Pirate King!
BGG rank
BGG #12,872
BGG rating
6.8

Pirate King!

2025Powered by BGG

Rules assistance for Pirate King!

Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

  • 15 min
  • 9+
  • Complexity 1.3/5

Rules assistant for Pirate King!

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.

Pirate King! is a board game released in 2025 for 2–5 players, 15 minutes per game, and ages 9 and up. It was designed by Frankie Bu and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Variable Set-up, and Simultaneous Action Selection.

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About the game

Prove your worth and become the Pirate King by facing challenges that will test your luck. In Pirate King!, every decision matters, and only those capable of mastering their ambition will claim the pirate throne. Across 7 rounds, you'll compete against other captains to build the best deck of cards while avoiding the dreaded curses lurking in the seven seas. Each player starts by choosing a captain and an initial deck, while the market and monster cards are placed in the center of the table. Every captain is unique, so choose wisely, as their abilities will aid you on your journey. During the game, players will simultaneously reveal cards from their decks, one by one, deciding each turn whether to keep risking or stop before luck turns against them. If a player reveals three curses (skulls), they explode and lose all the resources they’ve gained that round, falling to the last position. Those who manage their luck well will gather valuable resources, such as gold and swords, to trade for powerful market cards or defeat terrifying monsters. These cards provide victory points and special abilities to help you get ahead of your rivals. However, greed is always lurking, and it could leave you empty-handed if you don’t play carefully. After seven rounds, the player with the most victory points will be crowned the one and only Pirate King. Only one can claim this title—will it be you? —description from the publisher Demuestra tu valía y conviértete en el Rey de los Piratas enfrentando desafíos que pondrán a prueba tu suerte. En Pirate King, cada decisión cuenta, y solo aquellos capaces de dominar su ambición lograrán alcanzar el trono pirata. A lo largo de 7 rondas, competirás contra otros capitanes para construir el mejor mazo de cartas y esquivar las temidas maldiciones que acechan en los siete mares. Cada jugador comienza eligiendo un capitán y un mazo inicial, mientras en el centro de la mesa se despliegan las cartas de mercado y cartas de monstruo. Cada capitán es único, así que elige bien, pues sus habilidades te ayudarán a lo largo de tu travesía. Durante la partida, los jugadores revelarán a la vez las cartas de su mazo, una a una, decidiendo en cada turno si seguir arriesgando o detenerse antes de que la suerte los traicione. Si un jugador revela tres calaveras, explota y pierde todos los recursos obtenidos en esa ronda, siendo relegado al último lugar. Aquellos que manejen bien su suerte podrán recolectar valiosos recursos, como oro y espadas, para canjear por poderosas cartas del mercado o derrotar a temibles monstruos. Estas cartas ofrecen puntos de victoria y habilidades especiales que te permitirán adelantarte a tus rivales. Sin embargo, la codicia siempre está al acecho, y podría dejarte con las manos vacías si no juegas con cautela. Tras siete rondas, el jugador con más puntos de victoria será coronado como el único y verdadero Rey de los Piratas. Solo uno podrá reclamar este título, ¿serás tú el que lo consiga? —description from the designer (Spanish)

Editions

  • Pirate King!enHachette Boardgames UK2026
  • Pirate King!enGigamic, Hachette Boardgames USA2026
  • Pirate King!enGigamic2026
  • Pirate King!enDetestable Games2025
  • Pirate King!frBoqueron Games2026
  • Pirate King: Reichtum, Macht und Ruhmdefunbot2026
  • Pirate King!esBoqueron Games2025

Designers

Publishers

  • Gigamic
  • funbot
  • Hachette Boardgames UK
  • Hachette Boardgames USA
  • Detestable Games
  • Boqueron Games

Questions and answers

Pirate King! supports 2–5 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.