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Windrose supports cooperative multiplayer for up to 4 players. The game is fully playable solo offline, and co-op is entirely optional. There is no PvP in the current design. The multiplayer system uses private, persistent worlds rather than shared public servers.

Mode | Description | Availability |
|---|---|---|
Solo offline | Play entirely alone with no internet required | Available now |
Self-hosted co-op | One player hosts a session, and up to three friends join via invite code | Available in the demo |
Dedicated servers | Persistent world that stays active when no players are online | Planned for Early Access launch |
Developer "Leo" confirmed on Steam: "When Early Access launches, the game will support dedicated servers." The Early Access launch is planned for 2026.

Three methods exist for joining co-op sessions:
Invite Code: The host selects "Host a Game," creates or selects a world, and receives a unique invite code. An optional password can be set. Friends go to Play > "Connect to Server" and enter the invite code (and password if set).
Steam Overlay Invite: The host presses Shift+Tab, finds the friend, right-clicks, and selects "Invite to Play." The friend accepts the Steam invite.
Recent List: Players can select recently played lobbies from the "Recent" list below the invite code input.
There is no public server browser. The system is invite-based.
Multiple hosting companies have prepared Windrose server hosting pages for when dedicated server software is released:
Provider | Coverage |
|---|---|
Survival Servers | 7 global datacenters, DDoS protection, full FTP access |
GG Host | United States, Brazil, South Africa, England, Germany, Thailand, Singapore, Australia |
G-Portal | From $1.80 / 3 days |
Nodecraft | Pro and Lite tiers |
4netplayers | From USD $7.11/month |
GTX Gaming | Listed |
Citadel Servers | Listed |
Most providers are preparing pages in advance. Dedicated server software has not yet been released publicly and is expected with the Early Access launch.
The Steam Next Fest demo experienced connectivity problems that the developers acknowledged:
Issue | Details |
|---|---|
Developer "Jack Vondragon" posted: "We are currently experiencing connectivity issues. Some players may encounter disconnects and other problems when attempting to play in co-op." | |
Symptoms included: game loading briefly then returning to main menu, "Error occurred" messages, inability to join friends regardless of who hosts | |
Singleplayer worked fine while multiplayer kicked players back to menu |
Identified workarounds:
DNS blocking: The game connects to a "windrose.support" domain. NextDNS and other DNS filtering services blocked this domain. Allowing it or switching to Google DNS (8.8.8.8) fixed the issue for many players.
Firewall: Temporarily disabling firewalls to prompt Windows to request network access, then re-enabling
Password: Both invite code AND password (if set) are needed to join
Tutorial first: Some reports suggest completing the tutorial in offline mode before attempting multiplayer
NPC crew members sing sea shanties while sailing, a feature widely praised by the community. PC Gamer's reviewer stated the "boisterous sea shanties my crew sings keep me coming back for more." The Steam store description confirms: "When the cannons go silent, claim your spoils and share a sea shanty with your crew as you sail onward." Known songs include "Drunken Sailor," "British Tars," "Sail the Raging Sea," and "Rolling Home" (the studio's first official sea shanty single). Shanties are performed by NPC crew, not player characters.
Each co-op group plays in a private, persistent world. There are no random strangers sailing into your territory. Worlds persist on the host's machine between sessions and can be resumed from the world list. When the host is offline, other players cannot access that world.
SaveSync (a separate Steam tool) added Windrose Demo support, allowing players to synchronize save files so any crew member can host the next session. The tool distributes the latest save automatically after each session. Windrose does not natively support transferring world saves between players.
Players can use a single character across multiple worlds. Character progress (levels, talents, recipes) carries over between different procedurally generated worlds. Players can also create new characters for each lobby via the "Change Character" option. Demo progress does NOT carry over to Early Access.

Playing with friends opens up role specialization. Groups can coordinate so that one person focuses on base building while others handle exploration and combat. In naval combat, each player currently commands their own ship. Dungeon runs with a full party allow tank-and-damage role splits that solo players cannot access.
Quest progression in co-op: when starting together simultaneously, shared quest credit applies automatically. Players joining an already-in-progress session must catch up on quests independently. A configurable "shared quest progression" setting is available when creating a world.
Self-hosted co-op only; no dedicated servers
Demo progress does not carry over to Early Access
Each player operates their own ship; no shared crew roles on a single ship
Players cannot perform actions on each other's ships (no manning cannons or repairing a friend's ship)
Some co-op building bugs requiring game restarts were reported
Connectivity issues as described above
Windrose is strictly PvE. PvP was removed when the game pivoted from its original Crosswind MMO design. The developers stated: "Windrose will move forward as a classic survival game with PvE co-op at its core, rather than an MMO-lite survival, focusing on exploration, adventure, treasure hunting and having a good time with friends rather than power struggle and PvP." The developers remain open to exploring PvP in the future but have no commitments at this point.
The developers have indicated several multiplayer improvements for the future:
Feature | Details |
|---|---|
Multi-crew ships: | "Exploring the possibility of allowing multiple players to crew a single ship, with each person taking on distinct roles and responsibilities" |
Expanding player count: | Developer "Yar_master" responded to requests for more players: "We will try to expand the group limit as much as possible, but what will come out of this remains to be seen" |
Mod support: | Developers aim to "make modding at least technically feasible" though official support will not be available at Early Access launch |
Official mod support is planned for the future but will not be available at Early Access launch. The game is built on Unreal Engine 5, and the community has already begun creating mods using the default UE5 pak format. Existing community mods for the demo include an intro skipper, player speed adjustments, stamina modifications, and camera tweaks.