Windrose

Windrose

Early access since Apr 2026

Embark on a PvE survival adventure in the Age of Piracy. Fight on land and sea, solo or with friends. Build, craft and explore vast open world filled with dark secrets. Master soulslite combat and take on challenging bosses, command your ship and plunder unspoken treasures!

86% positive · 53K reviews
Not yet
In early access, content still planned
High confidence
Content Planned
Not yet
In early access, content still planned
High confidence
Content Planned

Where to buy

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Evaluation

Windrose launched into Early Access on April 14, 2026, and the developer (Kraken Express) has been actively communicating and releasing updates ever since. Following launch, the studio shipped a steady stream of patches addressing connectivity, save system reliability, performance, and quality-of-life improvements throughout April, May, and June 2026. On May 14, 2026, the studio announced reaching 2,000,000 copies sold and confirmed they would begin full production on the next major update after wrapping post-launch fixes. True to that promise, on July 1, 2026 they published a detailed development blog introducing "Ashlands" — the first planned major content update. Ashlands is described as a complete new biome shaped by volcanic history, with expanded main story and side quests, new factions, enemies, armor sets, weapons, ship classes, building pieces, and a new boss. The developer acknowledged that longer-term plans beyond Ashlands are still being shaped, and that the exact scope of the update may evolve during development. The most recent developer communication was a bug fix patch on July 8, 2026, confirming the studio remains actively engaged. The game is clearly in the middle of an ongoing Early Access development journey, with a named, content-rich major update confirmed to be in active development and a 1.0 release as the long-term goal.
Evidence
Developer published 'Ashlands' devblog detailing the first major content update: a new volcanic biome, expanded story and quests, new factions, enemies, armor, weapons, additional ship classes, and building expansions. Active development confirmed, no release window given yet.
news post · Jul 1, 2026 source content planned
high
Studio announced 2,000,000 copies sold and stated they would begin full production on the next major update after addressing remaining post-launch issues. Framed the milestone as 'a new beginning' for continued development.
news post · May 14, 2026 source content planned
high

Content

1 of 1 released · no outstanding content

Media

Details

Developer
Publisher
Kraken Express
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows
Controller
full support
Steam Deck
Playable
Players
Single-player · Multiplayer · Co-op

About this game

Windrose is a survival adventure set in an alternative Age of Piracy. It features the classic “build, craft, survive” formula along with intense combat and engaging exploration on land and sea.

Progress through vast procedurally generated biomes filled with hidden mysteries, hand-crafted dungeons and quests. Gather your crew and captain your ship through brutal naval combat with boarding actions and seamless transitions between ship and shore.

Defeat challenging bosses on your swashbuckling adventure driven by real-world characters and supernatural forces alike.

Every legend begins with a reckless crossing.

You are a captain who dares to challenge Blackbeard. What begins as a grounded story of survival and revenge draws you into a growing conflict between empires, pirate clans, and mysterious dark powers looming on the horizon. Windrose is steeped in the allure of the Age of Piracy.

Answer the call of the seas and move seamlessly between ship and shore. Naval combat is shaped by your decisions, whether you’re trading cannon fire at range or closing in for fierce boarding actions. Equip and customize your ship to suit your playstyle, from nimble ketch to versatile brig and monstrous frigate. And when the cannons go silent, claim your spoils and share a sea shanty with your crew as you sail onward.

Establish a foothold in vibrant, diverse biomes, gather resources, and build to your own taste, from simple shelters to elaborate mansions and fully developed forts. Recruit NPCs and grow your settlement to speed up harvesting and production.

This world belongs to the brave and the curious, so venture into the uncharted lands. Over 100 hand-crafted dungeons and points of interest contain endless secrets and treasures, though such rewards rarely come without risk. Trade with different factions to gain the edge you’ll need.

Hack, slash, batter, and shoot your way forward! Master a wide arsenal of melee weapons and firearms. Parry and dodge enemy attacks, chain different strikes, and keep an eye out for new gear, including sabers, rapiers, halberds, greatswords, pistols, muskets, and more.

Shape your combat style through talents and flexible loadouts with unique armor sets. Use food and potions to gain powerful buffs. Test your skills against a wide range of enemies and challenging bosses, defeat them, and claim their treasures.

Windrose is fully playable solo offline or in co-op with friends, supporting up to 8 players, with both self-hosted and dedicated servers available. Procedural generation will make each journey stand out. Please note: due to performance, especially in the late game, we recommend to play in the party up to 4 players for the optimal experience.

Last evaluated Aug 17, 2026
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