Pirate Ring has the timeless appeal of a classic board game, with a twist… the start of every game is a puzzle. Because each new setup is different than the last, the challenge for any player is to unlock the patterns of number logic that will lead you to victory. And at each step, the Captain of a rival fleet tries to outwit you.

Among best strategies to win are recruiting with rings, blocking with coins, converting pieces using switchpoints, and maneuvering into positions that allow for the final move of any game: launching a pirate battle from the center of the board, called the Dreadnay. If you recruit more ships at the moment of battle, you win.

This compact puzzle-game will surprise you with its depth of play, yet it doesn’t make big demands of your time. A complete game might take only ten minutes, but if you select Captain mode, be prepared for a longer outing. Read more below to discover the tactical secrets of Pirate Ring, a free mobile app.

Pirate Ring is an iOS game for iPad, developed by Secret Base Design. It can be played in two-player mode or in single-player mode against an A1 opponent. You can set three levels of difficulty. At this time, Pirate Ring is not available for Android devices or Windows/PC.

ARE YOU GAME ENOUGH?

Many players tell us they cannot beat the game in Captain mode, and a survey of the Leaderboard over the last few years confirms this. How can Pirate Ring, with such a simple playboard—8 pieces total, only 11 spaces to move them—be so difficult to unlock and win? That’s exactly what a PuzzleNation reviewer discovered. “I played the one-player mode, and the A1 opponent was a Beast!” was the finding of the blogger’s review. “If you want a game that really taxes your brain, this is a good one to play.”

Pirate Ring is a formidable challenge. To stand a chance to win, you’ll need to carefully select your moves. It’s as if someone took a grandmaster’s Chess match and configured it like a puzzle by jumping ahead to endgame, just a few pieces left in play… then dropped you into the opponent’s chair. The Captain would glare at you and offer a stern warning, “Arr, your ships’ll soon be mine!” Using your wits, patience, and the discovery of new tactics, you might just eventually prevail, but not before you’ve lost much of your fleet to the merciless Captain.

The beginner/intermediate modes allow you to ramp up and grasp the finer details of Pirate Ring. There’s also a reward screen with levels and goals to achieve. Each game is short and compact, a perfect refinement of all the ‘good stuff’ from turn-based classics that are innovated here into something we think is novel and new: a fast-play puzzler that’s so brainteasing you might think it’s an IQ test.

In Pirate Ring, your very first move thrusts you into danger. The potential to win or lose is always right there before you, a condition of the vulnerable and unique way the game is ended. The center Dreadnay is conveniently reached by more than half the spaces on the board, so it’s not some faraway, fortified position. But to move there and win, that’s the challenge. Let’s explain. Since you only have four pieces, the one you move to the center is effectively pushed out-of-play. It no longer helps you score or defend. That means you have to first carefully maneuver to win with just three pieces—as you sacrifice the fourth to the Dreadnay. Players who take the biggest risks will find the greatest rewards, but it’s a trade-off because your fortunes can turn quickly in the Pirate Ring.

GAME DESIGNERS

Pirate Ring is designed and animated by Tom Klein, who also makes the game available as a wooden board game (limited independent distribution). The digital app is programmed by Patrick Madden and illustrated by Marcela Cabrera. To learn more, watch Tom offer a game tutorial for beginners. Pirate Ring is registered on the App Store by Secret Base Design.

#1

RECRUIT WITH RINGS

To win a pirate battle, you need to recruit more ships with your Gold pieces than the opponent does with Silver pieces. If a number value is showing inside any of your rings then you’ve recruited that many pirate ships to fight for your side. Gold recruits two ships, above, because a value of 2 is showing inside the ring.

#2

MOVE A GOLD PIECE

On each turn, move one Gold piece from among your rings and coins. Any marked space on the board will hold up to one ring and one coin. Both then share that position, blocking other pieces from moving there, until a piece is moved away. Above, see how a Gold ring is moved to share a space with a Silver coin.

#3

DEFEND WITH COINS

If a coin is moved inside a ring then the number that was showing there is covered and that ring no longer recruits those ships. This demonstrates how coins are used for defense. You can also move a coin to a switchpoint, allowing you to convert any one of your pieces. Typically a player will switch coins to rings to recruit more ships.

#4

SWITCHING PIECES

Once a switch has been activated, you tap any of your four pieces to convert it: a ring becomes a coin; a coin becomes a ring. You cannot switch an opponent’s piece unless it shares a space with your own, in which case both pieces switch. This holds a lot of strategic importance. Learning to capitalize on switchpoints is a big part of the game.

#5

THE DREADNAY

The skull at the center of the board is the Dreadnay. Moving any piece there will initiate a pirate battle. Simply add up the numbers inside of Gold and Silver rings. These are the fleet scores for both players that determine how many pirate ships will sail into battle for each side.

#6

PIRaTE VICTORY

Gold wins if more ships are encircled, but that’s not always easy to accomplish because the scoring margins are usually close. Another way to win is to be the first player to force three ties on the Dreadnay. This tactic also creates an open lane to move rings through the middle—just one of many pirate secrets.

The best way to learn the strategy secrets of Pirate Ring? Download the iOS app for yourself today.