In the game, players pillage the seven seas with their mates and enjoy countless rounds of eleven fine puzzles, from Swordfighting to Carpentry, Gunnery, a variety of trade puzzles, and even a friendly game of Spades. Puzzle Pirates is a social game in which players sail together in crews and form political alliances to rule the waves. Shop ownership, trade networks, full player-colonized islands and a dense web of Piratey intrigue fill out the higher level gameplay; for those who master the puzzling:

- Build a pirate empire: Players form their own crews to pillage the high seas, trade between islands and even develop their own thriving ports.

- Participate in the player-run economy: Players buy and run shops, trade for goods and employ the puzzling skills of their friends. All finished items in the game are made in player shops.

- Man the crow's nest! Be on the look out for new updates to the game.

- Make a piratey fashion statement: Fulfill your dreams of dashing pirate flair with a great selection of swashbuckling outfits. Pirates Arr Cool!

A unique feature of the retail version of Puzzle Pirates is the single-player, offline mode which provides a friendly introduction to the world of Puzzle Pirates. Players can become master puzzlers before storming the decks of the online world.