Play Pirates of the Barbary Coast Online

Pirates of the Barbary Coast was released as part of the MS-DOS Classic Games collection. Developed by MicroIllusions and published in 1989, it arrived during a period when naval and trading simulations were gaining traction on home computers. The game places you in the role of a pirate captain navigating the Mediterranean, with a focus on strategy and real-time engagements rather than pure action.

You control your ship from a top-down perspective, managing crew morale, ammunition, and hull integrity while engaging in naval combat. The main objective is to build your infamy and wealth by plundering merchant vessels and outwitting naval patrols. Signature mechanics include screen-by-screen exploration of coastal towns for hiring crew and purchasing supplies, as well as tactical ship-to-ship battles where positioning and timing your broadsides are critical. The pacing is deliberate, with moments of tension punctuating longer stretches of travel and resource management. It feels like a calculated gamble where every decision carries weight.

Each game uses different controls, most DOS games use the keyboard arrows. Some will use the mouse , "Alt" ,"Enter" and "Space bar".