Paper Pirates News

Ahoy Chess fans!

We're really pleased to share that the next game from Iteration Games, An Elaborate History of Chess, now has a a playable demo on Steam as part of this month's Next Fest!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3475690/An_Elaborate_History_of_Chess_Demo/

The demo gives you the opportunity to explore the real-time strategy overworld, farming turnips, fighting rats, building castles, and promoting your pieces. Progress far enough in the overworld, and you'll have the chance to experience one of the turn-based dungeons, featuring combat, puzzles, loot, and intrigue.

As an added bonus, there is a special bounty available in Paper Pirates until 31st March 2025. If you have the An Elaborate History of Chess demo added to your Steam library and installed, this bounty will complete and unlock a special crossover outfit for you to use. We don't want to spoil it, but we think it's pretty fun!


If you play the demo, it would really help if you could consider leaving us a review on the demo's store page. Reviews really help with visibility, and will hopefully allow more people to discover both An Elaborate History of Chess and Paper Pirates. If you haven't already, we'd love it if you gave An Elaborate History of Chess a quick wishlist too, so you can find out when the game launches.

[h3]Joining Paper Pirates today is the new trait, The Prosecutor![/h3]



The Prosecutor is an active trait, available in Trait and Traits+ games with at least seven pirates. On days when The Prosecutor doesn't play in, they may attempt to conduct an exorcism on any other pirate.

If the pirate they choose is on the ghost team, then that pirate will be publicly exorcised for all to see. Hooray, a new human is on the ship!

If, however, the pirate they choose is on the human team, then things will look bleak for The Prosecutor. They will immediately be thrown overboard (in an overboarding that does not create a ghost), and they will lose their prosecutor power for the remainder of the voyage.

How confident will The Prosecutor feel? What opportunities are there for bluffing and second-guessing? The Prosecutor can appear with any passive trait, including The Tainted. Is the ultimate way to make it look like you're on the human team betraying all your fellow ghosts?

This February, we’re again celebrating with the Paper Pirates Seasonal Celebration, Valentine Voyages! Running from 7th February - 21st February, celebrate the season of love with a festival of romance, and a whole host of seasonal goodies in Paper Pirates!



[h2]A Mysterious Benefactor[/h2]
Play a Trait or Traits+ game during Valentine Voyages, and you may attract the attention of A Mysterious Benefactor!


Voyages blessed by a mysterious benefactor will have one extra special secret. Every day when a job fails, the mysterious benefactor will send a secret note to a random pirate. That note will expose some information about the crew's traits! They might share a trait that nobody on the crew currently has, or, tell you the trait someone on the crew has.

With a mysterious benefactor sharing all the crew's darkest secrets, how can you bluff your way out of an unexpected surprise reveal?

[h2]Seasonal Trait: The Lovers[/h2]
During Valentine Voyages, you may encounter one of the seasonal traits, The Lovers!


The Lovers always appear as a pair, with two randomly chosen pirates from the crew both having the trait 'The Lovers'. When either pirate with The Lovers trait goes overboard, the other pirate will become Heartbroken, automatically going overboard the following day after the job completes. If a heartbroken pirate happens to go overboard before the end of the next day's job, they won't go overboard twice!

Be warned - if a pirates goes overboard due to heartbreak and they're a human, one randomly selected other pirate will become a ghost. Now that's spooky!

[h2]Seasonal Trait: The Admirer[/h2]
During Valentine Voyages, you may encounter one of the seasonal traits, The Admirer!


During the first day, The Admirer must choose a target of their admiration from the crew. The Admirer's team will then immediately change to match the pirate they chose. Not only that, but every time The Admirer's target changes team, The Admirer's team will change too! That means if the target of their admiration becomes a ghost... Well, you know what you have to do!

The Admirer's team will no longer change through other means (if they're a human, they can't join the ghost team unless their target pirate is haunted), so watch out for any very tricky Admirer plays!

