Pirate Fluxx features a boxful of new Keepers and Goals, with everything you'd expect in a Pirate-themed version of Fluxx: six types of booty (everything from Diamonds to Pieces of Eight), an armada of ships (ranging from a Sloop to a Galleon), various weapons, a parrot, a monkey, a treasure map, a strongbox, and even some fruit to stave off Scurvy. And for those who enjoy rules like Outrageous Accent and Talk Like a Martian, Pirate Fluxx has a Talk Like a Pirate rule.
But some of the most exciting elements of Pirate Fluxx are the totally new features. The biggest surprise is the new card type, called SURPRISES. These very powerful cards have a purple stripe and can be played when it isn't your turn to cancel something the active player is doing.
Pirate Fluxx also features a great NEW RULE, called Plunder! Since Pirates are all about stealing things, we took the relatively rare event of the Action Steal a Keeper, and changed it to something that happens all the time! With Plunder, you get to steal a keeper once every turn, as a free action! Of course, there are some limits to the power of Plundering... for example, you can't Plunder from someone who holds a Cutlass - unless you've got a Flintlock Pistol, that is.
But perhaps the most interesting new thing about Pirate Fluxx is the gameplay that revolves around a KEEPER called the Captain's Hat. Whoever has the Captain's Hat at the moment is the Captain, and must be addressed as such. While not enormously powerful, being the Captain has many advantages. For example, the Captain gets to decide who Walks the Plank, and who wears the Shackles, and the Captain gets to ignore Keeper Limits when the New Rule called Long Live The Captain is in play. (This rule also gives all players a +1/+1 for Draw and Play, since everyone benefits from the leadership of a Captain.) It's great fun being the Captain - so much so that some people focus more on getting to be Captain than on actually winning the game!