
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,663
- BGG rating
- 6.2
Going, Going, GONE!
- 2–6 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2013

2015
Rules assistance for Piratoons
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.
Piratoons is a board game released in 2015 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Olivier Grégoire and Thibaut Quintens and its main mechanics are Set Collection, Auction / Bidding, and Real-Time.
Build the biggest, baddest, best Pirate ship on the high seas. Plunder your way to glory and fame! In Piratoons, each turns begins with a treasure of boat parts and equipment being revealed. All at the same time, each Pirate rushes to allocate crew in an effort to plunder the best loot by placing their crew meeples on individual items as bids. Each piece of treasure goes to the player with the most crew invested in the item, but only after removing all tied bids. Therefore, Pirates need to stay alert for sneaky opportunities to cancel out an opponent's efforts or for chances to swoop in and steal a disputed treasure. The unclaimed loot is auctioned off with doubloons earned by your crew and then the ship construction begins. Pirates score points for having the most money or equipment, or having the fastest, best, or largest ship. Sets of tiles and unfilled boat sections also add and subtract from your score. The player with the most points after eight rounds is the most notorious Pirate. A featured component of the game is the central loot chest formed by two double-sided boards with raised edges. Before each turn this treasure chest gets loaded with random face-down treasure, then it's sealed, flipped, and revealed simultaneously to the eager Pirates by removing the board on top. The mad rush of plundering in real-time (there is a 15-second sand timer included) and the spatial puzzle to build the best ship possible are the key ingredients of the game's experience.
Piratoons 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 Piratoons is 30 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 Piratoons 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.
Piratoons has a complexity rating of 1.8 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.
Piratoons belongs to these categories: Real-time, Nautical, and Pirates. Its main mechanics are Set Collection, Auction / Bidding, and Real-Time. 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 Piratoons are: Olivier Grégoire and Thibaut Quintens. 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 Piratoons 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.