What is Windrose? Pirate survival game explodes with 1M Steam wishlists

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Windrose is generating a lot of excitement on Steam, with over a million players adding it to their wishlists – even though it doesn’t have a confirmed release date or a timeframe for when it will be available. What’s all the buzz about?

Sometimes, games unexpectedly become incredibly popular. We’ve seen this happen many times with indie projects like Content Warning and PEAK, which quickly gained a large following. Usually, this surge in popularity happens after a game has been officially released, even if it’s still in early development.

Windrose is proving to be incredibly popular even before it’s officially launched. It’s already received over a million wishlists on Steam, and all based on a playable demo!

Wondering what’s behind the sudden popularity of this pirate game? Here’s a look at Windrose and how its creators are responding to the amazing feedback they’ve been receiving.

Windrose is a new PvE survival game with a swashbuckling twist

Windrose is an upcoming survival game from a new team of developers. It combines elements from a number of popular games and genres as it seamlessly merges land and sea combat.

One moment you might be caught in a thrilling naval battle, and the next, you’re fighting hand-to-hand with swords and pistols on land. You can explore the vast ocean by yourself or team up with up to three other players online.

You can personalize everything from your character and spaceship to your base of operations. Recruit helpful characters to expand your settlement, and then build and craft improvements to areas, upgrade your gear, and more.

The really interesting part is that the game’s environments, or biomes, are created randomly, similar to how Minecraft works. This means every time you start a new game and sail the seas, you’ll encounter something different – you can’t predict what you’ll find!

As a fan, I’m really excited about the dungeons and quests! They’re clearly made with a lot of care, and what’s cool is that every time I start a new game, the journey across the world feels totally different. It’s not just the same path over and over – you really explore!

The game initially started as ‘Crosswind’ and was different from what it is now. It used to focus mainly on fighting computer-controlled enemies, but the updated version – now with a new name – puts a lot more focus on surviving by crafting items and managing resources.

Windrose devs react to hitting 1M wishlists on Steam

It’s currently unknown when the complete version of Windrose will be released. The game was first announced in March 2025, and as of now, the developers haven’t set a date for even the Early Access version, let alone the full launch.

Even so, the game’s demo has been incredibly popular, drawing in hundreds of thousands of players. It’s also received over a million wishlists – a remarkable achievement for an independent game.

“This past week has been a real whirlwind,” devs said in a February 23 blog post on Steam. “As the spotlight grows, so do expectations. We’re working hard every day to live up to them.”

The team emphasized that their main focus is delivering a fantastic game, and they asked new fans for their patience, as this process will take time.

You can now try out a demo version of the game, and it includes plenty of content to keep you entertained! Plus, if you play the demo, you’ll unlock a special decoration for your base when the full game launches in Early Access.

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2026-02-24 09:19