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Treasure Chest card Nightfall trouble card Pirates Wild card game cover Compass fortune card Kraken wild card

Pirates Wild™

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.

How It Plays

Draw a card. Play a treasure, fortune, safe, or trouble card. Block rivals, shout “Arrr!”, and race from Coins to Treasure Chest.

1

Draw a card from the pile

2

Play Daylight, Crew, and Sloop to prepare your plunder

3

Lay down treasure cards to reach each target count

4

Throw Trouble at rivals to halt their progress

5

Play Safe cards and shout “Arrr!” to bounce attacks back

6

First player to plunder Coins through Treasure Chest wins

Play Free Online

Why Players Love It

Fast turns. Strategy. Trouble cards. Comebacks. One perfectly timed “Arrr!” can change the whole game.

Quick & Competitive

Games take 20–40 minutes. Every turn matters. Draw, play, and watch your rivals squirm.

Easy to Learn

Deal six cards and start playing. Kids pick it up in one round, adults get hooked by the second.

Delicious Sabotage

Play Trouble cards to halt a rival, steal treasures with the Kraken, and shout “Arrr!” to bounce attacks right back.

Perfect Anywhere

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.

The Cards

Original card art inspired by the golden age of piracy, rendered in the tradition of vintage maritime engravings.

The Treasures

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

Coins • Map • Jewels • Skeleton Key • Treasure Chest

Trouble

These red-bordered hazards halt a rival’s progress until overcome.

Nightfall
Storm
Lost at Sea
Shipwreck
Mutiny

Nightfall • Storm • Lost at Sea • Shipwreck • Mutiny

Good Fortune

Overcome Trouble, gear up, and keep the game alive.

Daylight
Fair Winds
Compass
Crew
Sloop
Galleon

Daylight • Fair Winds • Compass • Crew • Sloop • Galleon

Safe

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

Harbor • Captain • Flagship

The Wild

The Kraken rises from the deep and snatches a treasure right out of a rival's hold.

Kraken

Kraken

Instructions

Learn the rules and start playing.

How It Plays in One Minute

  1. Collect treasures in order: Coins → Map → Jewels → Skeleton Key → Treasure Chest.
  2. You need Daylight, Crew, and the right Sloop before you can plunder.
  3. Rivals play Trouble cards to stop you.
  4. Fortune and Safe cards get you moving again.
  5. The Kraken can steal a rival’s treasure.
  6. First player to finish Treasure Chest wins.

Object of the Game

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+

About the Cards

Treasure Cards: The Treasures

Five species, plundered in order from lowest to highest. Shore requires Sloop; Open Sea requires Galleon (or Flagship for either).

#TreasureCategoryRequired
1CoinsShore4
2MapShore3
3JewelsOpen Sea2
4Skeleton KeyOpen Sea1
5Treasure ChestOpen Sea1

Trouble Cards (Red Border)

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.

TroubleEffect
NightfallDarkness falls across the sea. No plundering tonight.
StormA raging tempest. Your ship is tossed by the waves.
Lost at SeaThe stars are hidden. You've lost your bearings.
ShipwreckYour vessel struck a reef. She's taking on water.
MutinyYour crew has turned against you. The scallywags!

Good Fortune Cards

  • Daylight: The sun rises over the horizon. Set sail! Must be face-up to plunder. Also overcomes Nightfall.
  • Fair Winds: The skies clear and the wind fills your sails. Overcomes Storm.
  • Compass: You find your heading. Land ho! Overcomes Lost at Sea.
  • Sloop: A sloop, a small, fast pirate ship built to raid the shore. Required to plunder Shore treasures (Coins, Maps). Also overcomes Shipwreck.
  • Galleon: A galleon, a massive warship with heavy cannons for the open sea. Required to plunder Open Sea treasures (Jewels, Skeleton Key, Treasure Chest). Also overcomes Shipwreck.
  • Crew: A loyal band of buccaneers, required to plunder. Must be face-up to play. Also overcomes Mutiny.

Safe Cards (Blue Border)

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.

  • Harbor: A hidden cove to weather any storm. Permanent protection from Storm. Call 'Arrr!' to reflect it back.
  • Flagship: The mightiest ship on the sea, works as both Sloop and Galleon for Shore and Open Sea alike. Protects against Shipwreck and reflects it back with 'Arrr!'
  • Captain: A legendary captain who knows every waterway and commands absolute loyalty. Protects against both Lost at Sea and Mutiny, and also serves as your Crew when played face-up. Call 'Arrr!' to reflect either back.

