Burton Speaks

As an avid reader of Starslip Crisis, when Kris Straub recommended trying Star Pirates, I jumped right in. Such is the power of the internet.

Star Pirates is a browser-based game centered around an Earth-less solar system. Now based out of Mars, civilization (mostly) lawlessly roams among the planets, mining for precious metals and stealing everything that's not locked down. The game is free to play, though should you find yourself with extra cash laying around you can purchase an advantage. (Basically, you can do faster what it takes normal "free" players longer to do.)

It's funny how a game where everyone's a pirate evolves a sense of honor and a code of conduct. Attacking or raiding someone while they're online is frowned upon, and retaliation is usually swift and virtually guaranteed. Successfully attacking someone online sends them to a shipyard for 15 minutes, severely limiting what they can do. Raiding someone doesn't have that effect, but it does take a percentage of any cash they're foolishly handling. Attacking someone with a higher level than you will almost certainly result in defeat; raiding someone (online or offline) is where every player is treated equally. The "rules" are simple and yet poor behavior (by pirates) is frowned upon.


The game is definitely fun and doesn't take much time. Unlike other games, there's not a very steep curve where it takes forever to do anything. It's designed to be played casually or all day. Sign up and try it out!