A new open-world pirate survival game, Windrose, is rapidly climbing the Steam charts after releasing its first demo, earning impressive user reviews. The game has long been on the radar of pirate game fans and had a successful playtest on Steam in 2025. But with the free demo now available, thousands of players are trying it for the first time, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Developed by Windrose Crew, Windrose was originally called Crosswind before adopting its current name in November 2025. Despite its massive popularity on Steam, this is the studio’s first release on the platform, and the team behind it is reportedly quite small.
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Windrose’s Demo on Steam Is Exploding in Popularity
Released on February 17, the free demo for Windrose offers four to six hours of gameplay, including early-game quests and three explorable islands. Despite covering only a small portion of the full game, the demo has already attracted nearly 17,000 concurrent players on Steam, and that number continues to climb rapidly. SteamDB data shows Windrose has been wishlisted by thousands of players, placing it among the top 30 anticipated Steam titles. It is also becoming one of the most popular pirate games, with some even calling it the game that Skull and Bones should have been.
In Windrose, players step into the role of a rising pirate aiming to become an infamous sailor in an alternate-history Age of Piracy. As an open-world survival game, it features familiar mechanics of the genre like base-building and procedural generation, along with side activities such as farming and fishing. Combat includes light Soulslike elements, with stamina-based attacks, parries, and dodge rolls playing a key role in defeating enemies.
Windrose‘s gameplay includes supernatural elements, featuring monstrous creatures and zombie-like enemies.
Steam Reviews Show 93% Player Satisfaction
A common comment about Windrose is that it’s “the pirate game fans have been waiting for.” Many players say that, despite being an indie title, Windrose outshines major names in the genre like Skull and Bones and Sea of Thieves. And part of its appeal, according to fans, comes from the combination of detailed base-building and an enjoyable seafaring experience.
The demo has already received over 1,000 reviews on Steam, with 93% of players recommending it at the time of writing. One user praised the gameplay, writing, “We’ve needed a new pirate game for a while now. I was expecting a game like Sea of Thieves, but this is already turning out to be something far greater.” Another added, “The building system is intuitive, simple, and very extensive. It is certainly the best one I’ve experienced so far in a non-voxel survival game.”
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Playing the Windrose demo unlocks an exclusive spyglass that carries over to the upcoming Early Access version. However, any progress made during the demo will not transfer, and co-op sessions in this build are player-hosted.
Windrose Features at a Glance
- Exploration: Roam freely across a vast open-world map featuring expansive seas and numerous islands
- Soulslite combat: Battle rival pirates and hostile creatures in PvE encounters with mechanics loosely inspired by the Souls series
- Customizable ships: Modify different aspects of any ship, turning it into a massive weapon of destruction or a fast, nimble vessel
- Base-building: Claim a piece of land and construct a complex pirate fort
- Co-op multiplayer: Team up with up to three friends to complete quests and explore the world or build bases together
Windrose Release Date
Developer Windrose Crew has not announced an exact release date for its pirate survival game. However, the team plans to launch Windrose in Steam Early Access in 2026. This is, of course, subject to change, and fans should keep an eye on the developer’s official announcements for updates on the release date.
