Play Pirates! Gold Online

Game Overview

Pirates! Gold is one of those games where you start as a nobody with a rickety ship and end up either filthy rich or at the bottom of the Caribbean—no in-between. You pick a starting skill (I always go for swordfighting because the duels are ridiculous fun), then it’s off to trade, plunder, or hunt treasure. Towns react differently to you—some welcome traders, others side-eye anyone who isn’t flying a pirate flag.

The best part? You can play it straight as a merchant or go full Blackbeard, boarding ships in real-time combat. The swordfights are clunky in that classic Genesis way, but landing the final blow on some pompous Spanish captain never gets old. Just watch out for hurricanes—they’ll wreck your plans faster than a mutiny.

Every playthrough feels different depending on your choices, and the soundtrack’s shanties will stick in your head for days.