Tricky Pirates is a trick-taking, area control game. Players play cards in tricks that allow them to move their own pirate loaded ships, stab opposing pirates, or sink opposing ships. Pirates in ships fight for control over treasure kept on five islands. But watch out, pirate ships work on wind power and the wind will not always blow your way. At the beginning of the game, the treasure on the islands is bonuses and play effects. But very quickly it becomes doubloons. The player that controls three islands worth of doubloons at the end of a trick wins.