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1-Sea shanties are a signature atmospheric feature of Windrose. The player's NPC crew members sing traditional work songs of the sea while the ship is underway, turning long sailing stretches into moments of ambient storytelling. The original soundtrack and sea shanties were composed by Sean Dagher, whose work gives the game its distinctive musical identity.
1+Sea shanties are one of the most praised features in Windrose. NPC crew members sing period-appropriate shanties while sailing, creating an atmospheric experience widely cited as a standout element of the game. PC Gamer's reviewer stated the "boisterous sea shanties my crew sings keep me coming back for more," and the shanties were a key factor in the game reaching over 1.5 million Steam wishlists before launch. The Original Soundtrack, composed and arranged primarily by Sean Dagher, is available as a standalone DLC or as part of the Windrose Supporter Bundle.
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3-Early press coverage consistently called out the shanties as one of the game's standout features. PC Gamer's reviewer wrote that "the boisterous sea shanties my crew sings keep me coming back for more."
3+How Shanties Work
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5-What Are Sea Shanties
5+Players can trigger sea shanties while sailing by activating them from the ship's helm. The NPC crew then sings the shanty together as the ship travels. Key details:
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7-Sea shanties are traditional work songs sung by sailors aboard large merchant and naval vessels during the Age of Sail (roughly 16th to mid-19th centuries). They served practical purposes: coordinating team effort during repetitive tasks like hoisting sails, weighing anchor, or pumping bilges. A shantyman would lead with verses while the crew answered in choruses, timing physical work to the song's rhythm.
7+Shanties are performed by NPC crew members, not the player characterThe player must be at the ship's helm to trigger a shantyShanties play during peaceful sailing, not during active naval combat. The Steam store description says: "When the cannons go silent, claim your spoils and share a sea shanty with your crew as you sail onward."Volume and intensity scale with how many crew members are on deckDeckhands also perform idle actions (heading below decks, sleeping in hammocks) that tie into the overall day-night ship routineCommunity members have requested the ability to listen to shanties while walking around the ship without being at the helm, suggesting this is a possible future feature
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9-By incorporating them into Windrose, Kraken Express leans into the maritime setting in a way few pirate games do. Rather than generic ambient music, the crew's singing creates a sense of crewmates as companions rather than just combat support.
9+Known Shanties
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11-Confirmed Shanties in Windrose
11+The game launched with six core shanties and additional songs featured in trailers and promotional materials. All shanties used in the game are traditional songs arranged for Windrose, not newly composed pieces:
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13-Kraken Express has confirmed the following traditional sea shanties appear in the game, re-recorded or arranged specifically for Windrose. Earlier versions were released as singles and trailer soundtracks during the Crosswind-era marketing campaign:
13+In-Game Shanties
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15-ShantyNotesDrunken SailorReleased as a featured trailer for the 1,000,000 Steam wishlist milestone in February 2026; remastered versionLeave Her JohnnyFeatured in the early April 2025 "Shanties of Crosswind" music videoBlow The Man Down"Shanties of Crosswind" videoRolling Down To Old Maui"Shanties of Crosswind" videoGood Morning Ladies"Shanties of Crosswind" videoWhiskey Johnny"Shanties of Crosswind" videoBritish TarsReferenced in launch coverageSail the Raging SeaFeatured in trailer music for the February 2026 "Raging Seas" trailer at IGN Fan FestRolling HomeThe studio's first official sea shanty single release
16-Composer: Sean Dagher
15+TitleTypeNotesLeave Her JohnnyTraditionalClassic farewell shanty sung at the end of a voyageBlow the Man DownTraditionalOne of the most famous halyard shantiesDrunken SailorTraditionalPerhaps the most widely known sea shanty; featured in the remastered 2026 trailerRolling Down to Old MauiTraditionalA whaling shanty about sailing to the Hawaiian IslandsGood Morning LadiesTraditional/OriginalLess commonly known; may be an original arrangementWhiskey JohnnyTraditionalA pump shanty about a sailor's love of whiskey
16+Promotional and Trailer Songs
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18-Sean Dagher composed the original soundtrack and sea shanties for Windrose. His involvement gives the game's audio a sense of maritime authenticity, and the shanties use genuine period style rather than generic pirate pastiche. The Windrose Supporter Bundle ($39.99) includes the full Original Soundtrack as digital DLC, and a standalone OST DLC is available for around $5 to $8 USD.
18+TitleContextBritish Tars / Sail the Raging SeaFeatured in the game's first trailer and the "Raging Seas" IGN Fan Fest trailer (February 2026). Also referred to by community members as "Upon My Native Shore." A 10-minute version exists in community playlists.Rolling HomeReleased on August 4, 2025 as the studio's first official sea shanty single on all major music platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.), responding to fan demand for full-length versions.
19+Composer and Production
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20-Production Approach
21+All shanties in Windrose are produced entirely in-house without any AI involvement. The Crosswind Wiki states: "All shanties in Crosswind are made in house and DO NOT use A.I." The vocals were recorded live by Sean Dagher, a professional folk singer and shantyman best known for performing the sea shanties in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. Developer Yar_master confirmed on Steam: "The vocals were recorded live by Sean Dagher, an amazing artist and a shantyman in AC Black Flag."