Kraken (Gold Border)

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.

Help Cards (Reference Only)

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.

Game Play

Setup

  1. Remove all Help cards from the deck and choose a dealer.
  2. Adjust the deck for your player count (see table below). For 4 players, use the full deck. For 2 or 3 players, remove the listed cards and set them aside. All Trouble, Safe, and Wild cards always remain in play.
  3. Shuffle the remaining cards thoroughly.
  4. Deal six cards face-down, one at a time, starting with the player to the dealer’s left.
  5. Place the remaining cards face-down in the center as the draw pile.
  6. Turn the top card of the draw pile face-up beside it to start the discard pile.

Deck Scaling by Player Count

For fewer than 4 players, remove the following cards before dealing:

Card3 Players
Remove
2 Players
Remove
Coins510
Map48
Jewels36
Skeleton Key24
Treasure Chest24
Daylight24
Fair Winds12
Compass12
Sloop24
Galleon24
Crew24
Total removed2652
Deck size8862

On Your Turn

  1. Draw one card from either the draw pile or the top of the discard pile. (Exception: the Wild card may never be drawn from the face-up discard pile.)
  2. Play one card face-up into your ship, or play a Trouble card against another player.
  3. If you cannot or choose not to play, you must discard one card face-up to the discard pile.

Core Rules

  • Before playing any treasure card, you must have Daylight, Crew, and the correct Sloop face-up in your ship with no unresolved Trouble.
  • Sloop may only be played while targeting Shore. Galleon may only be played while targeting Open Sea. Flagship works for either.
  • Treasures must be collected in order: Coins → Map → Jewels → Skeleton Key → Treasure Chest. Reach each target count before advancing.
  • Only one Trouble card may affect a player at a time.
  • Play passes to the left after each turn.

Seasons

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.

Victory

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.

Quick Reference

Setup and Gameplay reference card Trouble and Remedies reference card Species Order reference card

Try It Free. No Download, No Signup

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

Order Your Deck

The perfect gift for young adventurers, pirate fans, and anyone who loves a good treasure hunt.

Physical Decks Coming Soon

Pirates Wild is currently available as a free online game. Physical decks are in development. Join the Pirate List to be first in line.

Join the Pirate List

Be first to know when physical Pirates Wild decks are ready. Early subscribers get first access and exclusive offers.

No spam, ever. Just pirate updates and early access.

Free shipping within the United States. One compact deck. Perfect for birthday parties, road trips, rainy days, or screen-free family game night.

About

A treasure plundering card game powered by the Cards Wild engine.

Pirates Wild was born from the same game engine that powers the original Cards Wild game — the Cards Wild 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 Cards Wild family of games, all built on a shared engine designed in Jasper, Colorado. Same rules, different world.

A treasure plundering card game. Original art, fast strategy, and just enough rivalry to steal your shipmate's biggest haul. See the full Cards Wild family →

Sail, Plunder & Conquer

Powered by the Cards Wild engine, play-tested since 2007

Play free online right now

Great for kids, families, pirate fans, and card-game lovers

“My kids are obsessed. They yell Arrr! every time they reflect a Trouble card. Best family game night ever.”

Cards Wild playtester

“Perfect birthday party game. Easy to learn, the pirate theme is a hit, and games are just the right length.”

Parent

“The Kraken card is everyone's favorite. Nothing beats stealing treasure from your best friend.”

Family game night regular

Frequently Asked Questions

How many players can play?

2-4 players, ages 8 and up. The deck scales automatically for fewer players. A typical game takes 20-40 minutes.

Is this the same game as Cards Wild?

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 Cards Wild, you already know how to play.

Is this a good gift for kids?

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.

Can I play it online for free?

Yes! The full game is free to play in your browser right now. No download, no signup required.

When will the physical deck be available?

Physical Pirates Wild decks are in development. Join the Pirate List to get first access when they're ready to ship.

What is Cards Wild?

Cards Wild is the game engine behind the original Cards Wild game, Fishings Wild, Pirates Wild, and future themed card games. Same proven rules, different themes. Learn more at cardswild.com.

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Same proven engine. Different themes. Every game is free to play online.

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