The sailing genre of gameshas come into its own with live service games, genre-defining simulators, and more. With so much variety, video games now cater to various groups of sailing fanatics who love voyaging the seven seas in their spare time. Open-world sailing games are especially popular, with sailing fans enjoying the vast openness of the seas from the comfort of their homes.
While sailing games have been around for some time, it has not been until recently that sailing video games have become popular as a leisurely pastime. Many of the best open-world games have included sailing mechanics as their core gameplay. Here are some of the best titles that feature open-world mechanics for nautical exploration.
TheLegend of Zelda: The Wind Wakeris a classicLegend of Zeldagame known for its cartoonish sea-faring gameplay. Following a young Link, hundreds of years after the events ofOcarina of Time,Wind Wakerhad players explore the Great Sea in pursuit of the evil Ganondorf.
After a few hours of restricted linear gameplay, the world opens up, allowing players to visit 49 islands across the game’s vast oceanic open world and discover lost treasure through the grappling hook. The King of Red Lions, the ship Link uses to traverse the Great Sea, is unique in that it can talk. Though it lacks the depth of other titles on this list,Wind Wakeris a superb sailing game in its own righ.
5Sailaway: The Sailing Simulator
The Most Authentic Sailing Experience
More of a full-blown simulator than a game,Sailway: The Sailing Simulatoris a unique open-world sailing experience with a mission to teach enthusiasts how to sail. Of all the games on this list,Sailwayis the most authentic sailing experience.
Featuring an individual open world that simulates the globe’s oceans with the utmost accuracy,Sailwayis a voyager’s dream with in-depth mechanics and features for racing against others in real-time. Players can also assemble a crew to race. The simulator has around 500,000 buoys and navigational elements to direct players across the world’s oceans.Sailway: The Sailing Simulatoris the most faithful sailing game on the market, targeted toward a niche audience of hardcore enthusiasts.
Sea of Thievesis a live-service, open-world sailing game that captured the hearts of gamers when it launched exclusively on Xbox consoles in 2020.Sea of Thievestook a while to find its sea legs due to initially lackluster content, but has since found its stride.
Approaching its 13th season,Sea of Thievesis anexcellent pirate sailing gamethat players can enjoy with friends in online multiplayer. Whether fighting the Kraken withSea of Thieves' best weapons, drinking from the local tavern, or laughing as a friend shoots himself out a cannon, the title is a blast and one of the sailing genre’s best live service games.
Announced in 2017 and released in February 2024 after a tumultuous development,Skull and Boneswas the spiritual successor to the beloved sailing gameplay ofAssassin’s Creed: Black Flag. Despite a rocky start,Skull and Bonesis a great open-world sailing game with extensive ship andcharacter customizationthat is currently unrivaled in the sailing genre. It’s a live-service game with breathtaking graphics and heart-pounding gameplay.
Although one of the most graphically inspiring titles on this list with gameplay to match, some players feel thatSkull and Boneslacks variety, and that sticking to one-lane ship combat becomes tedious. Still,Skull and Bonesmakes up for it with its mechanics, which include building a smuggling empire andhunting hostile wildlife.
The Best Pirate Sailing Game
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
The year is 1715. Pirates rule the Caribbean and have established their own lawless Republic where corruption, greediness and cruelty are commonplace.Among these outlaws is a brash young captain named Edward Kenway. His fight for glory has earned him the respect of legends like Blackbeard, but also drawn him into the ancient war between Assassins and Templars, a war that may destroy everything the pirates have built.Become Edward Kenway, a charismatic yet brutal pirate captain, trained by Assassins. Edward can effortlessly switch between the Hidden Blade of the Assassin’s Order and all new weaponry, including four flintlock pistols and dual cutlass swords.Discover the largest and most diverse Assassin’s Creed world ever created. From Kingston to Nassau, explore over 75 unique locations where you can live the life of a pirate.
One of the best andlongestAssassin’s CreedGames,Black Flag, expanded on previous titles to introduce improved sailing mechanics. Manning the notorious Jackdaw ship,Black Flag, players traverse the seas of the West Indies as the famed pirate and assassin Edward Kenway.
In this swashbuckling adventure with excellent sailing mechanics, players can shoot cannons, board enemy ships, and pillage vessels in the name of a pirate’s life.Black Flagis one of the best open-world sailing games, featuring numerous islands to explore, treasures to find, and classic sea shanties to get players in the pirate mood. Itis anoutstanding sailing gamethat has something for everyone.
Setting Sail for Strategic Brilliance in Open-World Sailing Mastery
Sid Meier’s Pirates!
Sail the Caribbean, marauding all on the high seas or ally your ship and crew as a privateer in search of riches - the life you choose is up to you. Face dogged enemies, raid unsuspecting villages, woo fair maidens, avoid capture or dig for buried treasure. Discover what it takes to become one of the most famous pirates in history!
Sid Meier’s Pirates (2004)holds a fond place in the hearts of gamers. A remake of the 1987Sid Meier’s Pirates, the title overhauled the original game with updated realistic 3D graphics, new mini-games, and improved combat. The remake was released on numerous consoles and on handheld devices such as the Apple iPad. The title is theking of pirate games, featuring superb naval battles and exploration across the game’s Caribbean islands.
The features inSid Meier’s Pirates are endless, with the ability to marry and engage in 1-1 combat, adding to immersion. At its heart,Sid Meier’s Piratesis a strategy game with character, enabling players to engage in strategic battles at sea and on land.Sid Meier’s Piratesis the complete package of open-world storytelling, sailing, strategy, and gameplay.
