Puzzle Pirates PC
Metascore
78 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
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  1. Boomtown
    40
    It may not be the worlds greatest game but it still brings a lot of funny perspectives into the world of massive multiplayer online games.

User Reviews

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User Score
9.1 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 72 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 26
  3. Negative: 4 out of 26
  1. AyppPlayer
    4
    P.P. offers the single player a variety of entertaining puzzles in an integrated environment providing a fun entrypoiint for a bunch of tetris- or bejeweled-like games. The real appeal of the game however is -- or, used to be -- the infinite possibilities offered by interaction with other players, both socially and in the synergistic cooperation of puzzles to achieve larger goals. As initially conceived and implemented, the route to "success" -- fame and fortune -- in the game was for new players to join with a crew of other players and work together on piratical "pillages" and adventures, where cooperative puzzling would power the pirate ship and defeat the enemy. Plenty of other more isolated puzzles existed as well -- puzzles contributing to the economy, competitions with a few other players in "swordfighting", and even just parlor games (like hearts) -- but for most players, the route to wealth and success was to interact cooperatively or competitively with other players. The result was a dynamic social environment -- one marked more by cooperation and mentoring than by (as in so many MMORPGs) destructive competition -- and this social environment both "drove" much of the game (as much of the economy and many of the game features require such a society to make them truly effective and enjoyable) and provided continual change, challenge and interest. All this ended 3 years ago when P.P. introduced poker as one of the "parlor" games. A seemingly minor addition, poker essentially destroyed the coopeative pirating community and -- in doing so -- undermined the majority of the interaction and behavior that much of the game required. Though the old functionality remains, the dynamic "society" it requires to work has been destroyed. The reason for such a change is surprisingly simple and ought to have been anticipated. While other activities provided their "good players" comparable rewards - and, for most playrs, the cooperative "pillaging" was the steady source of income and rewards (thus creating the social & supportive cooperative society, where skill and teamwork were rewarded), poker offered its "winners" a pirate income rate of literally hundreds or even thousands more than they could make in other venues. Of course, very few players actually win that much on poker -- for every one player who wins 1000, ten have to lose 100. But the 'promise' of get-rich-quick for a minimal outlay of time, resources, or any participation in the cooperative pirate society means that the "engine" of rewards and interaction which made the game so effective and enjoyable was destroyed. In the months after poker was introduced, the effects were marked. New players ceased to have any interest in joining crews or the cooperative society, instead simply trying to find ways to exploit the system or cheat other players in order to get their "buy in" money to gamble away at the poker tables. The level of skill, competence and interest in coopeative pirate pillages and adventures dropped markedly -- as did, consequently, the enjoyability and profitability of those ventures. The "crew" and "flag" social life - the human element which kept the game dynamic and interesting - withered and died. And many long-term players who used to mentor new players (and provide the leadership and expertise which made many game opportunities even possible for those new players), in the face of this gambling obsession and the huge rewards being given to otherwise unskilled and non-teamwork players, either withdrew from active involvement or quit the game altogether. P.P. today is a very different game. Little of the dynamic "teamwork" society remains, and new players will be hardpressed to find skilled crews interested in recruiting or helping new players or providing them with good teamwork experiences. Nearly all the "rich" players now (and thus those who have the resources to lead larger group adventures) are exclusively pokerplayers, and most new players wind up simply drifting about the world using it as a glorified chatroom and putting in what minimal and unskilled effort they can to grab a little bit of game money to gamble away on the poker tables in the vain hope of "getting ahead" themselves. In short, today's YPP remains an entertaining collection of "solo" games if one is looking for a platform for various fun and creative little puzzles to do in isolation -- but because of the destruction of its cooperative and dynamic society at the altar of gambling, it has lost nearly all the unique appeal and dynamism which once made it far more than that. For those who are looking for a true multiplayer experience (as well as for those looking for a poker site or interactive chatroom), there are far better options out there, and P.P. no longer offers anything unique or dynamic for such players. A game which used to deserve a 10, it now falls well short of that mark -- not because the a"infrastructure" has changed (in fact, there have been clever new additions in the last 3 years), but because the "rewards" system which creates and sustains the society required for that infrastructure to be profitably & enjoyable used has been destroyed.… Full Review »
  2. Asmodias
    3
    This suffers a major problem that many strategy and puzzle games suffer...
    Similar to Starcraft and other RTS' many of the puzzles are dominat    ed by the 'best' players, it only makes sense doesn't it? Well that's the problem, many of these elite players are merely the people who revise strategies.

    For example, the person who clears the water fastest in bilging is the man who gets the over-the-top Donkey combo and learns how to pull atleast one each time, whereas the man who get's countless 5X5 combos and better will generally end up in good, at best.

    PVP is similar as well in this aspect, sword fighting is not fluid, instead it is dominated by a series of strategies that will quickly put down those who don't memorise them.    … Full Review »
  3. lordcobalt
    2
    I realized when I d/l'd from Steam that this was not an MMO, or action game. That was the reason for adding to my library. However, I did expect a user interface that was understandable, easy to navigate, and that wouldn't simply shut down when it felt like it. Apparently this was asking too much.… Full Review »
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