Piracy on the High Seas

Piracy on the High Seas is an adventure and trading game developed by ArtGame and released in 1992 for the Amiga. The game combines Viking-themed exploration, naval combat, dungeon crawling, and economic management into an ambitious package that requires patience and strategic thinking to master.

The story revolves around the disappearance of the Golden Chalice of Balance, an artifact that once maintained peace and justice across the land. With its loss, chaos reigns—bandits terrorize the countryside, pirates control the seas, and mythical sea monsters threaten any sailor brave enough to venture into open waters. You control three heroes on a quest to recover the chalice and restore order: Norman the strong swordsman, Eirik the axe-wielding warrior, and Morden the magician. Each character plays a crucial role, with Morden being absolutely essential—if he dies, the game cannot be completed.

The adventure begins humbly on the island of Artegam with limited funds and few opportunities. Early progression is deliberately slow, forcing you to build wealth gradually through trade, gambling, or combat. The economic system drives much of the gameplay: goods can be purchased cheaply in one port and sold for profit in another, creating steady but time-consuming income. Faster alternatives include trying your luck in tavern games or attacking bandits and pirates for their loot.

As your fortune grows, the game world opens up. Town inhabitants who were initially unhelpful become more talkative, revealing valuable hints about dangers, adventures, and the location of the Golden Chalice. This creates an interesting connection between economic success and narrative progress—wealth literally buys you information and opportunities.

Naval travel forms the heart of the experience. You can recruit sailors in inns—up to four crew members per ship—who serve as expendable frontline fighters during boarding actions. Pirate encounters are frequent and offer multiple options: pay a toll for safe passage, engage in cannon combat that damages your ship, or board their vessel for direct combat. Boarding is generally the most effective choice, preserving your ship while potentially increasing your wealth if you win the fight. The tactical advice is sound: send sailors in first to weaken enemies before risking your precious heroes.

Eventually, you can afford multiple ships and build a small trade fleet of up to four vessels. These ships operate semi-independently along assigned routes, generating passive income over time. This fleet management adds a strategic layer that rewards long-term planning and transforms you from a simple adventurer into a maritime merchant lord.

Dungeon exploration provides a sharp contrast to seafaring adventures. Morden must navigate labyrinthine cellars filled with guards, witches, invisible enemies, and skeletons. Magic is essential for overcoming many threats, and all treasures must be collected before leaving. These sections can be challenging and unforgiving—if Morden dies in a dungeon, you must restart the game entirely, making careful exploration and frequent saving critical.

A powerful sea monster lurks somewhere in the depths, and finding and destroying it becomes a necessary milestone before you can pursue the main quest. This beast represents a significant challenge that tests everything you've learned about naval combat and resource management.

The graphics are ok, but the Amiga could definitely do better, especially in terms of color palette. Sound design complements the visuals well, though character animations, while good, aren't entirely smooth. Sea travel features fluid scrolling that enhances the sense of exploration, while dungeon sections use screen-by-screen transitions. The interface is functional, though some city locations aren't marked on the map, so you'll need to keep your own notes. The manual explains much but not everything, leaving some mechanics to be discovered through trial and error.

Compared to other Amiga trading adventures like Ports of Call, Piracy on the High Seas offers a more narrative-driven experience with RPG elements. It shares some DNA with The Patrician, though with more emphasis on direct combat and exploration than pure economic simulation.

Piracy on the High Seas is not a masterpiece, but it is an engaging adventure that successfully draws you into its world of Viking-era maritime danger and intrigue. The slow early sections and the demanding learning curve might test patience, but they ultimately contribute to a sense of genuine progression and achievement. For players who appreciate complex adventures that combine trading, exploration, dungeon crawling, and long-term strategic planning, this is a well-crafted, rewarding experience.