The new pirate game Windrose entert Steam with almost 100,000 players setting sail. With a mix of story, sandbox gameplay, and the sense of freedom that one wants as a real pirate, it has received numerous positive reviews. MeinMMO editor and recreational freebooter Benedict Grothaus took a look at where the excitement comes from – and found it hard to tear himself away.
Aye, landlubbers ahoy! Windrose is here and has me completely in its polished hook’s grip. Set the sails and… okay, okay. I’ll stop with these silly puns. At least most of the time. (Yarr!)
But seriously, I tried the sandbox game in early 2026 during the demo, at least until I couldn’t connect to my friends’ server anymore. Accordingly, I have been looking forward to the release of Windrose, which attracted over 47,000 players on Steam – even nearly 100,000 a day later (according to SteamDB).
Here on MeinMMO, I’m probably better known for representing Vikings, survival, and Warhammer. However, pirates are one of my greatest areas of interest, historically as well. One of the reasons why Skull & Bones disappointed me back then, but I don’t want to hammer on that further.
There are only a few games, especially newer ones, that effectively capture the pirate feeling. Windrose is one such game and even persuaded me to play a bit longer than I should have…
My captain – uh – editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski wanted a preview report, and editor-in-chief Lydia has already insisted that I finally start writing. Sure, I could have finished faster, but after I finally got my ship, I didn’t want to leave just yet.
Enough luck – tricky start where experience helps
The start takes a while, even though it’s well done. There’s a story that you follow through quests and NPCs, which is outlined impressively right at the beginning with a comic intro.
What follows is classic sandbox gameplay:
- Collect wood and stones for shelter.
- Craft tools, weapons, and equipment.
- Find new materials, namely copper, to upgrade yourself.
- Explore the world and go here and there to discover more.
Of course, this also includes fighting against the enemies roaming the island – mainly wild boars. They are among the most dangerous foes (as one knows since Gothic), but they are important for progress due to their hides.
A bit of Dark Souls, a bit of Black Flag, and a lot of Enshrouded
Here, Windrose already shows one of its many strengths: the combat system. Various weapons are available with different combat styles and stat scaling.
Sounds like Dark Souls? It plays similarly, but of course in the light version. Still, anyone who can fight, parry, dodge, and read enemy movesets well in Soulslikes has an advantage in Windrose, but you can manage without. Especially cool for pirate fans like me: the flintlock pistols feel just as hefty as they should. Perfect combined with the saber!
Building and survival, on the other hand, are a fairly direct mix of Valheim and Enshrouded. New recipes are unlocked by picking up new resources. An upgraded (and prettier) base gives stronger buffs, just like food, which becomes essential at the latest in fights against pirate camps.
But now I finally want to talk about the feature that made me fib to my boss: seafaring!
Drink up me hearties, yo ho!
Raise anchor and set sail into the wind, we are going on a plundering voyage! Well, almost. Early on, I get a tiny boat that I must steer painfully slowly to other islands. And honestly: the thing feels so unsteady that even as a seasoned pirate, my stomach is struggling. Every small wave serves as a ramp for a monster stunt.
After approximately three hours and some story quests, I am finally led to my first ship, a proud ketch! This is the moment I definitely wanted to reach before writing this text – and it was worth it because the sailing feels like exactly what I want in a pirate game: freedom.
As captain, I stand at the helm and give my sailors orders. Set the sails for more speed, reef to turn, and of course sing shanties to keep from getting bored during the journey. It was these shanties, by the way, that I wanted to enjoy a bit before finally complying with my bosses’ request.
This little disobedience can certainly be reconciled with the pirate code… after all, I have refused an order before. That was not mutiny, I swear!
Sailing in Windrose feels almost exactly like back in Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag. Anyone who spent many hours at sea back then, like me, can easily steer their ketch through any strait in Windrose.
Windrose has such a good start that I don’t want to continue playing
The pirate game has already fascinated me so much in the first hours that I actually didn’t want to stop. And that’s exactly its problem. Because Windrose is still in early access and accordingly unfinished.
When it comes to ships alone, the selection is “there,” but still quite small:
- There are three ship types, the ketch, a brigantine, and a frigate.
- For each ship type, there are three variants with different stats.
- Iconic ship types like the galleon are still missing – whether and when they will come is still unknown.
I am a bit afraid that I will finish the content of Windrose too quickly and then sit in front of my Steam library with an empty feeling, wondering what I should do now.
Still, I feel the pull to the sea again… and that’s why I will play a bit more. At least a few of Blackbeard’s ships I want to send to the seabed with my ketch (or later my frigate)!
Playing Windrose has made me wish to experience a bit more of that feeling of freedom that pirate games and movies embody. Maybe I need to rewatch Black Sails; after all, I bought the series on Blu-ray: The best pirate series is not available for free on any major streaming service – with a small exception
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