From now until 3:00 PM PDT on May 20th, 2013, you'll earn a FREE Banana Box for every $9.95 you spend on doubloons or every month of subscription time you purchase! That's 5 Banana Boxes for purchasing a $49.95 package, 12 Banana Boxes for purchasing an annual subscription, or even more!

Each Banana Box features a prize in the seasonal color of Banana, including a new Banana Octopus with Hat familiar, a Banana Snake Familiar, and a slew of Banana furniture and ships. If you live to collect trinkets, there's also an array of 12 old and new Banana trinkets. I promise the old ones don't have brown spots.

Good luck and don't slip on your way to the login screen! For a full list of available prizes and other more detailed info, the official rules can be found right here.

Operating under a shroud of deception and feints, fleets of smuggling ships have silently filled the ocean's Black Markets with brand new Series 4 Black Boxes! These new boxes reportedly contain a bizarre bundle of Smuggler and Vampire furniture along with a number of varied and shadowy Sea Turtle pets.

Rumors are spreading that some of these boxes containing deadly Booby Traps! There's a chance you could lose an eye, a hand, or a leg when opening one of these new Black Boxes, so be warned!

But perhaps that's right up your alley? In any case, creep on over to your local Black Market to engage in some dubious dealings! If you've simply got to know what's inside, you can take a look at the full list of contents right here.

Shadowy agents of the Black Market want everyone to know that it has become prohibitively difficult for them to stock the Series 3 Black Box with black and shadow unicorns. The following is copied from a note that I found pinned above my bed with a bloody dagger:

Series 3 Black Box supplies to expire on May 1st.
Last chance to buy remaining black and shadow unicorns.
Blood is fake.
This time.
Kidding--black humor.
There I go rambling.
Maybe why they took my tongue.
Let me know if you find it in a box sometime.

XOXOX,
Loose-lipped Lawrence, formerly Chatty Lawrence

Blow the gilded loot trumpets, the Department o' the Treasure has dispatched its heavy-laden fleet of restocking vessels with a brand new series of Gold Boxes!

The Department's famed bushwhackers have been researching techniques that allow them to cram these sparkling new boxes with two new species of pirate-friendly critters: the Toucan and the Sea Turtle! The Toucan is an exotic bird with a colorful bill and, when tame, is quite content to perch on a pirate's shoulder. In contrast, tamers have been unable to coax the Sea Turtle into perching on pirate pauldrons, but these gentle grazers are more than brave enough to flip-flop alongside for your swashbuckling endeavours!

Talented goldsmiths have also been hard at work crafting a glittering showcase of new trinkets to fill out the assortment of ornaments already found in these glorious Gold Boxes! Freshly gilded pins, goblets, and other such novelties are now available to collect, trade, and pose with, much to the envy of your glint-aware bird friends.

Bankers across the seas will be carrying these new Gold Boxes until April 15th, 3 PM PDT, when the Department o' Scryin' tell us these new boxes will be exhausted! For a full list of Gold Box rewards and a breakdown of prize distribution, click here.

The Department o' the Treasure has been made aware of something called "ecological collapse" and has henceforth been instructed by the Department o' Public Relations to stop taming dragons and unicorns--which coincides with the Department o' Suspicious Coincidences being unable to locate more of these creatures, so I suppose this arrangement works out just fine for everybody. Information leading to the Department o' the Treasure's previous conclusion that these creatures had simply entered into a long period of hibernation has proven to be false. The Department o' the Treasure would like to apologize if its actions have in any way caused extinction-level damage to these noble populations. It would be a shame if future generations only knew of them by legend and myth!

Those mysterious members of the Smuggler's Guild, purveyors of prohibited property and paraphernalia, have toiled in the shadows to create a new class of vessel meant to haul bulk shipments of black market goods across the trade lanes. For clandestine reasons that cannot be uttered, they've made the plans to these new ships available to loyal shipwrights everywhere. Visit your local shipyard and see if they have the new Smuggler Class War Brig in stock!

Like its smaller sister ships, the Smuggler Class War Brig variant also bears the revered Lady of Secrets as its figurehead. She serves as a reminder that revealing secrets can have dreadful consequences.

These sturdy cranes speedily lift cargo to and from secret compartments, leaving the deck clear of any contraband or other goods that may bring an invasive search by Imperial watchdogs.

Hanging a gibbet on the deck signifies that you obey time-honored maritime law and follow a strict code of ethics that would never, ever allow the smuggling of criminal items on your ship.

This humble and thoroughly lawful captain's cabin is a strategic place to invite local or Imperial customs officers for a drink of your best rum before you happily submit to a surprise search.

Though the central cabin would pass most general inspections, a closer look will reveal telltale marks of the vessel's shadowy intent! There are two doors visible to the naked eye, but the shipwrights have seen the original blueprints, and those show a third egress attached to the nearby lantern through an elaborate system of pulleys!

