Pirate Isles Guide: Sail, Trade, Dig for Treasure and Beat the Pirate Bosses
Pirate Isles is a cheerful top-down sailing adventure. You captain a small sloop around a bright island sea, deliver cargo, dig up treasure, chase off pirate ships and finally face Captain Redbeard and Admiral Blackfin. Our first voyage went a little further than planned. Here is how to sail it properly.
By Zaib · Updated 20 October 2026 · Free to play, no download
Pirate Isles is drawn like a picture book: turquoise water, sandy islands with palm trees, little harbour towns with coloured roofs and a wooden sloop with a red flag. Battles are cartoon-style. Your cannons fire by themselves, and beaten pirates wave a white flag and sail off. Nobody is hurt.
Our first voyage
We started in Coral Bay with 60 gold at Rank 1. The first story mission, Learn the ropes, simply says: "Sail to the glowing buoy." We held the right arrow (with a touch of up) and the sloop picked up speed. A few seconds later we reached the buoy: +40 gold, and straight away a new mission, Floating treasure: "Collect 3 floating chests."
We kept holding right, which was a mistake. The sloop sailed past Pebble Isle, and the yellow arrow at the edge of the screen pointed back the way we came: the chests were 114 metres behind us. Since we were right next to Palm Harbor, we sailed into its anchor ring and docked. The dock menu showed Missions, Shipyard and Repair, and three port contracts: Shipwreck salvage (135 gold), a Pirate bounty (115) and a Treasure map for Pebble Isle (175).
The lessons:
- Follow the yellow arrow. It always points to your current mission, with the distance.
- Let go to slow down. The ship keeps sailing while you hold a direction.
- Docking at a new port is useful. You can take contracts, repair and shop there.
Controls
- Drag anywhere and the ship turns and sails towards your finger. Drag further to sail faster.
- On a keyboard, use WASD or the arrow keys.
- Cannons fire automatically at the nearest pirate ship in range.
- Sail slowly into a harbour's anchor ring and tap Dock (or press E).
Your ship slowly repairs itself when you are out of battle. If it is wrecked, you restart at the last port you docked at.
The 12 story missions
| # | Mission | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Learn the ropes | Sail to the glowing buoy |
| 2 | Floating treasure | Collect 3 floating chests |
| 3 | Banana run | Deliver 2 crates of bananas |
| 4 | Pesky pirates | Chase off 2 pirate ships |
| 5 | X marks the spot | Dig up the treasure on Turtle Isle |
| 6 | Fishy business | Deliver 3 barrels of fish |
| 7 | Clear the waves | Chase off 4 pirate ships |
| 8 | Captain Redbeard | Defeat Captain Redbeard's ship |
| 9 | Skull Rock secret | Find the treasure on Skull Rock |
| 10 | Fragile glass | Deliver 4 crates of glass, against the clock |
| 11 | Pirate armada | Chase off 6 pirate ships |
| 12 | Admiral Blackfin | Defeat Admiral Blackfin's galleon |
After the story, every port keeps offering fresh contracts: cargo runs, pirate bounties, treasure maps and shipwreck salvage.
How cargo missions work
Dock to load the crates, then sail to the destination and dock again to deliver. Your Cargo Hold limits how many crates you can carry. The crate counter at the top of the screen (📦 0/3 at the start) shows what you have on board. The glass delivery has a time limit, so upgrade your sails first.
Fighting pirates
- Keep moving. Your cannons aim themselves, so steering is all about dodging cannonballs.
- Circle, don't charge. Sailing in circles around a pirate keeps you in range while making you hard to hit.
- Retreat to repair. Sail away from battle and your hull slowly heals.
- For the bosses, upgrade Hull and Cannons first.
Ports and islands
Four harbour towns: Coral Bay (where you start), Palm Harbor, Frost Point (snowy roofs, in the north-east) and Sunset Town.
Eight wild islands: Turtle Isle, Skull Rock, Banana Key, Gull Island, Coconut Cay, Mango Isle, Shell Atoll and Pebble Isle. Treasure missions send you to dig on these.
Shipyard
Upgrades (each up to 5 levels, costing 120, 300, 650, 1,200 and 2,200 gold):
- Hull: more health
- Sails: faster sailing
- Cannons: harder, faster shots and a little more range
- Cargo Hold: carry 2 more crates per level
Ships:
| Ship | Cannons | Cost | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sloop | 1 | Free | 1 |
| Brigantine | 2 | 1,500 | 3 |
| Galleon | 3 | 5,000 | 6 |
Bigger ships have much more health and also carry more cargo.
Our order: one level of Sails (deliveries get easier), then Hull, then save for the Brigantine as soon as you reach Rank 3.
FAQ
Is Pirate Isles violent?
No. Battles are cartoon-style and beaten pirates wave a white flag and sail away.
What happens if my ship is wrecked?
You restart at the last port you docked at.
Is my progress saved?
Yes, on your device.
