A Treasure Plundering Card Game
Be the first pirate to plunder all 5 treasures, from Coins to the Treasure Chest. (log in)
Pirates Wild is a swashbuckling card game for 2-4 players, ages 8 and up. Players race to plunder five treasures, from Coins to the Treasure Chest, while battling storms, shipwrecks, and rival pirates.
Draw a card. Play a treasure, fortune, safe, or trouble card. Block rivals, shout “Arrr!”, and race from Coins to Treasure Chest.
Draw a card from the pile
Play Daylight, Crew, and Sloop to prepare your plunder
Lay down treasure cards to reach each target count
Throw Trouble at rivals to halt their progress
Play Safe cards and shout “Arrr!” to bounce attacks back
First player to plunder Coins through Treasure Chest wins
Fast turns. Strategy. Trouble cards. Comebacks. One perfectly timed “Arrr!” can change the whole game.
Games take 20-40 minutes. Every turn matters. Draw, play, and watch your rivals squirm.
Deal six cards and start playing. Kids pick it up in one round, adults get hooked by the second.
Play Trouble cards to halt a rival, steal treasures with the Kraken, and shout “Arrr!” to bounce attacks right back.
One compact deck. No board, no batteries, no WiFi. Built for kitchen tables, campfires, cabins, and game night.
Race through all five treasures, from Coins to Treasure Chest, while dodging Trouble, blocking attacks, and shouting “Arrr!” at just the right moment.
Original card art inspired by the golden age of piracy, rendered in the tradition of vintage maritime engravings.
Plunder all five in order, from Coins to Treasure Chest. Collect the required number of each before you advance.
Coins • Map • Jewels • Skeleton Key • Treasure Chest
These red-bordered hazards halt a rival’s progress until overcome.
Nightfall • Storm • Lost at Sea • Shipwreck • Mutiny
Overcome Trouble, gear up, and keep the game alive.
Daylight • Fair Winds • Compass • Crew • Sloop • Galleon
Blue-bordered wards of protection. Play them to block Trouble, or shout “Arrr!” to turn a rival’s Trouble right back on them.
Harbor • Captain • Flagship
The Kraken rises from the deep and snatches a treasure right out of a rival's hold.
Kraken
Learn the rules and start playing.
📜 Official Rules: one page, printable →
New here? Watch How to Play in 8 Minutes →
Be the first pirate to plunder all 5 treasures, from Coins to the Treasure Chest. Each treasure has a target count that must be reached before you advance to the next. The game unfolds voyage by voyage. Every time the draw pile runs out and is reshuffled, a new voyage begins. Play continues until a player completes all five treasures or the table agrees on a stalemate.
2-4 Players • Ages 8+
Five species, plundered in order from lowest to highest. Shore requires Sloop; Open Sea requires Galleon (or Flagship for either).
| # | Treasure | Category | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coins | Shore | 4 |
| 2 | Map | Shore | 3 |
| 3 | Jewels | Open Sea | 2 |
| 4 | Skeleton Key | Open Sea | 1 |
| 5 | Treasure Chest | Open Sea | 1 |
Play these against another player to halt their progress. Only one Trouble card may affect a player at a time. The targeted player must overcome the Trouble with the matching Good Fortune or Safe card before continuing.
| Trouble | Effect |
|---|---|
| Nightfall | Darkness falls across the sea. No plundering tonight. |
| Storm | A raging tempest. Your ship is tossed by the waves. |
| Lost at Sea | The stars are hidden. You've lost your bearings. |
| Shipwreck | Your vessel struck a reef. She's taking on water. |
| Mutiny | Your crew has turned against you. The scallywags! |
Safe cards protect against specific Trouble. They may be played proactively (before Trouble arrives) or reactively. If a Safe card is already face-up and the matching Trouble is played against you, the Trouble has no effect. If the matching Safe card is still in your hand when Trouble is played, you may immediately call “Arrr!” and play the Safe card. The Trouble card is then turned back on the player who played it.
