaster Siskin. 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 Pirate King 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.