Sailwind

About

"Sailwind" is a single-player, open-world sailing simulation game with survival elements and a good plot. Realistic sailing physics, six customizable boats, and a vast world to explore with missions, fishing, and navigation using instruments, the sun, and stars are featured. However, the game can be very grinding and has several bugs.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,448 reviews

gameplay174 positive mentions

stability90 negative mentions

The sailing mechanics are realistic and immersive, providing a true sense of adventure on the open sea.
The game offers a unique experience of navigating using traditional tools, enhancing the feeling of being lost at sea.
The atmosphere is calming and relaxing, making it a great game to play while listening to music or podcasts.

The game can be slow-paced, with long travel times between islands that may lead to boredom for some players.
There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with ship physics and inventory management.
The survival mechanics, such as the need for food and water, can feel tedious and detract from the overall sailing experience.

gameplay
550 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
64%
5%
The gameplay in Sailwind is characterized by its realistic sailing mechanics and a simple yet satisfying core loop of trading and navigation. While the game offers a relaxing experience with a focus on exploration and survival, some players find the mechanics frustrating due to their complexity and the slow pace of travel between islands. Overall, the game is praised for its immersive sailing simulation, though it still requires further development and polish to enhance the overall experience.
- “Sailing mechanics are still mostly kept fairly simple enough to be a fun gaming experience, but the navigation part allows you to be quite advanced if you want to.”
- “Sailwind's core gameplay loop is super simple but satisfying.”
- “The sailing mechanics are spot on and the apprehension when a storm is approaching is great.”
- “But beware, this is sure a very 'niche' game; most players might think that the gameplay is boring, as the main goal is to travel back and forth slowly between islands to get trading done.”
- “The sailing mechanics of this game are terrible; having sailed for years in many different types of boats, I have never had as painful of a time in controlling any boat I have ever sailed.”
- “All of this on top of a very boring 'set the sails and wait an hour' gameplay style to get to even the closest island.”
story
284 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
87%
4%
The game currently lacks a structured story or overarching narrative, focusing instead on a sandbox experience where players engage in cargo delivery missions and trading. While the absence of a plot is noted as a drawback, many players appreciate the freedom to create their own stories through exploration and trade, likening it to a sailing simulator without traditional questing elements. The gameplay primarily revolves around completing missions for reputation and profit, with hopes for future content that could enhance the narrative experience.
- “Sailwind is a fun and relaxing early access indie game where you sail around, do delivery missions and trade with islands...”
- “You're a merchant in an age of sail, in a vaguely late-medieval world of three distinct cultures, taking missions for a trading company and trading merchandise for yourself too.”
- “A chill sailing simulator focused on creating your own story by navigating a ship exploring the seas and delivering of cargo.”
- “There is currently no story, and no endgame, but the world has a functioning trade economy and a coherent visual style, redolent of OG Myst or Outer Wilds.”
- “The game does not have a fixed goal, a story or even sophisticated missions.”
- “What the game at the moment does not have and maybe never will have, is a story, walking and talking NPCs and combat.”
graphics
204 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
5%
The graphics of the game are generally described as charming and simplistic, with a cartoonish aesthetic that complements its gameplay mechanics. While some players appreciate the beautiful water and sky visuals, others note that the graphics can be basic and occasionally glitchy, lacking in detail and realism. Overall, the visuals are considered functional and appealing, enhancing the immersive sailing experience despite not being cutting-edge.
- “The sea and weather graphics are beautiful, the wind and current physics feel realistic, and the sky looks fantastic.”
- “Despite the simplicity of the graphics, the game ends up being really immersive because of the sailing physics and also things like storms, wave height/direction that correlates with wind strength/direction.”
- “Even if it doesn't have 4k, photorealistic graphics, Sailwind does a good job at keeping you immersed and seeing your ship sailing into the sunrise is always beautiful.”
- “The graphics are very poor and the gameplay is quite dull.”
- “Graphics - well the limitations of the Unity graphics engine do kind of show through.”
- “This is still very, very early access, with plenty of annoying bugs, missing features, a broken economy, rough graphics, and bland, lifeless towns.”
stability
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
2%
96%
The game is currently in early access and is described as being quite buggy, with various glitches affecting gameplay and physics. While most issues are minor and do not significantly hinder progress, players have noted that the experience can be frustrating due to these bugs. The development team is actively addressing these issues, but potential buyers should be aware of the game's incomplete state and the presence of glitches.
- “It is relaxing, and the updates are full and bug-free (for the most part); I have only seen 2 glitches.”
- “No glitches, but 1 crash.”
- “The gameplay is fun, but the physics glitches, the jank interface, and the myriad of other early-access issues turn it from a fun experience into a race between frustration and satisfaction.”
- “Game is too buggy, and updates are lackluster, along with being sparse.”
- “The groundwork for a great sailing simulator is here, but controls are too clunky and the game is too buggy to even be in early access, in my opinion.”
grinding
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
3%
94%
The grinding aspect of the game is frequently described as tedious and time-consuming, particularly in the early stages, where players feel the need to invest significant effort to unlock upgrades and resources. While some players find the grind relaxing and enjoyable, akin to games like farming simulators, others express frustration with the repetitive nature of tasks and the slow pace of progress. Overall, there is a consensus that while grinding is integral to the experience, adjustments could enhance enjoyment and reduce tedium.