[h2]Limited Time Costumes and Ship Parts[/h2]
During Valentine Voyages, Sam Sherbot and Nat O'Bother have some new customisation options available to unlock in the Shop ship! If you buy a customisation option during Valentine Voyages, you can use it all year round - but the items will be disappearing from sale when the event is over, so don’t delay and buy today!


The full list of outfit items available during Valentine Voyages is:

[h3]Outfit Shop[/h3]

• Faces - Animal (Teddy)
  
• Faces - Face Paint (Hearts)
  
• Top Hair - Cupid’s Curls
  
• Facial Hair - Heart Beard
  
• Headwear - Pendant (Romantic)
  
• Headwear - Veil
  
• Accessories - Sunglasses (Heart)
  
• Accessories - Earrings (Heart)
  
• Accessories - Loving Thoughts
  
• Accessories - Petals
  
• Hands - Animal (Teddy)
  
• Hands - Potted Plant
  
• Hands - Red Ribbon
  
• Shirts - Animal (Teddy)
  
• Shirts - Sweater (Heart)
  
• Shirts - Tee (Heart)
  
• Shirts - Dress Top (Hearts)
  
• Coats - Heart
  
• Coats - Candy Heart
  
• Belts - Quiver (Cupid’s)
  
• Belts - Heart
  
• Legs - Animal (Teddy)
  
• Legs - Cupid’s Sash
  
• Legs - Heart Boxers
  
• Legs - Cloud
  
• Legs - Skirt (Hearts)
  
• Feet - Animal (Teddy)
  
• Feet - Winged Sandals
  

[h3]Ship Shop[/h3]

• Figureheads - Cupid
  
• Hulls - Valentine's Hull
  
• Masts - Valentine's Masts I
  
• Masts - Valentine's Masts II
  
• Masts - Valentine's Masts III
  
• Sails - Valentine's Sails
  

Additionally, during Valentine Voyages, pirates have access to two unique hats, available to everyone in voyages started during the event. Once the event’s over, the hats will disappear from your collection until next year, so be sure to wear them while you can!

[h2]The “Cupid’s Arrow” Event![/h2]
Go on a sailing adventure during Valentine Voyages, and each day there is a chance you may encounter the “Cupid’s Arrow” event. A random member of the crew is given the opportunity to fire Cupid’s arrow at another. Whoever they fire it at will have their role changed to match the person who fired the arrow - whether they were human, or ghost! Keep track of the arrow, and see if you can deduce whose role is what as you forge ahead on your voyage.


[h2]The "Love Letter" Event![/h2]
Go on a sailing adventure during Valentine Voyage, and each day there is a chance you may encounter the "Love Letter" event. A randomly chosen pirate must commit to sending a love letter to a pirate of their choice. What secrets will this letter reveal? The pirate may choose to either share their team, or their trait, with their lover. What information will they reveal, and more importantly, why did they choose to share that particular piece of information?


[h2]Love Letter Bounties[/h2]
What's this? The crew has received a mysterious letter, emblazoned with a heart motif? What could this mysterious love letter mean? It seems that there's a series of tasks for you to complete throughout Valentine Voyage's, and each one rewards you with... a special heart-shaped box!? What could be inside?


[h2]Valentine Celebrations in the Photo Booth[/h2]
To celebrate Valentine Voyages, there is a limited-time Foil available in the Photo Booth, in the Captain’s Log. Take the opportunity to snap your favourite pirate templates, and share any pics you take!

Invite bots into your game during Valentine Voyages, and you may find some of the regular crew replaced with one or two super romantic guests, out to help you find love at sea! They’ll only join your games during Valentine Voyages, but these bots have their own personality and appearances for you to enjoy.

Throughout January, we’re celebrating with the Paper Pirates Seasonal Celebration, Soggy Hogmanay! Running from 1st January - 21st January, celebrate the start of the New Year with a festival of glad tidings, and a whole host of seasonal goodies in Paper Pirates!


