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July 18, 2025
How to Play Guns or Treasure | A High-Stakes Pirate Adventure
Tabletop
July 18, 2025
Set sail in Guns or Treasure, a fast-paced pirate game of bluffing, treasure, and guns—perfect for 2–6 players and welcoming to all buccaneers!
>Set sail in Guns or Treasure, a fast-paced pirate game of bluffing, treasure, and guns—perfect for 2–6 players and welcoming to all buccaneers!
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Ahoy, matey!
Are you ready to set sail on the high seas and claim untold riches? If the answer is yes, then welcome to Guns or Treasure, a fast-paced, bluff-filled card game where pirates battle it out for dominance over the oceans. Whether you’re a clever pirate admiral or a fearless captain, you have one goal: build a mighty fleet, raid rival ships, and become the wealthiest pirate to ever sail the great seas! The choice is yours. Will you load your ships with cannons and loot others, or stockpile treasure and make a daring escape? Will you pick... Guns or Treasure?
A Quick Overview of Guns or Treasure
Designed by Bryce Brown of Castillo Games (also the creator of the highly acclaimed board game Rescuing Robin Hood), Guns or Treasure is a thrilling party card game for 2-6 players (ages 8 and up). This speedy game is a perfect blend of strategy, bluffing, and pirate-themed fun, offering an exciting race for treasure that takes just 10-15 minutes. With 8 unique captain cards, 16 different captain abilities, and 90 ship cards, Guns or Treasure offers endless replayability as you outwit your opponents on the high seas.
Whether you're engaging in fierce marauding or cleverly outsmarting your rivals, every game offers something new, making it a great option for family game nights, casual gatherings, or even competitive showdowns. But how do you play?
How to Play Guns or Treasure
The goal of Guns or Treasure is simple: build powerful ships, load them with guns and treasure, and either raid your opponents or escape with the loot. Here’s a breakdown of how to play this thrilling pirate game:
Phase 1: Shipbuilding
At the start of the game, each player is dealt six cards from the deck. These cards represent components for your ships—guns, bombs, treasure, and more. In the shipbuilding phase, players secretly build their ships by choosing three cards to play face-down in front of them. These cards will form the backbone of their fleet.
Once players have played three cards, they'll draw three new cards to bring their hand back up to 6 and continue building. Repeat this process until each player has played a total of 12 cards. Be strategic—you can focus on building one heavily-armed ship or spread your cards across several small ships. It’s up to you!
Be sure to consider your options carefully, as each card you play could make all the difference when the battle begins.
Phase 2: Marauding
With your ships built, it’s time to begin the Marauding Phase!
The player with the most revealed treasure goes first and must launch an attack on their first turn—they cannot retreat.
Players then take turns launching attacks and revealing their ship cards. In each ship combat, the ship with the most revealed guns wins the battle. The victorious player claims all the treasure from both ships involved. On subsequent turns, players may choose to retreat with their treasure or continue raiding enemy ships.
This phase adds an exciting level of strategy and bluffing, as you never know whether your opponent is heavily armed—having chosen to load their ship with guns—or if they’re just bluffing with a stockpile of treasure cards.
Phase 3: Scoring and Winning
Once all ships have either been destroyed or escaped, the game moves to the final phase: scoring. Each player counts up all of the treasure they’ve managed to collect, and the pirate with the most loot wins the game! Sometimes the most heavily-armed fleet isn’t the one that wins the most riches, so choose your guns or treasure wisely.
Unique Pirate Captains
One of the standout features of Guns or Treasure are the captain cards. Each player chooses a pirate captain to lead their crew, and every captain has two unique powers to choose from that can give them an edge during the game. Will you use your captain’s abilities to outwit your opponents and plunder their treasures, or will you focus on protecting your ships with powerful defenses?
Replayability and Expansions
With 8 different captains and 16 unique abilities, every game of Guns or Treasure plays out differently. The game is designed to offer a lot of replayability, with each round feeling fresh and full of surprises. Additionally, the Parrots and Monkeys expansion adds new rules, cards, and player options, including the ability to accommodate up to 9 players.
The Guns or Treasure base game can also be combined with a second copy to expand the game to up to 10 players. Whether you’re battling with a small crew or an armada of pirates, the excitement never stops.
Quality Craftsmanship
Guns or Treasure isn’t exceptional just from the gameplay—it’s also made with quality materials. The cards are crafted with a 310-gram per square meter density, featuring a black core and a linen finish. This high-quality design ensures durability and a premium feel while you play, making it stand out among other card games that use flimsier cards in comparison.
Final Thoughts on How to Play Guns or Treasure
If you’re looking for a light-hearted yet strategic pirate-themed card game that combines bluffing, shipbuilding, and intense battles, Guns or Treasure is the perfect choice. Whether you’re a pirate at heart or just looking for a speedy and engaging game, Guns or Treasure is a fast-paced card game that delivers on all fronts. Outwit your opponents, build your fleet, and claim the treasure—who will become the most notorious pirate on the high seas?
Want to see our official review on Guns or Treasure? Click here!
Set sail today with Guns or Treasure, and don’t forget to check out the Parrots and Monkeys expansion on Poggers for even more fun on the high seas!
If you want to buy Guns or Treasure, then click the image below, it's affordable and priced only at $19.99!
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Guns or Treasure and how many players can play?
+How do you win in Guns or Treasure?
+What makes Guns or Treasure different from other card games?
+What’s included in the Guns or Treasure base game?
+How does the captain system work?
+Is there an expansion for Guns or Treasure?
+Is Guns or Treasure beginner-friendly?
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