The Dark Cave
The Dark Cave
Game
Game2024
Republic of Pirates
Developer Crazy Goat Games
Establish and grow a pirate utopia during the Golden Age of Piracy. Create a resource-based economy, engage in real-time naval combat, and conduct diplomacy with rival powers. Explore the far reaches of the Caribbean in search of the ultimate fortune and glory. From the Steam store page
196 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy) · newest Oct 31, 2026 · last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
71
Fresh
131 positive · 54 negative
95% range 64–77%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 131 | 54 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 1 | 3 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
179 of 249 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
71% recommend · 131 yes, 54 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 185 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (389 of 546 positive).
Players compare Republic of Pirates to the Anno series, calling it a simpler, cheaper pirate-themed version. [1][2][3] Some reviewers find the game fun but lacking depth, with a linear campaign and limited replay value. [4][5][6] A few players criticize the resource management, scripted attacks, and lack of trading. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
I've been playing this game now for a fair bit, and the problems are starting to pile up, especially with the resource management, see below. -Skripted attacks that you cannot repel so you are forced to accept a quest that you basically never have to do, but it keeps popping up every time you complete another quest. -Really badly scripted immortal ships on the map. Attacking them is not advised, but if you do, they …
- [20]
I really wanted to like this game, I really did. But it's just too similar to other city building games that I've invested a lot of money into, that this just seemed like something I already have. I was hoping for better aspects, something different than the normal city building games of this type. But alas, it was just not what I was looking for. I'm still recommending this game because the developers did nothing …
- [2]
For 25$ Republic of Pirates does a good of being inspired by the Anno formula while keeping a unique identity. This game does quite a bit well, however it does have a few flaws. First graphics are well done for a small team. The visuals and information provided via UI allow you to figure out what buildings in a chain you need to build. In addition, it is easy to access the information on where to build those …
- [5]
This game is for people who want a cheap version of Anno series in Pirates theme. For me this game is average at best. I done campaign in 14 hours, but only becouse developers made it grindy at the mid-end. This game feels like 4 hours long extened one map mission and its too long already. I do recommend for its price, but dont expect much from this. By the end I dislike this game. 5/10 average(Anno rippoff).
- [1]
Ahoy, mateys! This game like an easier version of Anno same island conquest, but with all islands stocked with the same storage and having no trader. Progress is straightforward: conquer all islands, but beware, the game only gives you one way to do it. Overall, it’s a fun just don’t expect too much depth. Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of fun!
Summarised from 34 of the 201 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
71% of the 185 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Republic of Pirates. The complaint that keeps coming up: lacks depth and feels linear. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 196 · most liked firstDisco Elysium's narrator is going to stream Disco Elysium to raise funds for Palestine. > Tune in on October 19. > As the narrator for Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, Lenval Brown recorded 350,000 words of dialogue. His warm, crackling tone is one you'll associate with Disco Elysium forever after playing it, though he's also popped up elsewhere—like in retro shooter Ultrakill, city builder Republic of Pirates, and as the host of our own documentary series, Tales from the Hard Drive. > Next…
neutral · AI labelView post →I've been playing this game now for a fair bit, and the problems are starting to pile up, especially with the resource management, see below. -Skripted attacks that you cannot repel so you are forced to accept a quest that you basically never have to do, but it keeps popping up every time you complete another quest. -Really badly scripted immortal ships on the map. Attacking them is not advised, but if you do, they quickly obliterate your entire fleet. No, it was not an option to allow the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Play the demo it's all there is to this game. It's the first map restricted before you unlock clothing. There is no more. Don't be tempted you will be disappointed. Not even if it's on sale, don't do it. There is no campaign though the menu option is campaign or free play. No story line. Unless you think The Big Red Ball is a story book. It a series of different maps you have no access to until you pass some arbitrary line. It's random when stages unlock. You can wait hours after building what…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →On one hand, I like the casualness of this Anno clone. You can play at a slower pace, sail your ships almost like in a mini-action game, and face no real dangers. The game rarely throws challenges at you. On the other hand, there are almost no original ideas; everything feels copied or gutted. You could argue that sea battles are somewhat fresh, but they exist in Anno 1800 as well, and this feature severely lacks polish in terms of animations, steering, firing, and pathfinding. I can't shake…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Will not stop handholding you. Let me play the game I bought, stop telling me exactly what to do every four seconds.