PCGame

Sid Meier's Pirates!

Open-world pirate RPG about sailing, raiding, and hunting treasure

Firaxis Games · Published by 2K · Released Jul 11, 2005

RPG

Reviews
Very Positive
94% of 6,508
Recent reviews
Very Positive
93% of 31 in 30 days
Players
78
daily peak, Nov 7, 2026
Steam Deck
Unsupported
Last update on Steam
Unknown
no patch notes on Steam
Minimum PC
–
not published

Metacritic: 88/100 (critic reviews)

What is Sid Meier's Pirates!?

A single-player, open-world RPG set in the Caribbean. You sail between locations, fight enemies at sea, raid villages, work as a privateer, and search for buried treasure while building your reputation as a pirate.

For you if...

  • +you want an open-world pirate sandbox
  • +you enjoy sailing, naval combat, and treasure hunts
  • +you prefer single-player adventures with flexible goals

Not for you if...

  • −you want multiplayer rather than a solo adventure
  • −you prefer a linear campaign over open-world freedom

What players say

94% of 6,508 reviews are positive · 93% of 31 in the last 30 days

Players praise the open-world pirate sandbox and its mix of sailing, combat, raiding, and treasure hunting. Common complaints cite dated, nonremappable controls that rely on the numpad, lack of controller support, and crashes or glitches on modern PCs.

Players over time

▼ -17% vs a month ago

Players online on Steam, one sample a day.

Highest since Sep 2026: 133 players on Oct 12, 2026.

Show the data
DayPlayers
Nov 7, 202678
Nov 6, 202678
Nov 5, 202688
Nov 4, 202674
Nov 3, 202691
Nov 2, 2026121
Nov 1, 2026104
Oct 31, 2026107
Oct 30, 2026100
Oct 29, 202694
Oct 28, 2026100
Oct 27, 202657
Oct 27, 202694
Oct 26, 2026122
Oct 25, 202691
Oct 24, 2026106
Oct 23, 202680
Oct 22, 202688
Oct 21, 202686
Oct 20, 202685
Oct 19, 2026105
Oct 18, 2026108
Oct 17, 202698
Oct 16, 202678
Oct 15, 202675
Oct 14, 202699
Oct 13, 2026112
Oct 12, 2026133
Oct 11, 2026126
Oct 10, 2026126
Oct 9, 202694
Oct 8, 2026103
Oct 7, 202696
Oct 6, 2026110
Oct 5, 2026106
Oct 4, 2026112
Oct 3, 2026108
Oct 2, 2026116
Oct 1, 2026101
Sep 30, 202696
Sep 29, 2026109
Sep 28, 2026102
Sep 27, 2026128
Sep 26, 202697
Sep 25, 2026122
Sep 24, 2026111
Sep 23, 202668
Sep 23, 2026100
Sep 22, 202697
Sep 21, 202698

Screenshots and trailer

Sid Meier's Pirates! screenshot 1

Sid Meier's Pirates! system requirements

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run Sid Meier's Pirates!?

The published requirements do not name a graphics card we can compare.

Set up my PC →

Minimum

Windows® 98/Me/2000/XP, Pentium® 1.0 GHz or higher, 256 MB RAM, 1.2 GB Free HDD, 64 MB video card* with Hardware T&L support, Windows® 98/Me/2000/XP-compatible sound card*, DirectX® version 9.0b (included) or higher * Indicates device should be compatible with DirectX® version 9.0b or higher.

Does Sid Meier's Pirates! have co-op or multiplayer?

No: single-player only, no multiplayer modes declared.

Does Sid Meier's Pirates! run on Steam Deck?

Unsupported No: Valve rates it Unsupported on Steam Deck.

  • Not supported on SteamOS

PC version details

DRM
None declared on Steam
Controller
Keyboard and mouse
Platforms
Windows
Steam features
Family Sharing
Languages
Text only: English.

Does Sid Meier's Pirates! use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Nov 7, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam

Tags

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