Action · 2020 · Rare Ltd · online
Sea of Thieves
Sail a sloop as a pair, read maps, dig up chests and get back to port in one piece.
What it is about
You have a ship, a sea and no to-do list. You pick up jobs yourself: a treasure map, a riddle, a bounty, a load of cargo. What you take on and in what order is up to you.
The ship is the real leading character. Setting sails, anchoring, steering, bailing water, patching holes, loading cannons — too much for one person, about right for two. Which is why the small sloop is the ship of choice here.
There are two worlds. On the open seas you share the server with other crews who are allowed to take your haul. In Safer Seas you sail alone, with less gold and reputation in return — for a couple that is often the better way in.
Our verdict for couples
The sloop is built for one or two people: one stands at the wheel and cannot see a thing because the sail is in the way, the other calls the course, and docking stays a negotiation right to the end. That is the game in miniature, and in miniature it is very good. On the open sea, however, a strange crew can take your whole evening away at any moment, and half the community is about exactly that. Which is why the private Safer Seas mode is the real reason this is worth considering for a couple — it costs gold and reputation, but the evening stays yours.
Pros
- The sloop is built for one or two people
- Safer Seas keeps other crews out
- Sailing, music and treasure hunting without time pressure
Cons
- On the open seas, small crews are hunted deliberately
- Safer Seas pays less gold and reputation
- Connection problems are reported regularly
Suitable from
Hobby–Gamer
- Conflict potential
- Spirited
- Cosiness
- Mixed
- When you can stop
- Only after an hour or more
- How long it lasts
- No ending
What other co-op fans say
The community splits sharply: about the game itself — the sailing, the sound, the look, the mood — nearly everybody writes with affection, including those who ultimately advise against it. The argument is about the open mode. A great many describe hours of work being cleared out in minutes by experienced crews, and name connection problems and cheating alongside. Anybody using the private mode is untouched by all of that — though the community rarely mentions it, because the people writing there are mostly the heavy players.
- “One of the most immersive and unique games i played. No other pirate game comes close.”
- “The atmosphere, sailing, exploration, combat, customization, and especially playing with friends are all amazing.”
- “quickly lost interest due to frequency of griefing in public servers”
Summarised by machine from 60 Steam reviews, not written by our editors. The quotes appear verbatim in those reviews.
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