Following Seas

About

Following Seas is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Whipstaff Games and was released on November 21, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Following Seas places you in a shattered world where you pilot a ship across dangerous seas to connect isolated island communities. Manage sails, cargo, and ship stability while facing harsh weather and navigating with period tools. This accessible yet detailed sailing simulator challenges you to master the ocean for survival and trade.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 68 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

stability14 negative mentions

The game has a charming atmosphere and beautiful graphics, with a strong attention to detail in ship design and sailing mechanics.
There is significant potential for the game, with a dedicated developer actively working on updates and improvements.
The sailing mechanics are rewarding to learn, providing a satisfying experience for players who enjoy a realistic sailing simulation.

The game is plagued by numerous bugs and stability issues, making it frustrating and difficult to play at times.
The user interface and navigation systems are unintuitive, leading to a steep learning curve for new players.
Many essential gameplay elements and mechanics are poorly explained or missing, leaving players feeling lost and confused.

gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The gameplay of the sailing game has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating the rewarding mechanics of sailing and exploration but criticizing the lack of guidance, bugs, and limited content. While some find the experience engaging and atmospheric, others feel it is incomplete and frustrating due to unexplained mechanics and a fast travel system that undermines the core gameplay loop. Overall, the game shows potential but requires further development to enhance its gameplay experience.
- “The sailing mechanics initially seemed daunting but were super rewarding to figure out and improve on. Learning to use the kedging anchor to drag myself into ports, learning new angles for my sails, and discovering what ships work best for me is extremely satisfying.”
- “If you like sailing, old ships, and slow, meditative gameplay, it's definitely for you.”
- “I haven't experienced any bugs, just deeply engaging gameplay that's right up my alley.”
- “Much of the important game mechanics aren't explained or, if they are, are never explained twice.”
- “These 2-3 weeks after the start of the early access release, the game lacks almost any notable gameplay elements, all of which can be trivialized by the fast travel system. The game didn't cooperate with me trying to sail while having knowledge of how to operate everything.”
- “Tldr: great concept and atmosphere, but the game provides almost no real guidance, the wind shifts too often to feel natural, and essential sailing mechanics are left unexplained.”
stability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
88%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with many users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as freezing issues and softlocks. While some players have experienced smoother sessions and appreciate the developer's active engagement in addressing these problems, the overall consensus is that the game is currently too unstable for a seamless experience.
- “I don't know the developer, don't even know where in the world he is, didn't get it for free, and am not getting anything to write this - I just think it's quite amazing. I have had no glitches or issues of any sort so far, and even if I do encounter some, I'll accept that as the price of helping this along.”
- “It runs great, with full blast eye-candy on my mid-grade PC.”
- “The issue is it's a glitchy, buggy, slow mess.”
- “From saves being deleted when opening the load menu, through softlocking your ship with bugged cargo, softlocking the game when editing controls, to many quality of life issues and glitches that can't be brushed off.”
- “I'll be honest - Following Seas, at least for me, is a buggy mess at the moment.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
Overall, the graphics of the game are praised for their beauty and immersive quality, contributing to a cohesive oceanic experience. However, some users have reported technical issues, including a graphic driver crash, indicating that while the visuals are appealing, there are still optimization challenges to address. The game's art style and environmental effects enhance the gameplay, but further improvements are anticipated as development continues.
- “Honest to god, I love the graphics! It could turn out to be a really good game. Keep up the work, and it'll earn its place on the store eventually :)”
- “The content scope and general art style let the game feel cohesive and immersive, like your own little piece of ocean.”
- “It's still in development, and there is a lot to improve (I'm looking at you, fishing minigame), but it's fairly playable. It's a beautiful game, very optimized for its graphics and physics.”
- “Following Seas is the only title so far that caused me a graphic driver crash in just 13 minutes.”
- “The game then froze, the computer went into a black screen for some seconds and, finally, back to the desktop with the graphic driver crashed and the resolution set to 800 x 600, using the generic Windows video adapter.”
- “By the way, my graphics configuration is as follows: CPU Ryzen 5 5600X, GPU RX 7700XT (12GB VRAM), 32GB dual channel RAM, 750W power supply.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's optimization has seen significant improvements, particularly in performance and stability, though it still suffers from numerous bugs and high resource usage. While it runs well on lower-end systems and showcases impressive graphics and physics, further optimization and bug fixes are necessary for a smoother experience. Players are advised to wait for additional updates if they haven't been eagerly anticipating the game's release.
- “The game is fairly playable, is a beautiful game, and is very optimized for its graphics and physics.”
- “Overall good performance and stability, at least for me.”
- “Performance-wise, it has improved a lot, which is a big plus.”
- “The game does have plenty of issues with bugs and a relatively high performance use, which the solo developer is actively working on, so I'd wait for now unless you have already been waiting for this game to release for months.”
- “Runs well on my mediocre PC, although some optimization is still needed.”
- “It does need work and some performance improvements (i7 13700, 32GB, RTX 4070).”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
The story is praised for its charming yet grimdark tone, showcasing impressive worldbuilding and lore. However, players should not expect a fully fleshed-out gameplay experience, clear narrative structure, or tutorials at this stage, suggesting that the game may benefit from further development before it meets those expectations.
- “It's delightfully charming in its own grimdark way, with the potential for worldbuilding, story, and lore being through the roof.”
- “If you want a more action-oriented or story-guided experience, wishlist this game and wait for the dev to develop it further.”
- “Not to expect: fleshed out gameplay, trading (not implemented yet as of now), gameplay balance, clear story or a clear 'campaign', clear tutorials.”
- “If you want some more clear action or a more 'story guided' experience, wishlist this game and wait for the dev to develop this game further.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charm and visual appeal, making it enjoyable even for those who may not be fans of sailing. However, some players feel that the lack of guidance and the unpredictable wind mechanics detract from the overall experience, suggesting that while the atmosphere is strong, technical issues can undermine the fun.
- “If you like the look of this game, I implore you to get it. Even if sailing isn't exactly your thing, I still would recommend it for the atmosphere and charm alone.”
- “Tldr: great concept and atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere in this game is captivating and immersive, drawing you into its world.”
- “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth that would make the world feel alive.”
- “Despite the beautiful graphics, the atmosphere is surprisingly dull and fails to engage the player.”
- “The game tries to create a sense of immersion, but the atmosphere is so lifeless that it falls flat.”