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to like this game, I really did. But it's just too similar to other city building games that I've invested a lot of money into, that this just seemed like something I already have. I was hoping for better aspects, something different than the normal city building games of this type. But alas, it was just not what I was looking for. I'm still recommending this game because the developers did nothing wrong and for people who have never played or want to play more city building…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was hoping this would scratch the pirate sim itch. At first it felt like it until my progression was stopped and postponed in wait of new buildings or tech to be unlocked and developed. After 6 hours of finally building second tier ship and seeing that ship combat is what it is. It felt like I could spend my time doing anything else, like perhaps filling up dishwasher/washing machine and see actual rewards for my efforts.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →crashes if theres no internet connection had to refund shouldnt need to be online i do have random dropouts so unplayable for me
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's really basic. It's primarily a light city builder with a minor pirate theme. The combat is pretty terrible and the city builder aspect is a one and done because there are limited resources. Resources are also linked to all storage buildings globally, so if you mine something on one place it's immediately available anywhere else. Ships are not at all for trading, just combat. This really sucks. There's no such thing as raiding supply lines or whatever. Defeating enemy ships earns you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well, this is my first negative review of the game. Having played the game for 4 hours, honestly by 2025 standards, it is disappointing. It tries to copy the model of Anno and Tropico series, but sadly it is not one or other. The sea battles are boring, just like a basic RTS battle with tons of units. There is no ship battles like in Anno or in Port Royale series, where they float and avoid being hit. They just stand there and shoot. The more of the fleet you have, the better the outcome. The…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been wanting a new version of Tropico 2: Pirate Cove for a long time. This ... well it's as close as I'll probably get. I like the mechanisms for maintaining pirate happiness, though it's supremely baffling to me that income is generated from unemployed pirates? Makes no sense. In Tropico 2 income was entirely from pirating whereas pirating here is more of an afterthought? Even pirate combat is incredibly simplistic. I guess I assumed that building the islands would be for managing…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →-PLAY THE DEMO- There isnt much more content than the demo since there is only one map and a lacking story behinde it. Other than that I'd say that I honestly like the overall game except the fact that your cam cant tilt up or down, along with the fact there are some major bugs with some of the quests. And I never figured out how to get my reinforced Ironwood for my Man Of War ships so got stuck there.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dressed up Anno game. This is about supply lines and production, not being a pirate.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is tons of fun. Until you realize there are a ton of ship components you cant craft. You just have to rely of the love of rngesus to find them. Also you are limited to a few ships at any one time. So after spending hour upon hour gathering materials to build your massive fleet of 8 whole ships you are finally ready to watch them sit and do nothing but watch as a single pirate comes and burns the whole island to the ground
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ahoy, mateys! This game like an easier version of Anno same island conquest, but with all islands stocked with the same storage and having no trader. Progress is straightforward: conquer all islands, but beware, the game only gives you one way to do it. Overall, it’s a fun just don’t expect too much depth. Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of fun!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The premise of the game is good. But playing the non-campaign and even adjusting the difficulty level, like others have said, there is no strategic value for the game. This game had a ton of potential to be really good, but clearly when you are a small development company, its got to be difficult to try to shoot for the stars. An example would be that you only get to take over the island with your ships destroying the defenses. Most of the islands dont build anything on their islands, just…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was so hyped.... Initially, I was very excited about ‘Republik of Pirates’. The promise of a cool pirate world with great graphics had me imagining grand adventures and epic battles on the high seas. However, my anticipation quickly turned into disappointment... First, the Cool-Stuff: The pirate world is cool, the graphics are nice, and the soundtrack is great.I also like the little portraits of the captains and the beautiful loading screens. It's a promising start. Now the Meh-Stuff:…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kind of like an older Anno game but less focus on trading. Some frustrating moments with balance never enough iron and can't trade for more. Finished campaign in 18 hours not really any reason to continue you can't really make huge cities since resources are limited. Fun while it lasted.