That passage leads to an ample crawlspace for storing barrels, bags, and boxes of everything you don't want unwelcome guests getting their hands on. A hatch in the corner leads further into the hidden innards of the ship.

Behold the main smuggling hold! This is the decisive space for carrying your hoard of black-market goods past Johnny Imperial and his agent overseers! Tongues have been wagging about the impregnable nature of this hiding space; it is said no true Imperial officer has so much as set his or her eyes on this shadowy sanctuary!

And as fast as you can knock three times on the seal of the Smuggler's Guild, yet another hidden door leads to the main galley, with stairs back up to the top deck. It's a little dusty in here, but spotlessly clean in the eyes of the law.

The Smuggler's Guild has placed just two stipulations on the sales of these new War Brigs:
First, that no Imperial or lawful agent should be allowed to know of its secrets.
Second, that these ships shall be sold with a 20% discount on delivery fees.

The Smuggler Class War Brig will be available throughout the month of April with a delivery fee of only 80 Doubloons on Doubloon oceans! That means a 20% discount over standard delivery fees for Limited Edition War Brigs, or a savings of 20 doubloons for each of these ships sold. So, make sure you aren't being followed and stop in at a local shipyard to acquire one of these beauties today!

Throughout history, there have been moments when a barrel of rum has altered our understanding of great pillaging.

Our B.A.R.R.E.L. project has been designed to re-invent the barrel as a new, powerful platform for lawless terror on the high seas.

B.A.R.R.E.L. owners will be presented with a choice – a select choice – to enjoy a style of pillaging that is a rarely offered today. It's a choice that opens the doors to a world of exclusivity and personalization that is unique in pillaging. In a B.A.R.R.E.L. you will experience things that have become lost to other pirates: a world of unparalleled craftsmanship and refinement; a world of ever increasing choice and comfort.

Luxury features and accouterments included:

• Intelligent lightweight construction with a powerful effect
• Parrot pre-programmed with over 800 sea shanties
• Retractable flotsam cranes
• 9,000 thread count sail cloth
• Aged cherry wood casing treated with whale oil
• Anti-microbial, moisture wicking Corinthian leather bucket seat
• Mini-tavern with 10 cup holders
• Massive fish box with high velocity shaved ice dispenser
• Remote control via iPhone app (Android app forthcoming)

Today, we are officially announcing the launch of Puzzle Pirates on tablet. As mentioned previously by our own Captain Cleaver, the tablet game is an expansion to the existing game, offering the same Puzzles and game experience on multiple tablet devices, starting with the iPad.

Over the coming weeks, we'll be sharing more information on the two key parts of the tablet project: our take on a refreshed user interface that we hope will make the game accessible to all users, and the additions we've made to the puzzles to make them fun to play with a touch interface. Note: the puzzles will remain unchanged for desktop users, but we do hope you'll be intrigued to see what we've added. We hope to use the next couple of months before we take the tablet version live to get your feedback on puzzle playability.

Sign up here to receive launch notification!

The waters of March bring with them a new Spring Green Mystery Box and a new familiar! Our lineup of familiars is being expanded with a seasoned cephalopod sporting a cozy sleeping cap and protective eyepatch, exclusively available in this mystery box!

From now until Monday, March 25th at 3 PM PST, you'll earn a free Spring Green Mystery Box for every $9.95 you spend on doubloons or every month of subscription time you purchase! Peel off the colorful wrapping of one of these mysterious green boxes and you could be rewarded with a new ship, clothing, furniture, chromas, or a new octopus familiar with sleeping cap and eyepatch--all featuring the seasonal color of Spring Green! Oh, and there's also a Seussian Spring Green Sheep pet that may or may not have escaped from a top-secret pirate cloning program.

These mysterious Spring gifts are only available through March 25th! For a full list of available prizes and other more detailed info, the official rules can be found here.

They say Odin himself sailed the first Valkyrie Class Sloop down from Asgard to the seven seas, where he made a fortune selling durians. Awestruck shipwrights studied the vessel, committing every faceted detail to memory, and have managed to recreate the design right down to the fragrance of its hold.

With the speed of wings o'er the battlefield, this formidable bearer of the honoured dead splits the sea with her raised spear! An extremely metal thing to do.

On the quarterdeck sits a throne flanked by Valkyrie statues, a convenient cup of nourishing rum, and gunpowder next to open flames! Some may call it a deathtrap, but for the Vikings it cuts some of the red tape involved in reaching Valhalla.

The captain's cabin is a shrine to coastal raids, plunder, and bears. It is a place where one may discreetly practice throwing your fists into the air while screaming "Odin!"