[h2]The Crew's Resolution[/h2]
New for 2025, all voyages during Soggy Hogmanay will start with a brand new day one event: The Crew's Resolution. When presented with The Crew's Resolution, each crew member will have to vote on one of a small selection of vows that they want the whole crew to commit to for the remainder of the voyage.


Whichever vow receives the most votes will immediately come into effect for the whole crew. Each vow will dramatically change the way voting works, which means this is a high stakes choice. There are six different vows, and whichever vow is chosen for your voyage is bound to make a difference.

[h2]Seasonal Event: Change of Resolution[/h2]
Are things not going to plan? Do you regret the decisions you made at the very start of the voyage? What you need is a Change of Resolution event! When this happens, the entire crew will be offered the opportunity to change the vow they picked at the start of the voyage.


Who knows what has happened since day one? Maybe now you feel quite differently about how your crewmates are using their newfound voting powers? However you feel, it's all change with a Change of Resolution!

[h2]Seasonal Trait: The Resolute[/h2]
Returning to Soggy Hogmanay is the seasonal trait, The Resolute! Play a trait game during Soggy Hogmanay, and one of the crew may find themselves playing as The Resolute.


The Resolute must make a New Year's Resolution during the first day of the voyage. Their resolution asks them to pledge their allegiance to either the human or the ghost team. Whichever team they pick, they will instantly join - and they won't be able to become a member of the opposite team for the entirety of the remainder of the voyage!

Their choice is private to them, so make sure you don't get caught out by a sneaky Resolute pretending to have become a perma-human, when they might actually have just become The Tainted's best friend...

[h2]Seasonal Trait Event: The Resolute's Resolve[/h2]
New for 2025, The Resolute has a special seasonal Trait Event! If they're lucky enough for the crew to encounter a The Resolute's Resolve event during the voyage, The Resolute will have the opportunity to change their mind about the resolution they made at the start of the voyage.


This means that a resolute who originally decided to become a permanent ghost could change to become a permanent human, or vice versa. Thought you had The Resolute all figured out? Watch out, as they could change right before your eyes!

[h2]Seasonal Event: The Fastest First Foot[/h2]
Go on a sailing adventure during Soggy Hogmanay, and each day there is a chance you may encounter the ‘Fastest First Foot’ event, inspired by the Hogmanay tradition of First Footing. As the crew return from an adventure on a deserted treasure island, they race to see who has the honour of first footing the pirate ship. Those pirates who make it back first are granted good fortune for the coming voyage - and will be given a higher rank on the ship accordingly! Have your devices at the ready and press a button as soon as it appears, and any pirate has the chance of seizing the rank of captain!


[h2]Resolution Bounty[/h2]
Rumour has spread of a mysterious monster at sea... what could it be? Is it even real? During Soggy Hogmanay, if you scour the seven seas enough, you might catch a glimpse of a very special creature!


Check your bounty board after every voyage, because your time spent at sea might unveil a very special reward for you and your crew. You only have until the end of Soggy Hogmanay to complete the bounty, so make sure you make a new year's resolution to spend more time sailing than ever before!

[h2]Limited Time Costumes[/h2]
During Soggy Hogmanay, Sam Sherbot and Nat O'Bother have some new customisation options available to unlock in the Shop Ship! If you buy a customisation option during Soggy Hogmanay, you can use it all year round - but the items will be disappearing from sale when the event is over, so don’t delay and buy today!


