Sea of Thieves

Rare

PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/SPremium

Health Score

DECENT

Watch Gameplay

About This Game

Super Review

Sea of Thieves offers a unique pirate adventure that encourages teamwork and strategic thinking as players sail, explore, and complete quests. While the open world and cosmetic customization are engaging, parents should be aware of the unfiltered online chat with strangers, in-app purchases, and depictions of alcohol use. It's a game that works best with clear family rules for online interaction and spending.

Super Review

Parent verdict

Sea of Thieves is a qualified fit for families, landing a Decent score of 55 due to its strong cooperative elements balanced against significant social risks and monetization concerns. It can be a rewarding experience for older, more mature children ready for online interaction and managing in-game purchases, provided parents establish clear boundaries and oversight. The game shines in fostering communication and problem-solving, but the open nature of its multiplayer world necessitates careful consideration.

What players actually do

Players sail a pirate ship with a crew, assigning roles like steering, raising sails, and firing cannons, which encourages strong teamwork and communication skills.
They solve riddle-based quests to find buried treasure and navigate the open sea using maps, fostering problem-solving and exploration abilities.
Players customize their pirate character and ship with various cosmetic items, allowing for creative self-expression without affecting gameplay power.

Where it shines

The game strongly encourages collaborative play, requiring players to work together seamlessly to manage their ship, complete voyages, and survive encounters with other crews or environmental threats.
Its expansive open world fosters a sense of discovery, rewarding players for exploring new islands and uncovering secrets, which can lead to exciting, unscripted adventures.

Parent watch-outs

The game features open voice and text chat with other players, including strangers, which can expose children to unmoderated and potentially toxic language or interactions.
In-app purchases for cosmetic items are prevalent, and the method of earning premium currency through rare in-game encounters has been flagged as having a gambling-like mechanic.
Characters can drink grog, resulting in screen-blurring, stumbling, belching, and vomiting green liquid, contributing to the game's Teen rating for crude humor and alcohol use.

Family rules worth setting

Set rules for online communication, such as using party chat only with known friends or disabling voice chat entirely when playing with strangers.
Discuss and establish a clear budget or strict limitations for in-app purchases, ensuring children understand the real-world value of Ancient Coins.

Talk about this

Discuss appropriate online behavior and how to respond if they encounter unkind or inappropriate language from other players.
Talk about the difference between cosmetic purchases that don't affect gameplay and items that might provide an unfair advantage, and how games use microtransactions.

Play style

Sea of Thieves is best played in cooperative sessions with a crew, typically lasting anywhere from 30 minutes for a quick quest to several hours for longer voyages and unpredictable player-versus-player encounters. The difficulty is dynamic, ranging from calm exploration to intense ship battles, and younger players may need help managing complex ship controls, navigating, or strategizing during combat. It is primarily a social experience, with solo play being much more challenging.

Score Breakdown

Positive Aspects

Educational Value

3/5

Creativity

3/5

Pro-Social

3/5

Risk Factors

Addictive Monetization

2/5

Time Pressure / FOMO

2/5

Social Risk

4/5

Content Intensity

2/5

Why this rating

Educational Value

3/5

Sea of Thieves earns a 3 for Educational Value by requiring significant teamwork and communication to successfully sail and manage a ship. Players also engage in problem-solving through navigation and riddle-based quests, enhancing strategic thinking and collaborative skills.

Creativity

3/5

The game scores a 3 for Creativity due to its extensive cosmetic customization options for both player characters and their ships. This allows players to express themselves uniquely within the pirate theme, personalizing their appearance and vessel.

Addictive Monetization

2/5

Addictive Monetization receives a score of 2, indicating moderate risk. While purchases are for cosmetic items, the ability to earn premium currency through random encounters with 'Ancient Skeletons' introduces a gambling-like mechanic that can encourage prolonged play or spending.

Social Risk

4/5

Social Risk is a significant concern, scoring a 4, primarily due to the game's open voice and text chat with strangers. This exposes players to unmoderated and potentially toxic interactions, requiring strong parental oversight and communication rules to mitigate the risk.

Negatives

•Features open voice and text chat with strangers, which can expose players to unmoderated and potentially toxic interactions.
•Contains in-app purchases for cosmetic items
•the pre-scoring classifier flagged a gambling-like mechanic related to how premium currency can be earned through random encounters.
•Rated Teen for cartoon violence, crude humor, and the use of alcohol
•characters can drink grog, which results in stumbling and vomiting.
•Seasonal content, challenges, and a "Plunder Pass" create moderate pressure for players to log in regularly to earn rewards.

Positives

•Encourages strong teamwork and communication as players must collaborate to successfully sail ships and complete objectives.
•Offers moderate opportunities for creative self-expression through extensive cosmetic customization for characters and ships.
•Fosters problem-solving skills through navigational challenges and riddle-based quests.
•The shared open world promotes exploration and discovery.

Gameplay Videos

Sea of Thieves as a NEW Player is... Insane

Dittoz

1 of 3

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Official Ratings

ESRB

Age Fit

ℹ️Ages 3-5

Not suitable for this age band due to online interaction, combat, and thematic content.

ℹ️Ages 6-8

Not suitable for this age band; the game contains open online communication, alcohol use, and requires more advanced coordination.

ℹ️Ages 9-12

Only suitable with very strict parental supervision for older children in this band, due to open online chat with strangers and the depiction of alcohol consumption.

ℹ️Ages 13-15

A qualified fit with parental supervision; the social aspects and occasional mature content require guidance and monitoring.

ℹ️Ages 16-18

Recommended for this age band, as players are typically mature enough to navigate the social risks and content.

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