There are just about a gazillion games about ninjas, but shockingly far fewer about pirates. Swashbucklers deserve more attention if you ask me, and thankfully they seem to be getting it when it comes to the new survival game Windrose.
It’s managed to shift half a million copies in the first two days, according to publisher Pocketpair (via GamesRadar), and the initial Steam reviews ain’t lookin’ half bad, either. It’s sitting at an 87% Mostly Positive rating right now, and managing to snag just shy of 100,000 concurrent players within the first 24 hours. That’s a number that has a good chance of going even higher over the weekend. And even if it doesn’t, that’s a mighty respectable number to come swinging out of the gate with.
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Our very own Chris Livingston squeezed a dozen hours each out of the demo and an early access build. He had a great time with the ship-to-ship combat which has a “heavy Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag vibe to it,” adding that the amount of activities stuffed into its current early access build feels substantial enough for its $30 price tag. He’s also handily listed a whole bunch of stuff that is or isn’t included—and very helpfully noted that yes, there are sea shanties. Wicked.
Over 500,000 pirates have set sail for the Caribbean in just 48 hours! 🏴☠️ A massive thank you for the incredible support for Windrose.We wish you fair winds and following seas on your legendary journey.Enjoy the voyage!Check below for details. pic.twitter.com/PvYWyIPk9fApril 16, 2026
Wes Fenlon wasn’t quite as convinced after four hours, feeling like it lacked the pure chaotic shenanigans that come hand-in-hand with a pirate’s life—something he feels Sea of Thieves nails far better.
But hey, the Steam hivemind consensus right now seems to be that this game is a real good’un. From one review calling it a “pure delight” to another saying that “even in the early access it feels finished, especially if you compare with other early access games.”
I’m still to dive in myself (my backlog cries out to me, and I am trying my best to abate her right now), but I’m sure the draw of the ocean will pull me into Windrose before long. Though maybe I’ll wait until developer Kraken Express figures out who can put them in touch with a major ISP who’ll make the game’s connectivity a little less messy.
