About the Pirates What's Missing? Game
Treasure maps, parrots, cutlasses and jolly rogers — set sail with our pirates memory game. Brilliant for swashbuckling kids and fans of high-seas adventure.
What's in the Pirates deck
The full deck, so you know what to watch for — 12 pictures: 🏴☠️ Jolly Roger🦜 Parrot⚓ Anchor🗺️ Map🧭 Compass💰 Treasure💎 Gem⚔️ Swords🌴 Palm🏝️ Island🚢 Ship🦈 Shark
Study tip: link the first three — jolly roger, parrot and anchor — into one ridiculous mental picture. Absurd images stick; lists don't. When a picture vanishes, replay the scene and ask what doesn't fit any more.
How to memorise a genre board
Genre decks are trope checklists. Every item is something you have watched a hundred times — the proposal scene, the plot twist, the cosy rain on the window. Memorise each tile by naming its trope out loud, and the board turns into a film quiz you are having with yourself.
Sequence them into a watchlist. Romantic-comedy beats, heist beats, horror beats: the items almost sort themselves into a story order. One run through the order and recall becomes a matter of "what comes next", which your memory does effortlessly.
How to Play
- Press Start and memorise every picture on the board.
- After a few seconds the board hides and one picture is removed.
- Pick the missing picture from the answer choices.
- Each correct answer adds a bigger board. Three misses ends the game.
Fun Facts About Pirates
- The golden age of piracy ran from roughly 1650 to 1730.
- The "jolly roger" flag design varied hugely between captains.
- Pirates really did bury treasure — but rarely, and usually found it again.
- Blackbeard reportedly tied lit fuses into his beard to intimidate opponents.
Genre deck questions
Do I need to know the shows and films to enjoy this?
Not at all — the pictures carry the meaning, and recognising the tropes is a bonus, not a requirement. Fans get an extra layer; everyone else gets a well-designed matching game.
Which board should a superfan pick?
Whichever genre they argue about most. Recognition is fast when you love the material, which is why superfans should jump straight to the hard board and defend their honour.