From YPPedia

Information for Pirate Parents

Ahoy, and welcome to Puzzle Pirates!

Puzzle Pirates is an online game that combines adventure with the universal appeal of simple logical puzzles. Puzzle Pirates has been a favorite of thousands of players from around the world for over five years.

If you have any specific questions that you'd like to ask about the game before allowing your family to give Puzzle Pirates a try, please feel free to email us using the Puzzle Pirates Support form. We'll get back to you with an answer as soon as we can.

If you're ready to give Puzzle Pirates a try, welcome aboard!

Play Puzzle Pirates

More About the Puzzle Pirates World

Puzzle Pirates is an online game. Unlike other online environments, the game does not include simulated violence or gore. There are no guns or other implied physical interactions between players. Instead, competitive interactions between players are resolved using one of 20 interactive puzzles. A player's skill at each puzzle determines how well he or she is likely to do in the game.

Online games can create an enormously fun environment. People are, after all, far more fun to interact with than computers! The challenge comes with making these kinds of interactions a positive experience. Our approach has been to design Puzzle Pirates so that it encourages our community of players to work together. Success in the game comes from learning to work cooperatively. Players are rewarded for forming crews, organizing expeditions, and interacting socially with those around them and not for being abusive or otherwise acting out.

Playing in a Social Environment

The challenge of an online game is that the same features that make it so exciting can also allow a small minority of players to act disruptively or irresponsibly.

As a company, we are committed to supporting a positive playing environment in Puzzle Pirates. We constantly monitor and respond to player complaints from within the game. Our support staff is on call 24 hours a day and is trained to take a "hands on" approach to resolving issues, including the rapid removal of disruptive players from the game.

We provide continuous monitoring of the language used by players and make updates to prevent disruptive or abusive language being used.

Getting Started

Puzzle Pirates is a free game. You or your children can play the game for free with some limitations for as long as you like.

Generally, the only decision that you'll need to make is which ocean you would prefer your family to play on. Each ocean is a separate playing environment.

• The Cerulean ocean is free to play. Here, players can optionally choose to access additional features in the game by signing up for a subscription. This subscription may be bought on a one-time or recurring basis. When it expires, the player may continue to play, but will lose the privileges previously gained from subscribing.

• The Meridian and Emerald oceans are also free to play. However, rather than supporting subscription, access to the additional features in the game is based on the purchase of a microcurrency called doubloons. Each doubloon allows a player to purchase access to specific aspects of the game that they wish to use. Because these features are purchased individually, it's possible on a doubloon ocean to spend more than the fixed subscription price, but it's also possible to spend much less.

It's important to keep in mind the differences between the oceans if you think you or your child might eventually wish to access more of the game.

Getting Help Online

Within Puzzle Pirates, it is relatively easy for a player to ask for help if they feel that their situation requires assistance. Click on the "Help" button on from the 'Ye' panel of the game interface. From there, he or she can register a complaint or send a request for help to in-game support.

A complaint will record the interactions the player is currently having. This information is used to determine how best to handle a player's question, particularly in the case of a complaint against other players. The information is forwarded to our in-game support staff, the Ocean Masters, who will address the issue promptly. The Ocean Masters are an important aspect of our efforts to ensure that the game continues to provide a positive atmosphere for all players. Members of your family should not hesitate to contact them if they need help.

Making Sure You Get What You Expect

It is important to us that the payments we receive for Puzzle Pirates are made with the full approval of the cardholder. We have several features in place to prevent unwanted charges, including limits on the totals that can be charged, and a requirement that the credit card be present for each transaction. We also offer a variety of other payment methods, including one-time purchase game cards, that provide additional protection against unexpected charges.