You are currently viewing Pirate’s Cove Board Game

Pirate’s Cove Board Game

Arrrrr! I have another board game review/overview/recommendation for ye mates!

My family had a really fun time playing Pirate’s Cove over the holidays. My wife, knowing I love pirates so much (which is why she also got me an Assassin’s Creed Kenway cutlass replica) got me this great board game all about sailing amassing pirate fame, collecting booty, and plundering enemy vessels.

In Pirate’s Cove you’re the captain of your very own ship! There are twelve rounds of play and during each round the players individually decide which island they want to sail to. The key about traveling to islands is that each round the rewards are different, and you can only upgrade certain ship components on specific islands.

If you’re the only pirate to choose an island, fantastic! The booty is yours. If another player chooses the same island, or one of the infamous legendary pirate NPCs is headed there that round, then it’s time for a battle!

Pirate’s Cove is played using dice. Each dice role corresponds to your ship’s current status. You can upgrade sails, cannons, crew, and hold. Sails determine who goes first in combat, and your canons/crew determine how many dice you can roll. Your hold determines how much treasure you can load onto your ship at once.

By battling the enemy and attacking specific parts of their ship, you can cripple them and send them to shipwreck cove where they must make repairs before setting back out onto the high seas.

Overall, Pirate’s Cove is a super fun game which is radically enhanced by a love for the theme. We find the game is best played in groups of 3+, but we did make it work with 2 players by using the 2 player rules and using some specific 2 player variants. If you like games of chance (dice rolls being the chance part) with a mix of strategic play, then Pirate’s Cove is a game I recommend.