Gather your crew and set off to Eel island in search of the Silent Angel, a mysterious ship that is said to hold great treasure. This multipart adventure whisks your players away by the Spanish Inquisition (because no one ever expects the Spanish Inquisition), as they explore the island and discover a strange new drug called Ash, made of the cremains of zombies. If you thought this short introduction was strange, wait till your players play and see the bizarre and often hilarious effects of Ash.
Was this game sent for review or self-purchased?: This was sent as a digital copy for review by Free League Publishing.
In two sentences, what is the premise of the game?: The Spanish Inquisition sends a crew of pirates to find the Silent Angel, a ship said to contain great treasure. As you would expect, the Spanish Inquisition are extremely trustworthy and would never, ever lie or put any of your crew into any dangerous situation.
Have we played any other titles by this publisher?: Yes, we have played numerous titles by Free League and are big fans of Alien and Dragonbane! We are not paid to review any of their content and we truly do enjoy these titles.
What was surprising about this book:
The adventure book is surprisingly very short and concise. The book is sixty pages long and about about a third of that is artwork, random tables and maps. So really, you get a 4 part adventure in about 40 pages. Now this may seem like a letdown if you love lore and deep dives into the geopolitical mechanics of the world, but if you want to sit down with a group of friends (or strangers) then this is perfect. Minimal reading, a lot of improv and you don’t have to remember that your NPC has a British accent on a tiny island because they were colonized centuries ago and it is now the native dialect. It just happens naturally and it is not because you can’t fake other accents as GM.
How complicated is this to run as GM?:
Extremely easy. Minimal rules, easy improv and the drive to always say yes and worry about the consequences later. Pirate Borg is an easy system that thrives on in-the-moment decisions and improv.
How complicated is this to play as a character?: Very easy. The game is mostly about roleplaying and doesn’t rely heavily on dive rolls. Even then, creating a character is easy and you’ll be expected to reroll fairly often as your characters die. So don’t get too attached.
Are other books required for play?: Yes and no. The starter set includes the Pirate Guidebook which serves as more of a quick reference. The only parts you need to know for sure are character creation (which is very easy) and what the stats on the character cards mean. As long as you are familiar with roleplaying games, you’ll be fine.
Artwork: The artwork screams Pirate Borg. It’s definitely more of a vibe. We aren’t particularly attached to the art style but it is very well done and if you are a fan of Mork Borg you’ll feel right at home on the high seas. Sketchbooky, crude, rude and in your face but with a little more finesse.
Quality: We reviewed this as a digital copy, so we are unable to say anything in terms of any physical content.
What is included?: You get the Pirate Guidebook (the rules), a quick rules reference (which you’ll probably use more than the Guidebook), numerous maps, character sheets (premade and blank), tokens and dice (if you have the physical version). It specifically also states that you have to bring your own bottle of rum.
Organization: The adventure is very well organized. It is easy to read and even if the idea of reading 60 pages is daunting, it really feels like you’re reading a zine.
Final thoughts: Pirate Borg is a strange little game to add to your bookshelf (digital or physical). It plays quick and chaotic and is entirely dependent on loose interpretation. It is begging for those moments where your players are riffing off of one another and that one silly player (or GM) who wants to say “AARGH!” every few sentences. Don’t expect Homer’s Odyssey or even Pirates of the Caribbean. Expect something along the lines of Escape from Monkey Island and you’ll be fine.
Sushiball Games 