New Pirate Survival Game Might Be the Game Skull and Bones Wanted to Be

When Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillmot described Skull and Bones as the first “AAAA” game, audiences were right to be a bit skeptical. In the end, Skull and Bones wound up feeling a bit like a stripped-back Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, in the sense that it had some strong naval combat and decent visuals, but not enough depth to support enduring, engaging gameplay or storytelling. Fortunately, an upcoming indie by the name of Windrose could serve pirate fans what they’ve been starving for.

It’s a shame, really, since there’s clearly a lot of demand for more pirate-themed video games. Sea of Thieves proved that a swashbuckling nautical theme can hit hard when placed against a PvP backdrop, and the aforementioned Assassin’s Creed 4 is regularly touted as the best of the series. And yet, it seems like AAA developers have been bearish about the pirate theme, even favoring other, more oversaturated ideas like Norse and Greek mythology; after Skull and Bones failed to make a significant impact, it’s unlikely that big developers are going to be interested in taking a risk with a pirate adventure anymore. But that might not be the end of the world, as Windrose has a lot of potential and is a game Steam users should be watching closely.

Windrose Looks Primed to Offer the Pirate Fantasy that Skull and Bones Never Could

The myth of the privateer (while perhaps not entirely aligned with history) is one of freedom and independence. In an age defined by colonialism and European aristocracy, pirates offer a powerful alternative: they are mavericks, ready to kill and die for their way of life, eschewing the comforts of civilized society for the thrills of the high seas. In other words, pirates are the perfect inspiration for video game protagonists.

This is something that Windrose hopes to capture; the game purports to be a robust pirate fantasy set in an alternate version of the Golden Age of Piracy. Players will still be roaming the ocean and exploring tropical locales, though these will be filled with all manner of supernatural beings, including Pirates of the Caribbean-style pirate zombies and vicious, man-eating plants. The juxtaposition between the grounded, historical depiction of pirates and these more fantastical elements helps make Windrose feel like an expressionist rendition of the oft-fabled pirate lifestyle.

Windrose‘s gameplay reflects this alt-history premise and tone. Players can captain a number of different ships, from frigates to galleons, as they engage in naval warfare: this includes ship-to-ship fights as well as assaults on coastal bases. While on foot, they’ll wield a number of thematically appropriate weapons, such as dueling pistols and cutlasses. All of this is to say that Windrose leans heavily into its pirate premise, which informs its broader gameplay as well as its visual style and tone.

Valheim-Style Crafting and Survival Are Paramount to Windrose’s Gameplay Loop

What separates Windrose from other popular pirate games is its survival-RPG gameplay: you’ll be tasked with crafting various structures, cooking meals, and managing resources in order to survive and thrive. Much like in a game in Valheim, these survival mechanics scale over time: you can go from a shoddy stone hut on the beach to a multi-story naval base, given enough time, effort, and resources. In this way, Windrose is as much about creativity and strategy as nail-biting action and adventure.

It will be interesting to see how Windblown‘s crafting and survival systems inform its light RPG elements: there is certainly a degree of role-playing involved in the process of building bases and crafting ever more powerful gear. This focus on consistent growth and improvement will be reflected in the game’s combat systems, which take more than a few notes from the souls genre.

Windrose Will Feature Souls Combat (Kind Of)

Windrose‘s developers have described its combat as “soulslite,” meaning that it features staples of the souls genre, but isn’t as traditionally soulslike as something like Lies of P. The game will feature melee combat with of-the-era weaponry, with ranged attacks being available as well. However, these ranged weapons appear to be supplements to the main melee combat loop, rather than primary tools or the basis of an alternative playstyle (but anything’s possible!). Windrose‘s parallels to the souls style of combat include the following:

• Stamina-based melee combat
• Parries
• Dodge rolls
• Small groups of enemies rather than large hordes
• Slow, commitment-focused player attacks

Based on what’s been shown of Windrose‘s combat encounters, it appears to be mostly grounded but with injections of fantasy elements here and there. There are the aforementioned monstrous enemies, but players will also be able to apply elemental effects to their weapons for an extra edge. As more information about Windrose is revealed, its combat sandbox will hopefully become a bit clearer.

When Is Windrose Coming Out?

• Windrose release date: TBD 2026 (early access)
• Windrose platforms at launch: Windows/Steam

It certainly looks promising, especially considering its oft-overlooked pirate premise, but Windrose still has a good bit to prove. That said, it was nominated for Most Wanted Game at the 2025 PC Gaming Show, and continues to pick up traction online, so there’s definitely a sense of optimism about the project. Here’s hoping Windrose can make a name for itself when it launches in early access, whenever that may be.