Choose Puzzle Pirates
Choose Puzzle Pirates if you want an Adventure and Free To Play game with Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 1,860 Steam reviews back the pick.
Puzzle Pirates vs Archipelago
Puzzle Pirates and Archipelago both land in Strategy, Massively Multiplayer, Casual on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Strategy, Massively Multiplayer, Casual on Steam. Puzzle Pirates (2011) is 5 years older than Archipelago (2016). Puzzle Pirates scores higher on Steam reviews (80.4% positive) than Archipelago (77% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Archipelago
Choose Archipelago if you want an Indie and Simulation experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2016) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Archipelago launched in 2016.
Both Puzzle Pirates and Archipelago sit in Strategy, Massively Multiplayer, and Casual on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Puzzle Pirates |  Archipelago | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2016 |
| Genres | Strategy, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, Free To Play, Casual | Strategy, Indie, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 80.4% positive (1,860 reviews) | 77% positive (61 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Grey Havens | Tort |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Massively Multiplayer, Casual on Steam.
- Puzzle Pirates (2011) is 5 years older than Archipelago (2016).
- Puzzle Pirates scores higher on Steam reviews (80.4% positive) than Archipelago (77% positive).
- Puzzle Pirates is free; Archipelago is paid (5.99 USD).
- Puzzle Pirates has co-op; Archipelago does not.
- Steam Deck: Puzzle Pirates is Deck Unsupported, Archipelago is Deck Playable.
Puzzle Pirates vs Archipelago — FAQ
- Should I play Puzzle Pirates or Archipelago first?
- If you want chronology, Puzzle Pirates (2011) came out before Archipelago (2016). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Puzzle Pirates and Archipelago similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Massively Multiplayer, Casual on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Archipelago have multiplayer like Puzzle Pirates?
- No. Puzzle Pirates supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op), while Archipelago is listed as single-player only.
- Is Puzzle Pirates free?
- Yes — Puzzle Pirates is a free-to-play Steam title. Archipelago is paid (5.99 USD).