Stepping below deck, one finds the traditional belly of a sloop transformed into a luxurious hall for feasting, revelry, and games -- a nauticaul Valhalla! A grim, one-eyed, wooden effigy of Odin presides over this floating mead-hall, guarding the ship's treasures, bolstering the crew's spirits, and startling unwelcome visitors. Wooden Valkyries stand, swords upraised, beside the feasting tables and mead vats, which function as drinking tables!

Combining the speed and versatility of a sloop with the character of a longship, the Valkyrie Class Sloop is currently available from now until the end of March. It sails off to Valhalla after that, to await Ragnarok beyond the reach of mortals, so visit your local shipyard soon!

Claim March's Monthly Reward and receive the first in a new series of exclusive Brigand King Dolls! The appropriately-green Admiral Finius debuts as the first doll in this fearsome lineup of villainous baubles.

We have also added a new set limited edition portrait backgrounds from our talented and creative community. Visit a portrait easel and give them a look. Strike a pose with your Admiral Finius Doll if you're feeling bold!

You will be able to collect Admiral Finius by qualifying for a Monthly Reward in March. Once April Arrives, all leftover Finius dolls will be whisked away to an unfathomable and mysterious place beyond the charted seas (Forculus' closet). Who knows when, or if, they will return. Don't miss out!

Unsure how to express those mushy emotions of love and affection that seem to permeate the seas around this time each year? Anticipating this problem, we have made available Heart-Shaped Boxes to help pirates manage these complex feelings!

From now until 3:00 PM February 19th, you will receive one FREE Heart-Shaped Box for every $2.00 spent on doubloons or any purchase of subscription time! Heart-Shaped Boxes are packed with Pieces of Eight, the purest expression of personal interest! See here for full details.

Spread the love around or take an opportunity to show yourself some extra appreciation! Remember, these Heart-Shaped Boxes will no longer be available after 3:00 PM February 19th.

The Gold Box is back in stock at your local bank until 3 PM, February 11th!

February's Gold Box will be a celebratory farewell to our Unicorn and Dragon critters. Finding docile, miniaturized beasts of legend to pack into these boxes has become an increasingly difficult task for the Department o' the Treasure, so this set of Gold Boxes will be your last chance to win Unicorn pets and Dragon familiars. As part of this gilded bon voyage, these creatures will be made available in all previous color combinations!

Trinkets, Chromas, and other items in sensational Ice Blue colors will also be front and center. In addition, hair dyes from all previous seasons will be included in this bountiful prize pool!

These Gold Boxes will be available until 3 PM, February 11th. Hurry over to your local bank and get your hooks on one! Visit this page for a full list of details, and keep your eyes on the horizon for what's coming in the future for a second series of Gold Boxes!

We be payin' tribute to the Year o' the Snake* with this month's Limited Edition Ship: the Serpent Class Sloop! A sleek snake figurehead hangs from her prow, and she be dressed out in fine serpentine style with carvings an' banners and the like, all with a right fancy flourish that harkens to the far eastern seas. Her cold, beady deadlights set upon prey, she's like to slither through the waters just ready to strike!

Let's 'ave ourselfs a look at the craft, shall we? Below we see Ms. Luck upon the foredeck o' this scaly beauty. As ye can see, 'tis a colourful ship this, snaky green decks with red and gold trimmings befitting the Chinese New year. And not a few fine serpentine touches all abouts.

Arr, an what a fine poop-deck! Thar be a snake-'eaded tiller beneath what looks to be a stolen pagoda roof, crowned with a golden serrrpent! And all 'round there be fireworks and boxes o' combustables for yer New Year festivities! Or, should an icy squall start a blowin', ye could always light'em and hold'em tight for emergency warmth - HARR HARRR!

A tasty banquet awaits ye in the Serpent Sloop's cabin, along with more slinky, snaky touches. Here ye might relax after a bountiful voyage, divide booty at yer leisure, or put down yer cutlass and fill yer gob with fine fare that'll make ye forget about ship's biscuit for a while. Shall we - eh? What's that Ms. Luck? Har, indeed! She reminds ye not to light a match me bucko, or those fancy firecrackers just might tickle yer noggin off!

Avast Ms. Luck! Let's stop a moment 'ere in the belly o' the serpent. Well sink me fer a cross-eyed squiffy! Just strike yer deadlights on all that slithery booty me hearties! Twisty wall snakes an' fancy banners 'an even wee snake satuettes - an' more rockets an' crackers an' things what go BOOM! Puts me in a mind to shed me ol' skin and bring in the year o' the snake a better, jollier, and craftier pirate that ev'r afore!

Look lively mates, ye can only get yer hooks on a Serpent Class Sloop until the end of February, so get yer orders in before they slither away to fortunes unknown!

*An' by Neptune's knickers, we sure don't be payin' no tribute to any accurs'd serpent cults 'r the scallywag Stygian necromancers what captains 'em. Those scurvy dark-arts blaggarts wouldn't know a jib from a mainsail!