The Kraken rises from the deep and snatches a treasure right out of a rival's hold. The Wild card may never be drawn from the face-up discard pile, but it is reshuffled into the draw pile at the start of each new voyage.
The Help cards are not used during play. Remove them from the deck before dealing. Players may keep a Help card nearby for quick reference.
For fewer than 4 players, remove the following cards before dealing:
| Card | 3 Players Remove | 2 Players Remove |
|---|---|---|
| Coins | 5 | 10 |
| Map | 4 | 8 |
| Jewels | 3 | 6 |
| Skeleton Key | 2 | 4 |
| Treasure Chest | 2 | 4 |
| Daylight | 2 | 4 |
| Fair Winds | 1 | 2 |
| Compass | 1 | 2 |
| Sloop | 2 | 4 |
| Galleon | 2 | 4 |
| Crew | 2 | 4 |
| Total removed | 26 | 52 |
| Deck size | 88 | 62 |
Exactly one card leaves your hand each turn: never two plays, never a play and a discard. Playing your card ends your turn immediately.
When the draw pile is exhausted, shuffle the entire discard pile (including the Wild card) and place it face-down to form a new draw pile. A new voyage has begun. The game continues across as many voyages as needed.
The first player to complete all five treasures, Coins through Treasure Chest, wins the game! If play becomes hopelessly locked, the table may agree to call a stalemate.
Play the full game free in your browser. Take on AI opponents, learn the rules fast, and see if you can plunder all five treasures first.
Play Free Online Try SoloThe perfect gift for young adventurers, pirate fans, and anyone who loves a good treasure hunt.
The complete Pirates Wild deck with its Captain's card holder
All four Cardswild games, each with its own color-matched card holder
A note on availability: we make decks in small batches. If a game sells out before your order ships, we will email you the same day and refund you in full.
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Free shipping within the United States. One compact deck. Perfect for birthday parties, road trips, rainy days, or screen-free family game night.
A treasure plundering card game powered by the Cardswild engine.
Pirates Wild was born from the same game engine that powers the original Cardswild game, the Cardswild platform. Set on the high seas, it trades trophies for treasure and hazards for the perils of pirate life.
Players race to plunder five treasures, from Coins to the legendary Treasure Chest, while battling storms, shipwrecks, and rival pirates. The same fast-paced strategy, the same satisfying sabotage, but with a completely different feel.
Every card is an original illustration inspired by the tradition of maritime engravings and antique nautical charts. The thrill of discovery, the danger of the open sea, and the legend of buried treasure.
Pirates Wild is part of the Cardswild family of games. All of them use the rules first played in Jasper, Colorado in 2007. Pirates Wild was invented in Denver, Colorado. Cardswild is owned and operated by Larry Wolcott in Denver, Colorado.
A treasure plundering card game. Original art, fast strategy, and just enough rivalry to steal your shipmate's biggest haul. See the full Cardswild family →
2-4 players, ages 8 and up. The deck scales automatically for fewer players. A typical game takes 20-40 minutes.
Same engine, different theme. The rules and strategy are identical, but the cards, art, names, and flavor are all high-seas pirate adventure. If you know Cardswild, you already know how to play.
Absolutely. The pirate theme is a huge hit with kids ages 8 and up. It's screen-free, teaches strategy, and every game is different. Great for birthdays, holidays, or rainy-day fun.
Yes! The full game is free to play in your browser right now. No download, no signup required.
Yes. Printed Pirates Wild decks are $30 with free shipping in the United States. Use the Shop Now button above. The cards are printed in Madison, Wisconsin, and each deck is assembled and shipped from Denver, Colorado.
Cardswild is the small Denver business that makes Cardswild: Hunting, Fishings Wild, Skis Wild and Pirates Wild. All four games use the same rules, so if you know one you know them all. Learn more at cardswild.com.
Get an email when a sold out game is back in stock or a new game comes out.
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Same proven engine. Different themes. Every game is free to play online.
Sail, Plunder & Conquer
Powered by the Cardswild engine, play-tested since 2007
Play free online right now
Great for kids, families, pirate fans, and card-game lovers