Pirate Tricks

About this board game

Pirate Tricks is a trick-taking game for 3 to 5 players that plays in about 45 minutes. Across three hands, rival captains compete to become the next Supreme Admiral of the Landor Syndicate, a pirate alliance in space controlled by the Lunar Orion Order.

Each hand begins with the reveal of new scoring cards, creating a different objective to pursue. Players are first dealt five cards, then bid for another seven cards to complete their hands. During this card bidding, captains must look for pirates and other cards that can improve their score.

Winning tricks is only part of the challenge. The different factions of pirates can score more or less than others, and some may even be worth negative points. Players must weigh the value of their cards carefully while competing for tricks and trying to fulfill the scoring goals revealed for the current hand.

• Play over three hands, with new scoring cards revealed before each one.
• Bid for seven additional cards after receiving an initial hand of five.
• Adapt to changing goals, from taking as many tricks as possible to taking few or none.
• In some hands, aim to match a predicted number of tricks taken.
• Collect treasure based on how well your play matches the treasure scoring card.

Some hands reward aggressive trick-taking, while others favor restraint or precise prediction. The changing objectives make every hand a fresh contest as players recruit crews, capture rival pirates, and pursue valuable treasure.

After the third hand, the player with the most gathered treasure wins and is proclaimed the next Supreme Admiral. With its unusual scoring system and shifting goals, Pirate Tricks puts careful bidding and adaptable trick-taking at the center of the race for leadership.