Pirates Outlaws 2: Heritage is a swashbuckling, pirate-themed roguelike deckbuilder by the indie gamedev Fabled Game. It launched on Steam Early Access on December 4, 2025, with mobile (iOS/Android) and Epic Store versions planned soon after.
As a sequel to the original Pirates Outlaws, this “seaquel” promises a darker, deeper pirate adventure: you take on the role of a pirate captain in a world called New Elysia — pick your hero and class, build a deck, recruit companions, sail between isles, tackle Sea Masters and giant creatures, collect treasures, relics, and evolve your cards to survive.
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Gameplay & Core Loop
- Deckbuilding + Roguelike Runs: Each run begins by selecting a hero (with a starter deck based on class), optionally choosing a companion, then diving into the sea-faring adventure. Combat and events use cards; you build & refine your deck as you progress.
- Card Fusion & Evolution: A key feature — when you collect three identical cards, you can fuse them, triggering an evolution path that can improve or modify the card, giving an extra layer of deck customization.
- Relics, Equipment & Outfit Bonuses: Throughout runs you find relics and equipment that grant bonuses, sometimes as part of outfit/ set bonuses — giving you benefits beyond raw card power.
- Map Navigation & Exploration: Instead of strictly linear runs, you sail between islands — with freedom to choose your route, visit taverns or markets, trade, maybe find hidden secrets or relics.
- Multiple Heroes, Classes & Companions: At launch there are multiple heroes with different classes; each class offers a unique starting deck and hero ability. Companions — including “animal companions” — add their own cards to your deck, offering synergy options.
- Arena Mode & Challenge Content: Apart from campaign/adventure mode, there is an Arena — a mode where you test how far your deck/skills go. Beating stages of the Arena is part of the challenge.
- Progression & Replayability: With deck fusion, relics, evolving cards, new equipment, companions, and multiple possible strategies — every run can be different. The “roguelike + deckbuilder + pirate-adventure” blend aims for high replay value.
To us at Indie Games Tavern, the pirate-themed games always have the appealing mystic to the indie games fans, as is perfect for the indie game review like this one, and Pirates Outlaws 2: Heritage not only has it but also delivers the hooked core loop.
What Works Really Well
✅ Great Blend of Deckbuilding + Pirate Adventure Flavor
The pirate theme — sailing seas, exploring isles, facing sea masters — meshes well with the replayability and strategy of a card-based roguelike. It gives more context and personality than most card games.
✅ Card Evolution & Customization Adds Depth
The card-fusion/evolution system (combining three identical cards to evolve them) adds meaningful depth. It encourages collecting, planning, and building towards powerful combos rather than just relying on random draws.
✅ Variety & Strategy Through Heroes, Classes & Companions
Different heroes, multiple classes per hero, and companions that bring unique cards give a variety of starting conditions and strategic options. This helps avoid “same-run” fatigue and boosts replayability.
✅ Exploration + Choice, Not Just Linear Runs
Because you can sail between isles, visit markets or taverns, choose your path — the game offers a sense of freedom and unpredictability. That exploration adds a great “adventure” feel beyond card battles.
✅ Roguelike Structure Balanced with Persistent Progression
Even though runs reset, the fusion system, relics, outfits, and deck-building mean each run helps you progress — making early failures feel less punishing and more like learning experiences.
✅ Good Starting Content in Early Access
At launch you get a decent initial package: reportedly 250+ cards and 80+ relics (with more planned), 3 heroes (with classes) + 4 companions, and the first region (Pirates Bay) with multiple areas and bosses/sea masters. For an early-access deckbuilder, that’s solid enough to get a feel for the core loop and depth.
The clear roadmap of development is always highly appreciated by us at Indie Games Tavern, the indie gamedev Fabled Game made sure that their fans will not miss any future updates of Pirates Outlaws 2: Heritage. This is one of the most important reasons why we decided to write this indie game review article.
Areas for Improvement & Considerations
⚠️ It’s in Early Access — Content & Polish Still Limited
As of release, only the first region, limited classes/companions, and a subset of cards/relics are available. The full scope (planned 700+ cards, 180+ relics, multiple regions/chapters) remains future content. If you want the “complete” experience, expect to revisit later.
⚠️ Balance & Meta Could Be Unstable
With a wide variety of cards, relics, evolving paths, and companion synergies — early builds might get overpowered, or “must-have” combos may emerge, reducing long-term build diversity or making balance trickier.
⚠️ Roguelike RNG + Deck Draws = Frustration Potential
As with many deckbuilders + rogue-likes: luck is part of the game. Sometimes draws or relic drops may not favor you — which can lead to runs feeling unfair or too swingy.
⚠️ Steep Learning Curve for New Players
To master the systems — card fusion, relic management, companion synergies, map navigation — may take time and experimentation. Casual players might feel overwhelmed initially.
⚠️ Long-Term Replay Depends on Updates
Because this is Early Access, the longevity — diverse new cards, relic sets, regions, classes — depends heavily on developer commitment. Without regular updates, the game may get stale after core content is exhausted.
Final Thoughts
Pirates Outlaws 2: Heritage is a strong and promising deckbuilder / roguelike with a lot of pirate-themed charm, strategic depth, and replay potential. Its mix of card evolution, relics, companions, map navigation, and turn-based combat — set against a pirate adventure backdrop — gives it an identity that stands out among many deckbuilders.
To us at Indie Games Tavern, if you enjoy tactical deckbuilding, enjoy experimenting with different builds, and like the pirate-adventure flavor — this is one of the better new entries in 2025. For early-access skeptics: there’s promise, but also risk (content, balance, updates).
In short: It’s a solid “buy-on-wish-list and try early” — a game with real potential, especially for fans of roguelike card games with a sense of adventure and variety.
Who Should Play It?
- 🎴 Fans of roguelike deckbuilders / card battlers — who enjoy strategy, card synergy, deck evolution, and replayability.
- 🏴☠️ Players who like pirate and sea-faring themes — the aesthetic, story context, and adventure-style map navigation adds flavor beyond just cards.
- ⚙️ Experiment-lovers & “theory-crafters” — those who like to tinker with builds, fuse cards, experiment with companions and relic synergies.
- 🎯 Gamers who enjoy high-risk / high-reward loops — rogue-lite resets + strategic deckbuilding gives satisfying tension and payoff.
- 🛠️ Players open to Early Access games, willing to tolerate unfinished polish for long-term rewards and content growth.
Who Might Wait or Skip It?
- 💤 Casual players or those averse to RNG — if you dislike randomness in card draws, relic drops, or rogue-lite resets, this might frustrate.
- 🧑💻 People seeking fully polished, complete games — if you prefer a finished product, waiting until after full release may be wiser.
- 🧩 Those who dislike deep micromanagement — deck fusion, relics, companions, map navigation etc. can be complex and demanding.
- 📉 Players wanting minimal grind — if repetitive runs or replay loops don’t appeal, the roguelike structure might not suit.
Pirates Outlaws 2: Heritage Review by Indie Games Tavern.
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