Pirates

Treasures of all types — yet the hard part is not capturing the ship's bounty, but dividing it fairly among the pirates! Players take turns splitting each round's booty into shares for the other players. Different types of treasures have different values, and of course there's the hidden items to keep people guessing. Will you be the quartermaster to give everyone their fair share – but giving yourself the best share?

Each round in Booty, cards representing treasures are revealed. Some are worth points immediately, some items cancel others, some give you a chance (but not a guarantee) for a big payday. The quartermaster, a job that travels from player to player, divides the treasures into shares and also includes the order of picking treasures in the next round. Balancing what you need, what others might want, and trying to get a little extra into your treasure pile is the key to success!

The building cards provide many special benefits that allow for a broad range of strategies every time you play.

Game description from the publisher:

Captain Swallow has always dreamed of pocketing a large nest egg in order to retire on a remote island – but he never counted on stiff competition from Captains Stanley Rackum, Dirk Chivers and others, greedy and cruel enemies who always manage to attack the same ships as him. If he wants to finally sink back and enjoy peaceful days in the sun, he must become the most cunning pirate!

In Libertalia, you must thwart the plans of competitive pirates over the course of three rounds while using cards that show the same crew members as your piratical comrades-in-arms. Yes, not only do they attack the same ships, but they employ the same type of ravenous scum that you do! Can you take advantage of the powers of your characters at the right time? Will you be outdone by a pirate smarter than you? Jump into the water and prove your tactical skills!

Take to the high seas as the captain of your very own pirate ship. Seek out valuable merchant ships and raid them for their goods! Hire new crew, upgrade your ship, and give your treasure to the Pirate King for fame and glory!

Rattle, Battle, Grab the Loot takes the fun of rolling dice and combines it with a rich scenario deck to make each game play differently. Each round, the players battle it out with merchant vessels and other ships, trying to grab as much loot as possible. One player takes dice from all the players, rattles them in their hand, then tosses them into the game box to resolve the battle. Where your dice land in the box, in addition to the symbols rolled, determines the results of the battle, then players claim their loot. Players may now return to port to upgrade their ship, hire new crew, or give their goods to the Pirate King for his favor.

When upgrading their ship, players use physical pieces to assemble their vessel, making each ship look different. In the box are dozens of punchboard pieces to customize your ship. In addition to common items and crew members, there will be unique item upgrades and crew that can make your ship stand out among the crowd!

At the end of the game, the player who earned the most favor from the Pirate King wins!

Game description from the publisher:

Build a pirate empire in the uncharted Plunder Islands of the Cairribbi— er, Carebbe— er, near the Gulf of Mexico! Seize your destiny of buccaneerrific awesomeness, and gather hordes of pirates, hoards of doubloons, ever greater infamy, and (of course) ever more treasure!

Dark Seas is a dicey island-building game. Each player plots out his own plundering route, filling its ports with docks, hideouts, and shady sea-faring characters. Players sail their ships around their islands, building their reputation by recruiting pirates, gathering doubloons, and acquiring treasure and infamy. Whoever amasses the greatest reputation wins!

Even for the mightiest pirates there comes a time when they must retire from their lives of invading and plunder — but what's coming afterward? Well, on the five peninsulas of Grog Island, they can invest their loot in rock-solid businesses, such as peg-leg shops, carpentries for figureheads, workshops for voodoo dolls, or the infamous "Grog Hole" pub.

The core of Grog Island is its unique auction mechanism, which uses five colored dice. The players use these dice and the pips on them to create and raise bids. While the winner of an auction can claim buildings on certain peninsulas, the players who have passed are also rewarded: Not only do they receive goods like grog bottles or treasure maps but they also visit merchant ships where they can trade these goods for money, parrots or treasure chests. The auction mechanism of Grog Island makes for tactical and interesting gameplay as in certain moments, passing can be almost as rewarding as winning an auction. Finding the right balance between bidding and backing out is the key to winning.

The game ends as soon as one player has claimed a certain number of buildings, then all players score the secret goal cards they received both at the start of and during the game. These cards may give points for majorities on peninsulas as well as for claiming certain types of buildings or collecting certain goods. The player with the most points wins.