Best Open-World Sailing Games on PC
“Open-world sailing” can mean trade, exploration, pirate adventure, naval combat or a persistent MMO. This shortlist separates those experiences instead of treating every ship game as interchangeable.
Open-world sailing means different things in different games
Included titles put sailing or maritime travel in a broad navigable world on PC. The shortlist deliberately spans simulation, survival and shared-world adventure; it is not a claim that every game is a realistic sailing simulator.
| Game | World and sailing focus | Solo / group signal | Best fit—and caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sailwind | Open-world realistic sailing, navigation, cargo delivery and fishing. | Single-player. | For navigation and sailing as the main activity; not a pirate-combat game. |
| Ships At Sea | Open-world maritime work in Norway, including fishing, cargo and service vessels. | Single-player and co-op listed. | For a modern maritime career/simulation; Early Access and not Age-of-Sail piracy. |
| Salt 2 | Open-world pirate survival and exploration by ship. | Solo and co-op listed. | For crafting and island exploration; developer explicitly says naval combat is not included. |
| Windrose | Open-world pirate survival with ship and shore activities. | Solo or friends listed. | For survival progression and ship/land transitions; Early Access. |
| World of Sea Battle | Age-of-Sail open-world MMO with exploration, trade and naval combat. | Online shared world; group/guild activities are part of the offer. | For persistent-world systems; Early Access and not an offline solo experience. |
| Sea of Thieves | Shared-world pirate voyages and crew sailing. | Designed around crews; official Safer Seas option supports a private, lower-risk session. | For crew adventure and exploration; different from realistic navigation simulation. |
Quick filter
- Realistic sailing: Sailwind.
- Modern maritime work: Ships At Sea.
- Solo-friendly pirate exploration: Salt 2, with no naval combat, or Windrose’s survival format.
- Age-of-Sail online world: World of Sea Battle.
- Crew-led pirate voyages: Sea of Thieves.
Check each current listing for Early Access status, system requirements and multiplayer details. “Open world” does not by itself promise unrestricted sailing, no loading boundaries or realistic physics.
Sources checked September 30, 2026: Sailwind; Ships At Sea; Salt 2; Windrose; World of Sea Battle; Sea of Thieves and Safer Seas. Solo/co-op and feature availability are based on official listings and may change.