GDC 2015 - Ski Pirates is Kind of Like a More Social Ski Free. With Pirates

The world of Ski Pirates is a harsh one. Full of angry whales, rival pirates, the occasional shark, and lots and lots of trees. Although the booty that’s scattered all over the place probably makes it worth braving the elements (and sharks), I suppose.

Ski Pirates is a relatively simple game of arcade-y downhill skiing. You can slide a finger to the left or right to steer, tap to jump, and basically just try your best to avoid obstacles while snagging gold. Although you can also pull of tricks like jumps, spins, and grinds.

There's more of a focus on social elements in Ski Pirates, though. The pirates you’ll see drifting around the mountain actually represent your friends’ scores, and of course you'll want to beat the pants off of them. You can also customize your character using the coins you earn to buy gear (or find it outright when skiing) and then show them off when your friends try to beat your high score. Which of course they won’t. Because you’re the skiingest pirate of them all.

Ski Pirates is slated for an August release, and will be available as a free download.