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22-The studio confirmed that all sea shanties were made in-house (no AI-generated vocals or music) during the early April 2025 "Shanties of Crosswind" music video release. The initial shanties were recorded and performed by the team and their collaborators, with the arrangements tailored to how the player would experience them aboard a moving ship: layered vocals, dynamic volume based on crew size, and natural pauses between verses that interact with in-game events. Post-launch community feedback requested "rougher backing vocals" for grittier variety, which the studio acknowledged in the March 23, 2026 post-demo improvements post.
23+The music was composed and produced in-house by the studio's audio engineer, described as "a multi-instrumentalist and active live performer." Initially, a single vocalist (Dagher) sang all the vocal parts and harmonies. When asked if the trailer song was AI-generated, the developer responded: "No. But for now we have contracted only one singer, and he had to sing all the tones."
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24-How Shanties Work In-Game
25+Community feedback after the demo requested "rougher backing vocals" for grittier variety with multiple voices rather than Dagher layered with himself. Kraken Express acknowledged this in the March 23, 2026 post-demo improvements post as one of the Quality of Life additions they aim to deliver during Early Access.
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26-NPC crew members perform the shanties; player characters do not singShanties play during open-sea sailing, typically during longer journeysVolume and intensity scale with how many crew members are on deckMultiple songs rotate through the available catalogShanties pause during ship-to-ship combat and boarding actionsDeckhands also perform idle actions (heading below decks, sleeping in hammocks) that tie into the overall day-night ship routine
27+Official Soundtrack DLC
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29+At the April 14, 2026 Early Access launch, the Original Soundtrack became available two ways:
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31+MethodPrice (USD)ContentsWindrose Supporter Bundle$39.99 (launch discount 10% through April 21)Base game + OST + exclusive wallpapersOriginal Soundtrack DLC (standalone)Approximately $5 to $8OST only, standalone Steam purchase
32+The OST DLC gives owners a full audio library they can play outside the game. Sean Dagher's vocal work is the centerpiece, accompanied by the studio's arrangements of traditional shanty material and original incidental ship music.
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34+Shanties of Crosswind (April 2025)
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36+On April 4, 2025, the Crosswind Crew (the studio's former name before the rename to Windrose Crew and then Kraken Express) released the "Shanties of Crosswind" music video, featuring in-game footage captured with Unreal Engine 5 cinematics. The video showcased the shanties alongside visuals of ships, ocean, and weather systems. The music video helped generate early interest in the game, with community members comparing the feature favorably to Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.
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38+Drunken Sailor Remaster
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40+On February 23, 2026, alongside the announcement that Windrose had surpassed one million Steam wishlists, the team released a remastered "Drunken Sailor" trailer. The trailer featured updated gameplay visuals from the demo and became the game's official gameplay trailer during Steam Next Fest, where the demo became one of the most-played demos on Steam (22,000+ peak concurrent, top 20 demo of all time).
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2842 Community Reception
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30-Shanties are one of the most positively received features of the game. Players specifically cite them as adding personality and immersion to what might otherwise feel like dead travel time. PC Gamer, engadget, Prima Games, and numerous community threads have singled out the shanties for praise. The official Discord has had active threads requesting more shanties, and Kraken Express has indicated more shanties will be added during Early Access.
44+The sea shanties have been overwhelmingly praised:
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32-Soundtrack DLC
46+PC Gamer's reviewer admitted they had become "really sick of sea shanties" during the 2021 TikTok shanty trend but were now "fervently pro-shanty once again" thanks to WindroseA Steam community member titled their thread "We don't deserve this game," praising the game's "absolute BANGER music"Fan demand for full-length shanty versions led to the "Rolling Home" single release on streaming platformsCommunity members compiled shanty playlists and shared them on Steam forumsThe shanties are frequently cited as the feature that first drew players to check out the gamePost-launch coverage from outlets including PC Gamer, Engadget, Prima Games, and Tech Yahoo has singled out the shanties for praise
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34-The Original Soundtrack is available two ways: (1) included in the Windrose Supporter Bundle ($39.99, 10% launch discount), and (2) as a standalone DLC purchase on Steam (approximately $5 to $8 USD at launch). The OST DLC gives owners a full audio library they can play outside the game.
48+Criticism
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36-Historical Connection
50+A minority of community members have raised concerns about production quality. One player felt the single-vocalist recording sounded "overly edited," and another expressed preference for a cappella versions over instrumented arrangements, saying they "don't like the fake pipes and drums." One community member suggested recording with multiple vocalists "preferably off key" for greater immersion. These concerns remain minority viewpoints; the overwhelming reception has been positive, and the March 2026 developer statement on rougher backing vocals directly addressed some of this feedback.
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52+Comparison to Other Games
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54+The shanty feature draws direct comparison to Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, which is also known for its NPC crew singing while sailing and which the developers cite as a primary inspiration. The connection is reinforced by sharing vocalist Sean Dagher between both games. The Windrose Crew (now Kraken Express) developer FAQ explicitly compares the game's naval combat to Black Flag.
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56+Historical Context
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3858 Windrose's setting around 1700 predates the true golden age of sea shanties by about a century. Shanties as known today largely developed during the packet ship era of the 1820s to 1860s. The songs used in the game are anachronistic for a strict 1700 setting but fit the broader Age of Piracy fantasy Windrose is going for. Pirate crews of the late 17th and early 18th centuries sang, but their repertoire was different from the shanties later codified as "pirate music" in popular culture.
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60+See Also
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62+NPC Crew — how crew members behave on deckShip Types — ships you sail while shanties playNaval Combat — when shanties pause and cannons take over