- “It can be a bit grindy sometimes, but the rewards make it worth it.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding, but the sense of achievement is incredible.”
- “The grind for money to afford upgrades is rather tedious, but savegames can be modified for more money in case you'd like a shortcut to the better stuff.”
- “The game is very grindy and some trips can take hours (in real life).”
- “Get a few missions into the game, and I'm grinding my ass off for diminishing returns and scarfing fish at every port.”
music
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
69%
6%
The game lacks an original soundtrack, but players find it enjoyable to sail while listening to their own music or podcasts, creating a relaxing atmosphere. The ambient sounds of the ocean enhance the experience, making it ideal for multitasking or unwinding. Many users recommend pairing the gameplay with calming music for a cozy and immersive sailing experience.
- “It's such a vibe sailing around island archipelagos while listening to the soundtrack to Master and Commander in the background!”
- “It may be a little primitive for some people, but there's something incredibly cozy for me about putting on some chill music and taking a trip around the map.”
- “I turned off the lights in my room just to watch the night sky in-game, with my favorite music playlist on... it was a very soothing and relieving moment.”
- “It doesn't have music (just play your own in the background), but it's a wonderful game to get rid of your stress and just be on your way on the sea for a while.”
- “There is no music in the game, but it does feature a fairly good ocean and wind sound loop.”
- “Nothing... no music, nothing to do, fiddle with sail, hardly any wind, drink a cup of water, sleep in hammock... so slow.”
atmosphere
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
43%
10%
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its calming and immersive qualities, combining beautiful visuals and soothing sounds that create a relaxing sailing experience. Players appreciate the lack of dialogue, allowing them to enjoy the serene environment and engage in leisurely exploration without the stress of threats like sea monsters. Overall, the atmosphere is described as peaceful and enjoyable, making it a key reason for players to return to the game.
- “Both the look and sound create an atmosphere that is feasible and fun to enjoy for a long time.”
- “As someone who used to sail a lot between actual islands, I can vouch for the accurate atmosphere and mood of the game: long stretches of just watching the ocean and listening to the creaking of the rig, broken occasionally with bouts of hectic activity during storms or when docking.”
- “I could not play Subnautica at all, but the atmosphere in this game is so calming that I don't get any kind of heebie jeebies.”
- “I could not play Subnautica at all, and when I played Sea of Thieves with my friends, I would refuse to jump into the ocean because I hate the idea of being in deep water and being attacked by sharks or sea monsters. The atmosphere in this game is so calming (coupled with the fact that I know 100% there is nothing in the water that will get me) that I don't get any kind of heebie-jeebies.”
- “As someone who used to sail a lot between actual islands, I can vouch for the accurate atmosphere and mood of the game: long stretches of just watching the ocean and listening to the creaking of the rig, broken occasionally with bouts of hectic activity (during storms, or when docking). Extra kudos for the whole 'grabbing the ropes and doing a leap of faith toward the dock to fasten the boat!' bit of gameplay. That's so familiar.”
- “Spent 12 hours sailing across the ocean, threw on a podcast, and just got lost in the atmosphere of sailing.”
optimization
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
46%
13%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly within minimum specs and features appealing graphics, players note that it lacks realism in sailing mechanics and suffers from occasional bugs and performance issues. Some mechanics are simplified, and the game does not adequately teach players about sailing, leading to a learning curve. Overall, it shows promise for improvement, especially in FPS optimization and addressing rough spots.
- “The game stays well within the minimum required specs and runs smoothly.”
- “The sailing physics feel good, the navigation is challenging enough to feel like you've accomplished something after getting it right, and the game looks really good for a Unity game, with stylized graphics that look good without eating too much performance and disc space.”
- “Also, the game is pretty well optimized considering its early access; most early access titles tend to run poorly.”
- “The game still has some rough spots though, with bugs and out of nowhere performance issues for seemingly no reason at all.”
- “More FPS optimization would be nice.”
- “Maybe when the game is more optimized it will run better.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its amusing bugs and the absurdity of sailing mechanics, leading to hilarious moments like boats flipping in the air or scattering cargo across the sea. Players find the combination of genuine sailing simulation and comedic mishaps, such as crashing into docks and unexpected boat failures, to be entertaining and enjoyable. Overall, the game's lighthearted approach to sailing and its quirky glitches contribute to a fun and humorous experience.
- “In retrospect, I appreciate how absolutely hilarious it is that it took this long for humans to make an age of sail merchant ship simulator with genuine sailing mechanics.”
- “Oh yeah, it's buggy, but funny buggy... hit the dock 20 times at full speed and no problem, bump it lightly and... lol, yard sale at sea, everything from 12 hours of play on the big ship scattered all over the bay and the ship sunk.”
- “A couple of funny moments, I managed to fall out of my boat once by accident, and I believe at one point my boat did a flip in the air and landed back on the water.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to be an incredibly wholesome experience, evoking strong positive emotions even in its early access state. The emotional depth suggests a promising future as more content is added.
- “Whilst it's early access and presumably a lot will be added down the road, it is already an incredibly wholesome game to play!”