The full list of outfit items available during Soggy Hogmanay is:

[h3]Outfit Shop[/h3]

• Faces - Masquerade (Light)
  
• Faces - Masquerade (Dark)
  
• Faces - Clock Face
  
• Faces - Disco Ball
  
• Faces - Face Paint (Star)
  
• Faces - Face Paint (War)
  
• Accessories - Confetti
  
• Accessories - Earrings (Cross)
  
• Accessories - Earrings (Diamonds)
  
• Accessories - Earrings (Gold Hoops)
  
• Headwear - Hairpin (Firework)
  
• Hands - Animal (Dragon)
  
• Hands - Fancy Cane
  
• Hands - Shield (Round)
  
• Hands - Sparkler
  
• Hands - Torch
  
• Hands - Wrist Watch
  
• Shirts - Tee (Fireworks)
  
• Coats - Tuxedo (White)
  
• Coats - Clock
  
• Coats - Dragon
  
• Coats - Firework
  
• Belts - Bagpipes
  

[h3]Ship Shop[/h3]

• Sails - Tartan Sails
  
• Sails - Viking Sails
  
• Hulls - Viking Hull
  
• Extras - Torches
  

Additionally, during Soggy Hogmanay, pirates will be able to wear a unique hat, available to everyone in voyages started during the event. Once the event’s over, the hat will disappear from your collection until next year, so be sure to wear them while you can!

[h2]Hogmanay Celebrations in the Photo Booth[/h2]
To celebrate the arrival of the new year, there are a small number of limited-time Foils and Backgrounds available in the Photo Booth, in the Captain’s Log. Take the opportunity to snap your favourite pirate templates, and share any pics you take!


[h2]Soggy Hogmanay Bots[/h2]
Invite bots into your game during Soggy Hogmanay, and you may find some of the regular crew replaced with special New Year’s revellers, out to help you ring in the new year! They’ll only join your games during Soggy Hogmanay, but these bots have their own personalities and appearances for you to enjoy.

[h2]Prepare for Merriment and Mischief on the Yule Tides![/h2]
Throughout all of December, we’re celebrating, sharing, and gift giving, with Yule Tides! Running from 1st December - 31st December, celebrate Christmas with a festival of merriment and joy, and a whole host of seasonal goodies in Paper Pirates!


[h2]Seasonal Trait+: The Miser[/h2]
The Miser is a new seasonal trait for 2024, appearing only in Trait+ games. The Miser has the ability to block a pirate from appearing in any jobs. That's right - once The Miser has targeted a pirate, the Captain will never be offered a job with that pirate in.



This can give you a tactical advantage not only by excluding pirates from playing in because you think they might disobey (or even obey), but you can also ensure that a pirate has the opportunity to use their Active Trait.

The Miser must choose a pirate to exclude from jobs during day one, and then may change their mind about which pirate they're blocking on any day when they do not play in. Because The Captain always plays in, The Miser's powers will not be able to stop The Captain!

[h2]Seasonal Trait: The Gift Giver[/h2]
The special seasonal trait for Yule Tides is The Gift Giver! Play a trait game during Yule Tides and one of the pirates may find themselves playing as The Gift Giver.



The Gift Giver is offered a present to gift to a pirate of their choice on every day when they don't play in. There are a range of different gifts, but which one you get to give is random each day! You can only give three gifts on each voyage - and to make things even more tricky, each pirate can only receive a gift once.

Will you get the gifts you need to sail to success? Or will you accidentally end up giving away a victory to the ghosts.

[h2]Advent Bounties[/h2]
During the Christmas season, the bounty board is celebrating each and every day that passes! Each day throughout December, you’ll receive a special Advent Bounty, with a challenge for you to complete! If you complete an advent bounty, you'll be rewarded with a special Paper Pirates Present! There are eleven items for you to discover!



The advent bounties are time-limited, so you have to complete them on the day you get them - but don’t worry if you don’t, there’ll be a new one waiting for you tomorrow!

[h2]A Special Christmas Present[/h2]
Returning from last year, there's a special Christmas bounty, available to every good pirate! All you need to do to complete it is have five Snowball Fights during Yule Tides.



Completing the bounty will unlock a special outfit reward for all pirates to use permanently. If you completed the bounty last year, this year you'll get a bumper crop of coins to spend!

