Of all the indie games available for players to demo during Steam’s most recent Next Fest, none made so much of a splash as Windrose. This multiplayer adventure game came recommended on practically every forum on the internet, but what exactly made it so popular?
Short answer, gamers yearn for the pirate life and Windrose delivers equal measures of land and sea to fulfill that desire. Where past pirate-themed games have failed (looking at you, ‘AAAA’ title Skull and Bones), Windrose has so far earned itself over a million wishlists through its demo and strong word of mouth.
Windrose’s story and gameplay, explained
Set in an alternate universe Golden Age of Piracy (historically from around 1650 to 1730), Windrose allows players to take charge of their very own pirate adventure. Of course, any grand tale must have humble beginnings, so players will need to grind through their fair share of resource gathering – as is tradition in any survival game – to build their very first sea worthy vessel.
After that, they can set sail to explore distant shores, gather crewmates, find buried treasure, and take on Blackbeard’s fleet in battle, the very same infamous pirate that left players stranded on their little island in the first place. Fellow pirates aren’t the only combatants players can face, as other enemies include dodo birds (help contribute to their extinction!) and Drowned (essentially also other pirates, but zombies).
Along the way, players can build their very own fort to serve as the base of their operations, which also allows them to recruit NPCs to work on harvesting crops and producing resources.
The main draw of Windrose is the combat, on both land and sea. Players can use a huge range of weapons, including (but not limited to) blades like sabers, rapiers, halberds, and greatswords as well as guns like pistols and muskets to engage in one on one combat, or utilize their ship’s cannons to fire on their enemies.
Ships are customizable, so players can build their ship around their preferred playstyle, whether that means a hulking brute to rain hell or a faster, smaller ship for more precision attacks.
Is Windrose multiplayer?
Windrose can be played both solo or in an online multiplayer with up to four players. Thankfully, characters aren’t limited to a single save, as the devs at Windrose Crew explained on the game’s Steam page, “if you prefer just one character, the progress is carried over between different worlds”.
Windrose release date: When is it coming out?
As of the end of Steam’s Feb. Next Fest, Windrose does not have a set release date. The developers have stated their intentions to confirm a date in the near future, which means players eager to dive into their very own pirate world will just have to be patient for a while longer.
Hopefully the developers can get Windrose out sooner than later, as the game has been wishlisted over a million times on Steam. Excitement levels are high following Next Fest, but it seems the developers want to live up to the hype.
In a post celebrating the wishlist milestone, the Windrose Crew team wrote, “as the spotlight grows, so do expectations. We’re working hard every day to live up to them. There’s still a lot ahead of us, and honestly, it can feel a little scary at times. Our biggest goal is to ship a great game and let you be the judge”.
With such a strong demo and an ever-growing fanbase, Windrose is certainly a game to keep an eye on (if it’s not already covered by an eyepatch).
