Sailaway III

About

Sailaway III is a multiplayer racing game. It was developed by Orbcreation BV and was released on November 1, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

The most realistic sailing simulation game available. On a global scale, in real weather, ready to be explored. Made by a sailor, helped by the joined effort of sailors from all over the world. ----- Sailaway comes with 2 basic boats (a 38' cruiser and the small Nordic Folkboat). The rest of the boats are made by other sailors like you and are sold separately by them. This also applies to most…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+10

Skip User Reviews

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 69 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

Sailaway III offers a realistic sailing experience with real-time weather and a global ocean model, making it a great tool for learning sailing skills.
The graphics and physics are impressive, providing an immersive environment that enhances the sailing simulation.
The developer is a one-man team who has shown dedication to improving the game, and the community is active and supportive.

The user interface and controls are clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult for players to navigate and perform basic tasks.
Many features, including additional boats and instruments, are locked behind a paywall requiring in-game currency, which frustrates players.
The game is plagued by bugs and performance issues, leading to a frustrating experience for many users.

graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The graphics in the game show notable improvements, particularly in ocean and sky visuals, but still exhibit indie qualities, especially when viewed up close. While the water graphics and wave simulation are praised, many users feel that the overall environment appears underdeveloped, resembling a mobile game. Additionally, there are reports of glitches and optimization issues that detract from the visual experience.
- “The graphics are sharp.”
- “The good points...default boat is great, graphics quite good.”
- “Full world in real scale, online, real weather, real time, excellent graphics and physics.”
- “The game world is fairly bare, and aside from the water graphics and wave simulation, everything looks like a port from a mobile game.”
- “Graphics improved, but it is 2025...”
- “Unfortunately unfinished and lots of glitches playwise, graphicswise, etcwise.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some users noting minor bugs and improvements since previous versions, while others highlight significant issues such as visual glitches and gameplay bugs. Overall, many agree that while the game shows potential, it still feels unfinished and requires substantial updates to enhance stability.
- “Not recommended because of a very buggy and bad webpage, and you can't get bubbles for extra ships.”
- “It is still very buggy, though much improved over v1.18.”
- “Unfortunately unfinished with lots of glitches in gameplay, graphics, etc.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Overall, the game's optimization is criticized for poor performance on certain hardware, particularly on M4 Macs where users report extremely low frame rates. While some aspects, like physics and graphics, show potential for improvement, significant issues remain, including disappearing sails and lack of essential map tools, indicating that further optimization is necessary for a smoother experience.
- “It's downright incredible and the ability to set up the autopilot and sail whilst offline (according to your previous performance!) feels a lot like hunkering down for some kip and doing watches when on a real voyage.”
- “Graphics are improved yet appear to need optimization (61fps on a 4090 for me).”
- “Performance on M4 Mac is horrible - I get like 20 FPS at best.”
- “Physics appears to be fine most of the time, but with these controls and performance, the sim is just unplayable for me.”
- “Graphics are improved yet appear to need optimization (61 FPS on a 4090 for me).”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has received criticism for its reliance on microtransactions, particularly for acquiring new boats, which some players feel detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, concerns about the game's longevity and player engagement have been raised, suggesting that it may struggle to maintain an active community.
- “I like this game, but there are a few problems: a) it just released and seems pretty dead, b) you need microtransactions to get new boats, which isn't the best in my opinion.”
- “Microtransactions are everywhere and feel intrusive.”
- “The game is heavily focused on microtransactions, making it hard to enjoy without spending money.”
- “It feels like you can't progress without paying for microtransactions.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Gameplay in Sailaway III is criticized for its chaotic and unintuitive mechanics, which detract from the developers' vision and lead to a tedious experience. Despite its potential as a top sailing simulator, poor design choices and a perceived greedy business model hinder its overall enjoyment.
- “The devs clearly have a vision for what they want, but the mechanics implemented to materialize this vision are chaotic, unintuitive, and incompetent.”
- “In conclusion, Sailaway III had tremendous potential to be one of the greatest sailing sims on the market, but due to incompetent design that causes tedious gameplay and a greedy business model, the user is left in the dust.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users criticize "Sailaway III" for its tedious grinding mechanics, which detract from its potential as a top sailing simulator. The game's design and perceived greedy business model contribute to a frustrating experience, leaving players feeling unsatisfied.
- “In conclusion, Sailaway III had tremendous potential to be one of the greatest sailing sims on the market, but due to incompetent design that causes tedious gameplay and a greedy business model, the user is left in the dust.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story aspect of the game is generally considered lacking, with users indicating that it does not deliver a compelling narrative or engaging action.