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Is this a phone game ported to PC? The 'real time naval combat' is terrible. I'd say the closest Anno comparison both gameplay wise and graphically is 1701 which debuted in 2006 and can be had here on steam at the time of this writing for less than $5 (it will support widescreen with an .ini file edit). 1404 which came later is an upgrade on both fronts and is also less than $5 right now. This is a poorly implemented Anno clone with a pirate theme, you'd be much better off just playing the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Republic of Pirates is a pirate-themed city-builder and real-time strategy game. Set during the Golden Age of Piracy, it combines the economic management of games like Anno 1800 with naval warfare and diplomacy in a Caribbean setting. The game's greatest strength is its economic system. Players establish settlements across multiple islands, manage production chains, and expand their pirate republic through careful resource management. The progression feels rewarding, with over 100 buildings…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have a hypothesis that the Nassau pirates were a successful socialist economy. The Flying Gang/Republic of Pirates was founded mostly from former privateers (legally sanctioned and "licensed" marauders). The democratic and socialist nature of the republic was a growing threat to royalty and the American ruling class, especially given that Africans could be full crew members and even captains with all the rights afforded those roles. Furthermore, European royalty and American capitalists were…
neutral · AI labelView post →Sorry but this game needs a lot more polishing. Too expensive for what is provided. I like the setup, the atmosphere the chillesque anno vibes but there are more to dislike -Controls are clunky -keybindings are all over the place(f to select your ship?, tab for construction wheel??) -the biudling radius is too limited, already reached 200 people and now I have to expand and redo my layout
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →While the game has a few bugs that are more annoying than game breaking, the bottom line is this: It's boring. The ship battles are all the same. Click on the ship you want to sink, sink it, recover the loot, shout "Next!" and keep going. The only "strategy" is making sure you move your most damaged ships out of the battle before they sink--that's 100% it. It's impossible to make money and I can't figure out why. It's linked to population--the more people you have, the more you make, I'm…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty bad game tbh. Economy that makes zero sense Worker classes that are just plain stupid and hurt the gameplay bad Population needs that are just the worst part candles rope and a bunch of ther BS that makes the game a miserable experiance.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The builder game like Anno but at a lower price. It is a lot of fun and I'm glad to see new content. Also I say again it is not 60 or a $129 game as if there's a such thing. So if we as gamers stick to lower price games and quit buying games for 60 or $129 then maybe the makers will get the hint.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Once the random map generator is implemented into this diamond in the rough, I'll be playing it endlessly with Tropico 2 pirate cove soundtrack playing in the background on loop (I'm that old)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →11 hours later and I took over all the islands and thats it.... on hard, its easy.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its a clone of "Anno 1800" just much simpler and much less refined. Since "Anno 1800" its often on sale for -90% there is absolutly no point to buying this game. Every single mechanic is copied blindly and porly from Anno there is nothing new added and developer did not try to add their own spin on mechanics. I would describe this game as pirate reskin of very early Anno alpha build. But i think even alpha build of Anno had to have less bugs.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For 25$ Republic of Pirates does a good of being inspired by the Anno formula while keeping a unique identity. This game does quite a bit well, however it does have a few flaws. First graphics are well done for a small team. The visuals and information provided via UI allow you to figure out what buildings in a chain you need to build. In addition, it is easy to access the information on where to build those buildings to further refine your supply chain. The naval combat has some depth…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is nice, although it could use some QoL improvements. What really annoys me is pushing diversity down my throat. 90% of pirates were apparently women, usually black or asian. That's really pityful.