Pirate Fluxx Makes Us Say Arrr! (In A Good Way!) by Matt Morgan at MTV.com
"Fluxx, the card game with ever-changing rules, is a proven commodity. Over the past few years, it has spawned several versions including Martian Fluxx, Zombie Fluxx, and Monty Python Fluxx. With over half a million total Fluxx games sold, Pirate Fluxx has some large footsteps to follow in, so how does this latest iteration stack up?While it will never be considered a game of high strategy, Pirate Fluxx adds some new gameplay elements that hardcore gamers will appreciate. The first is the introduction of the "Surprise" card type. These serve as interrupts that can be strategically saved in a players hand and used at any time, regardless of whose turn it is. This also serves to keep players a bit more engaged in the game outside of their turn.
The second addition to the game is a series of cards focused at direct player interaction. There have always been the occasional one-time-use stealing actions, but the "Pillage" new rule allows the theft of Keeper cards on every single turn. Some of the Keeper cards are weapons-themed, which can be used to defend against pillaging. One Keeper into particular, "Captain's Hat", allows players to force the "Shackles" creeper onto another player, or to decide whose hand is dumped when the "Walk the Plank!" action comes into play. For the first time, sabotaging other players is a viable strategy in Fluxx.
Overall, Pirate Fluxx is the most thematically tight version of Fluxx to date, and should therefore be on the top of your list if you are looking to get into the series. "