[h2]Limited Time Costumes[/h2]
During Yule Tides, Sam Sherbot and Nat O'Bother have some new customisation options available to unlock in the Shop Ship! If you buy a customisation option during Yule Tides, you can use it all year round - but the items will be disappearing from sale when the event is over, so don’t delay and buy today!



The full list of Ship Shop items available during Yule Tides is:

Outfit Shop

• Accessories - Snow
  
• Face - Elf Ears
  
• Face - Snowman (Head)
  
• Face - Snowflake
  
• Facial Hair - Santa’s Beard
  
• Hands - Snowman Stick
  
• Hands - Candy Cane
  
• Headwear - Scarf (Long)
  
• Headwear - Scarf (Short)
  
• Headwear - Hairpin (Holly)
  
• Shirt - Elf Tunic
  
• Shirt - Snowman (Upper)
  
• Shirt - Sweater (Reindeer)
  
• Shirt - Sweater (Robin)
  
• Shirt - Christmas Tree Top
  
• Shirt - Wreath
  
• Coat - Santa’s Coat
  
• Coat - Stocking
  
• Coat - Christmas Tree
  
• Coat - Ice Cube
  
• Jacket - Fairy Lights
  
• Legs - Elf Tights
  
• Legs - Snowman (Lower)
  
• Legs - Christmas Tree Skirt
  
• Legs - Christmas Tree Pot
  
• Feet - Elf Shoes
  

Ship Shop

• Masts - Christmas Mast I
  
• Masts - Christmas Mast II
  
• Masts - Christmas Mast III
  
• Masts - Christmas Tree
  
• Hulls - Christmas Hull
  
• Extras - Presents
  

Additionally, during Yule Tides, pirates will be able to wear a host of unique hats - there are five seasonal hats available to everyone in voyages started during the event. Once the event’s over, the hats will disappear from your collection until next year, so be sure to wear them while you can!

[h2]Seasonal Event: Cracking Crackers[/h2]
While sailing on the even seas during Yule Tides, you might find the crew getting a little rowdy with all the partying and merriment! Encounter the Cracking Crackers event, and two members of your crew will decide to pull a giant size festive cracker.



Hit the button on your device more times than your opponent to claim the bigger half of the cracker - and save yourself from certain doom, as the loser will be flung overboard from the force of the cracker's explosion! Watch out though, if the losing pirate was a human, the one walking away with the bigger piece will now be a ghost...

[h2]Seasonal Event: Snowball Fight![/h2]
Go on a sailing adventure during Yule Tides, and each day there is a chance it may begin to snow giving the crew the opportunity to partake in a little festive fun - a traditional snowball fight! When Snowball Fight is triggered, each member of the crew must choose who to pelt with a snowball.



The pirate who receives the most snowballs will be thrown overboard! Who will you throw your snowball at? When they go overboard, if they’re a human, one of the people who threw the snowball will become a ghost… so choose wisely!

[h2]Seasonal Event: Naughty or Nice?[/h2]
During your Yule Tides sailing adventures, you may encounter the ‘Naughty or Nice’ event during the event phase of the game. In ‘Naughty or Nice’, one member of the crew must offer a gift to another. Question is - has the receiver been naughty, or nice?



The present-giver must decide, with a host of fun positive outcomes for nice, and some meaner tricks for naughty. When the receiver is given the gift, they can choose whether to open it, or discard it. Do you think your crewmate has sent you something nice, or are they a ghost, hoping to catch you out? That’s all part of festive deception!

[h2]Yule Tidings come to the Photo Booth[/h2]
To celebrate the season, there are a small number of limited-time Foils and Backgrounds available in the Photo Booth, in the Captain’s Log. Take the opportunity to snap your favourite pirate templates with a little festive frivolity, and don’t forget to share any pics you take!



[h2]Yule Tides Bots[/h2]
Invite some bots into your game during Yule Tides, and you may find some of the regular crew replaced with some particularly festive bots, out to celebrate Christmas! They’ll only join your games during Yule Tides, but each has their own personality and appearance for you to enjoy.