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you liked Anno 1404/1800 and Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag then go for it. TL;DR: Here is summary of all reviews for you 60% Anno 1404 - Same or similar supply chains and buildings, with less micromanagement 10% Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag - Sea shanty songs, ships and piracy theme 30% Own scenario and buildings Scores Gameplay: 7/10 Graphics: 8/10 Audio: 7/10 UI/UX: 9/10 Gameplay loop: 8/10 Scenario: 5/10, just exists Stability: Good (no bug/crash in 15+ hrs) Difficulty: Medium Session…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →it's my first city builder, and I had fun with it for a few days. what I don't like is the diplomacy with other factions, and lack of customized trading. I really don't want to stop building my cities to follow the demands of the French/British/Spanish and various pirate gangs. for example, they constantly want me to sink ships. it's annoying to stop what I'm doing in the city, scroll around the map until I find the right ship to sink, then scroll back home and gather my ship(s) and try and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I did enjoy this game at first however the deeper into the game i got the more frustrating it got from poor fleet management to lacking in depth town planning for example the buildings radius (the area they service) was to small the for the amount of important buildings that are needed for the huts needs and wants for any decent amount of housing to be placed limiting your housing and income then maximising what you need to spend to cover all housing with appropriate amenities, that being said…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is one of those games where I wish I could give a "meh," rating or so, but I decided to downvote in the hopes the devs see this and make some balance and polishing passes. The Good: Solidly fun, I had a blast for the first 7-8 hours. It is like Tropico 2: Pirate’s Cove was remade today. The Meh: The ship AI leaves some room to be desired; for example, if you have a decent sized fleet and tell them to go to a point on the map, sometimes one of the ships will decide to path way…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Some reviewer are comparing it to anon and saying bad things about the game. But what they fail to mention is this game is $25 and anon is $60. For what it is worth the game does a good job of capturing the resource management and city building aspects that i like, without breaking my pockets. It is a well built game and I hope they add more maps and continue to update it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →if you are looking for an "ANNO light with pirate theme", this is your game... But this game already is too simple...nothing complex to await here. And in terms of ship design and selection, a desaster...like with combat, there is no strategic or tactic here... Everything is simply stacking numbers... building - very simple, anno style, with much less materials production - simple 1:1 realtions, no really complex production chains, just simple % buffs logistics - none, all islands share one…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really good pirate version of Anno. Little more simpler but the gameplay-loop is really addictive. 14,99€ is a bargain!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have to admit I have never played Anno before so my first instinct when I saw this is the memories I had with the Port Royale 1&2 game series back in the days. And it gets surprisingly close to that! Yes, it's not as complicated as other simulation-games (yet?) but it does the trick for me! There are a couple of elements that are a bit unintuitive (but being worked on according to the roadmap!) but they don't hurt the overall experience. Other games (like Port Royale) always struggled with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I enjoyed playing this game. I have been looking for something pirate-y.. Pirate-ish... for a bit and this did the trick. I played through the campaign and it did get a little grindy at times when I needed to reach a specific milestone in order to move on, but I kept myself busy in those lulls by robbin and stealin and lootin Arg!!! The Sea shanties are really good, Graphics and ship models are nicely done and there is an interesting strategy that you can employ when trying to please... or not…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →good game at first but the mid to end game content proved to be to much of a hassle for me to want to continue to the end some items needed to upgrade your citizens (which you need to do upgrade to the better ships in the game ) require you to make multiple different farms and factories just to get 1 commodity or materials to be made widely available to your pirate citys and theirs probably a dozen for each even making these resources widely available to your empire in a deeper game like civ…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is for people who want a cheap version of Anno series in Pirates theme. For me this game is average at best. I done campaign in 14 hours, but only becouse developers made it grindy at the mid-end. This game feels like 4 hours long extened one map mission and its too long already. I do recommend for its price, but dont expect much from this. By the end I dislike this game. 5/10 average(Anno rippoff).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Republic of Pirates - a pirate-themed city-building strategy game - announced for PC, launching in 2024: www.gematsu.com/2023/11/city...
