Corsairs

About this board game

Corsairs is a card-driven pirate game for 2–4 players, with games lasting about 60 minutes. Players gather provisions, assemble crews of corsairs, and compete to board valuable galleys before their opponents can claim them.

The game includes 30 galley tiles in five colors. Four galleys are placed face-up and available to attack, each showing the specific combination of provisions required, its victory-point value, and the boarding strength pirates must meet or exceed.

Each player begins with six cards. Most cards show one of six provisions: water, bread, meat, rum, bananas, or beans. Other cards depict corsairs with values from 2 to 4, helping strengthen a boarding attempt.

• Build supplies: Play provisions beside a galley until its requirements are complete.
• Rummage the discard pile: Play cards to the discard pile and replace them with cards selected from it.
• Fire a broadside: Discard a card, roll the dice, and potentially steal matching provisions placed beside a galley by another player.

On every turn, players must play three cards. Once a player has assembled the required provisions, they can attempt to board the galley by adding their corsair strength to a roll of two dice. Other players may join the attempt, and the highest boarding value wins the ship.

Players who lose the contest discard all cards they played beside that galley, while the winner claims its victory points and a new galley becomes available. In Corsairs, successful planning can be disrupted by rivals, making each boarding contest a race to prepare the right supplies and muster enough strength to seize the prize.