Common Sense Media Review
By Carolyn Koh
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Magical MMO where kids play as comical swashbucklers.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Pirate101
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 9 parent reviews
Based on 18 kid reviews
Kids say this game offers an enjoyable experience for young players, featuring a mix of adventure and strategy, although it does come with some concerns such as paywalls and online toxicity. Many appreciate its child-friendly content, despite some negative comments about the community and safety precautions needed while playing.
- fun for kids
- online safety
- paywalls present
- community toxicity
- mixed reception
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
In the same magical world of Wizard101, kids get to play cool pirates and sail their ships high in the skyways of the air in PIRATE101. Kids create pirate characters by answering questions and selecting fun choices that determine their background and choice of class. Then it's off to learn how to move, sail a ship, gain companions for fighting, and decorate their homes. Kids explore islands, learn about the inhabitants, and do many quests that allow them to meet more companions.
Is It Any Good?
This game will appeal to kids who have played the previous game by this developer, Wizard101, as well as kids who enjoy pirate movies such as Pirates of the Carribean. Created for kids who may have outgrown the previous game, Pirate101 has a different combat mechanic and the more "grown up" concepts of guns -- although the game is careful to tell kids right from the beginning that they fire electricity. Kids will assemble companions that complement their character and fight with them. Combat remains one step removed as kids move icons of their characters on a grid layout similar to a chess board and the computer plays the combat.
Pirate101 continually changes and adds content like any MMOG, giving players more things to do. Kids can choose to create characters as either girl or boy, in a variety of skin tones and can design and color their flags, ships, and decorate their houses. There are also mini-games and activities on the website that kids can do other than fight. Parents will find this a fun game to play with their kids, teaming up with them in combat.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about pirates and why they are romanticized in the media. Are pirates really good guys or bad?
Families can also talk about fantasy violence. Does a game like this feel less real because there is no blood? Some of the weapons shoot electricity. Is that less violent than if it actually shot bullets?
Game Details
- Platform : Windows
- Subjects : Hobbies : board games , Language & Reading : following directions , reading
- Skills : Collaboration : group projects , meeting challenges together , teamwork , Thinking & Reasoning : decision-making , strategy , Creativity : making new creations , Self-Direction : work to achieve goals
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Kingsisle Entertainment, Inc.
- Release date : October 8, 2012
- Genre : Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG)
- Topics : Pirates
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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