neutral · AI labelView post →Less complex than some city builders but still good. Has the added excitement of raiding and ship battles, which can make other city builders drag. You also don't need to set up trade lines to use resources.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →eh its fine, but there are plenty of better city builders out there
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is not really a finished product. The gameplay revolves around timegating sparse resources. They might have a good product a year from now with updates including overhauling the clunky ship movement, poorly thought out trade system, and boring wait cycles between resource accumulation. Would have refunded if I realized how bad "end game" was going to be.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Obviously inspired by anno series with pirates thematic, but with more chill and casual experience. The game has a cheap feeling to it, so a questionable maybe on sale if anno or more like tropico options are not available.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →if you enjoyed Anno 1800 and AC IV: Black Flag, you'll enjoy this game. Not worth the $24.99 due to lack of depth, it's very linear.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I hate to knock this game too much, because the theme of it is enjoyable and it's very nice looking. It's a decent light city builder/resource management game with a enjoyable pirate theme. The music is good, the sea shanties are delightful, the graphics are crisp, but it suffers from the same problem that a lot of these games do - you're ultimately just juggling resources around to fulfill arbitrary goals that the game sets for you. The ol' "collect 10 of this resource" thing. The problem is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Republic of Pirates, pirate islands builder with real-time naval combat, released on steam. Note reviews are currently mixed.
neutral · AI labelView post →After playing a few hours, this game is basically Anno 1800 with a pirate skin. If you like Anno, you will like this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Republic of Anno 1800 Pirates Like majority of the reviews have already stated - its basically Anno 1800 pirate version (if that existed, well now it does), but simpler resource management (i like it). My recommendation ends there but the thumb up is because rest of the complains are not game breaking, rather a plea for development based on personal preference. Maybe if devs stumble upon my review, they may think about it. - make the shanty play in moderation when the camera focus is in the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its plays like a Mobile Port attempt of ANNO, where the facade of "Pirates" is added to attract new player bases. Either this was rushed to launch or its a half baked money grab from the publisher. Game play fails on almost all metrics into the point of being a near comical simulator that could be utilised to make annoying online adverts for other painfully bad games. Avoid this one.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a game! My dreamgirl found it for me here on Steam and bought it. and I am lucky she did. This simulation game is so much fun! First playthrough was in "easy mode" and it is easy enough to learn how the game works, but also hard enough to not feel grindy. The player will be nicely guided into the different things one has to take care of, the different "classes" of citizens and also the other parties involved. The story is well written and nicely narrated. Two things are a little annoying…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I thought this game would be a bit boring and simple from reading the reviews before playing it. While it IS simpler than a lot of other city builders, I had a fun time playing this. I played the campaign on hard in full and a free play on hard in full. Sometimes you don't always want super complex, and honestly this had some complexity to it, just not as much as some others do. I enjoyed the ship battles. The ships don't move like ships do, and are kind of clunky, but they were still a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Things were going great until I got to the quest line "A Leg to Stand On" I completed the required task and nothing happened so the game could not progress any further
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Similar to SId Meiers PIRATES GOLD from ATARI sans fencing , sea battles are simple but NOT, since each type vessel has perks that affect the battle so there is so interactive battle action, it is as fast paced as you choose but word to the wise the faster try to push up the production trees the faster you lose, patience will let you prevail over time. my best hint is build only only one of each plantation and lodges with support build , then upgrade them, make sure you have enough huts to keep…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game plays a bit like Anno, dependant on citizen types, sadly the islands aren't large enough to facilitate this in free mode
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →don't buy this ♥♥♥♥, its only gonna waste ur $$ and time... mechanics ♥♥♥♥, storage keeps a cap of 70 even when u have hella warehouse, just gonna frustrate u
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Note: I picked this up during a sale for sub £10. If you're wondering about picking it up, please pick it up during a sale honesty. For what it is, essentially a pirate's version of Anno, it's rather fun in all. That being said, it feels unfinished. Nothing really noteworthy to mention from a mechanics point of view other than it just feels unfinished, The features as they currently stand, feels like it could be more. This game, as of writing this review is a little over two years old. It's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice Idea but i dont see where this is different from the Anno Series. Its bacsicly that but not as good. So why would i play a less good anno instead of just playing the real thing.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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