Sea of Thieves review
A story-rich pirate game for crews or solo players comfortable in a shared online world.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Sea of Thieves is a shared-world action adventure from Rare for players drawn to pirate exploration, treasure hunting and ship combat. Its Adventure mode brings together story-driven Tall Tales, open-world voyages, islands, settlements and caves, with encounters that can involve skeletons or rival crews. Players can form a crew or sail solo, but solo sailing does not remove the shared online setting. It suits players who want a mix of authored story content and unpredictable encounters rather than a purely single-player campaign.
The game’s range comes from the way its activities fit together: voyages lead to treasure and rewards, while exploration and ship-to-ship battles give crews other goals along the way. Pirate characters and equipment can be customized, and keyboard and controller input are supported with rebindable controls. PC–Xbox cross-play offers a route to play across those platforms. The listed PC operating system is Windows, so players looking for native PC coverage beyond Windows should look elsewhere.
Sea of Thieves is a paid game with no free plan. The official buy page lists several editions and links to stores, while the published page does not display their prices directly. That means buyers should check the linked storefronts for the edition and current price they want before purchasing. The game is a strong fit for players seeking shared-world pirate adventures with friends, especially those who value both story content and open-ended voyages. It is a weaker choice for someone who wants an offline solo experience or a PC game for an operating system other than Windows.
Sea of Thieves pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Combines Tall Tales, voyages, exploration and ship combat
- Supports crew play or solo sailing in a shared online world
- Offers rebindable keyboard and controller input plus PC–Xbox cross-play
- Where it doesn't
- Solo play still takes place in a shared online world
- Windows is the only listed PC operating system
- Paid game with no free plan
Sea of Thieves fact sheet, pricing and score →
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