Pirate Kings: All Aboard!

N ot-so-new to the world of online games but making big traction with more than 50M downloads since 2012 is Pirate Kings, a fun pirate-themed game available through Google Play. Developed by Israeli company Jelly Button Games, Pirate Kings begins by asking the user to sign up through Google or Facebook and create their own pirate avatar. An animated ocean scene is then presented with a small tropical island that pops up through the waves. A big red button at the bottom-centre of the screen, topped with a roulette-style wheel shows the user what prizes are on offer. Now, I’m no experienced gamer but the thought of pushing a giant red button to win stuff (real or otherwise) makes me froth at the mouth and I think I’m now officially hooked. Spin after spin, my pirate treasure stash starts increasing in value before letting me know that I’ve ‘won’ the right to avenge-cannonball some other unsuspecting neighbourhood pirate’s island. Sounds like a plan. Cannonballs away and an extra 300K in your pirate pockets will give you a seriously inflated sense of importance. What else can you get your hands on? Purchase a new pirate ship? A parrot companion? Polly does want a cracker! These ‘purchases’ are available throughout the game, so long as you have the dosh to back it up – no lay-away options here! Once you've pimped out your island a little bit though the treasure chest is looking a little low on Pieces of Eight. Time for another wheel spin! The game does include advertising, however. By committing to watch a short ad, you can earn yourself additional wheel-spins in order to continue the growth of your pirate empire. Leaderboards or part of the game and you can brag about your conquests online. Due to payment mechanic, the game may not be suitable for the little ones but in theory us ‘adults’ will know when to stop. The game does offer the ability to purchase pirate money with your real-life human money so just be careful how deep in debt you get to these Pirate Kings! Overall, a fun, addictive, bright and shiny way to spend your morning train commute!