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Procedural Biomes
March 3, 2026 at 09:20 AM
Removed 2 irrelevant image(s) after visual audit
Windrose generates a procedural archipelago for each player, with island layouts, resource distribution, and biome placement varying between games. While the overarching biome types are fixed, their arrangement and size change. Character progression carries between worlds, so players can start a fresh world without losing levels or recipes.
The Crosswind Wiki lists three biomes as the major regions of the Archipelago: Coastal Jungle, Foothills, and Swamp. The Ashlands was revealed separately as a planned late-game biome. Gamescom 2025 confirmed four biomes total for the game.
The starting biome, described as the "cradle of piracy." This is where players wash ashore after being shipwrecked by Blackbeard. The Steam Next Fest demo covers this biome across three islands with 4 to 6 hours of gameplay. It serves as the game's tutorial zone, teaching survival, crafting, and combat fundamentals.
Category | Details |
|---|---|
Resources | Wood, Stone, Plant Fiber, Clay, Copper Ore, Coconut, Banana, Dodo Eggs, Rough Hide |
Enemies | Coastal Dodos (passive), Sows/Wild Pigs (aggressive, level 3), Crabs, Drowners (zombie-like), Swollen Drowned (toxic spit), Pirate Sailors, Musketeers, Pirate Sergeants |
Points of Interest | Smuggler's Cache, Abandoned Buccaneer Camp, Copper Caves, Ancient Ruins, Traveller's Camp, Pirate Camps, Shipwrecks |
Boss | Not confirmed for the starting biome specifically |
An elevated biome southeast of the starting area with rocky terrain and distinct resource deposits. The Foothills are a significant progression milestone because they contain resources not available in the Coastal Jungle, enabling the next tier of crafting and progression.
Category | Details |
|---|---|
Unique Resources | Iron Ore (mined with Copper Pickaxe), Sulfur (mined with Iron Pickaxe), Fertile Soil (from Ancient Farms), Flax, Hardwood |
Ancient Farms | Specific locations where Fertile Soil can be harvested with a pickaxe, enabling the farming system |
Farming Unlock | Fertile Soil from Ancient Farms is required to build Seedbeds and begin growing crops |
Mining Progression | Iron Ore leads to Iron Pickaxes, which can mine Sulfur for gunpowder crafting at the Millstone |
Enemies | Tougher than the Coastal Jungle; specific enemy types not fully documented |
The Foothills represent the transition from early-game copper-tier crafting to mid-game iron-tier equipment. Players must travel here to advance their mining progression and unlock farming.
Marshy islands with dangerous creatures and reduced visibility. The Swamps are a more challenging biome that provides unique plant-based resources for alchemy and cooking.
Category | Details |
|---|---|
Resources | Unique plant-based materials for alchemy and cooking, Obsidian (rare; used for jewelry and Vial Table) |
Enemies | Drowners (more common), Swollen Drowned (toxic spit in 180-degree arc), Swamp Creature (large boss-type enemy) |
Boss | Swamp Creature; its tooth can be used as a weapon component |
Hazards | Reduced visibility, uneven terrain creating ambush opportunities |
A scorched, volcanic biome revealed in the August 2025 Devblog #5. The Ashlands represent a late-game area with high-tier resources and the most dangerous enemies in the game. The region was covered by a volcanic eruption 100 years ago.
Category | Details |
|---|---|
Resources | High-tier resources buried under volcanic ash (mined with pickaxes) |
Enemies | Corrupted enemies with supernatural abilities, skeleton enemies |
Dungeons | "Expansive dungeons" with new quests and challenging boss encounters |
Connection | Tied to the supernatural corruption spreading through the world |
The Ashlands were described as containing "new secrets and treasures buried under volcanic ash," with players using pickaxes to dig through the ash to uncover them.
Biome | Unique/Key Resources |
|---|---|
Coastal Jungle | Copper Ore, Clay, Coconut, Banana, Dodo Eggs, Rough Hide, Crab Shell |
Foothills | Iron Ore, Sulfur, Fertile Soil, Flax, Hardwood |
Swamps | Obsidian, unique alchemy plants |
Ashlands | High-tier resources (details not yet revealed) |
Every player gets their own world, and every new game generates a different island layout. The demo represents approximately 2.5% of the planned Early Access launch map. The developers stated the EA version "could be several times bigger in content and scale than the demo, like x10 islands, x10 points of interest."
World difficulty is set at creation and cannot be changed afterward. It applies globally across all biomes:
Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
Calm Waters | Reduced enemy damage and pressure; for casual/exploration focus |
High Seas | All modifiers at 100%; the intended balanced experience |
Storm's Edge | Enemies hit harder and have more health |
Captain's Choice | Fully custom, with individual modifiers adjustable up to 500% |
Within each difficulty setting, enemy levels scale by island/area rather than per dungeon. Enemies on the second island are level 6 while players may still be level 3, making travel to harder biomes a significant risk-reward decision.
Story in Windrose is "woven into the atmosphere rather than delivered through dialogue alone." Locations and objects are placed to "spark a question and reward curiosity with a piece of lore, a hidden item, or a clue pointing to something bigger." This means biomes are not just resource zones but narrative spaces that reveal the game's supernatural mysteries through exploration.
The game offers several navigation tools for traveling between islands:
Auto-navigation: An auto-move-forward toggle is available for both walking and sailing
Wind direction: A visual wind direction indicator is visible in the sky. Wind can push your boat if you are not actively steering, though the effect is currently cosmetic with minimal gameplay impact
Ship summoning: Press K to summon your ship to any coastline
Fast Travel Bells: Teleport between placed bells or return home from your boat via the world map
World map: Open the map to place markers, chart routes, and select fast travel destinations. Points of interest appear as question marks for progressive discovery
The alpha featured three biomes and more are planned for Early Access. A new biome is already in conceptual development. Character progress carries between different procedurally generated worlds, so players can start a fresh world to explore new biome arrangements without losing levels or recipes. Biome additions are a natural fit for Early Access content updates. Each building set is planned to reflect its biome, so outposts feel naturally rooted in their surroundings.
