Sid Meier's Pirates! is a game in which you take a ship and, as its captain, lead your group of pirates from port to port, sea to sea, making your own goals and trading, plundering and even duelling with other pirates to achieve the amount of booty (or love) you decide you want.

Smooth Sailing

Sid Meier's Pirates! is a high-quality game. Originally released for DOS, later versions of it improve the graphics, and this one is no exception. As you move about, you'll do so in crisp, cel-shaded graphics that contrast the earth-and-sea tones the game uses nicely. As for the actual gameplay itself: it's well-balanced, not exactly "difficult" but requiring you to manage your crew's needs and pay attention to your options (and pick what to do) to make lots of gold.

Talk Like A Pirate

Overall, Sid Meier's Pirates! is no RPG, despite some claims of that. It's more of a simulation game where you also have a crew and some numbers to manage. But taken as a simulation, or maybe a strategy game, it's fairly unique and a lot of fun to play. And of course, the mini-games do add other avenues to improving your crew and, ultimately, to victory.