Windrose features several ship classes, each filling a different role in naval combat and exploration. Ships differ in speed, durability, maneuverability, and cannon capacity. Choosing the right vessel for a situation matters as much as personal combat skill.
Sloops and cutters
Small, fast boats for early-game travel. These are the first vessels players can access. They are nimble enough to navigate tight island channels and fast enough to outrun most threats, but they cannot take much damage. Best suited for scouting and hit-and-run tactics.
Ketch
A nimble mid-size vessel with good maneuverability. The ketch bridges the gap between the speed of a sloop and the firepower of larger ships. It can handle moderate combat encounters and carries enough cargo for trading runs between islands.
Brig
A versatile workhorse that balances speed, durability, and firepower. The brig was introduced in the October 2025 Galaxies Showcase and became a fan-favorite during playtesting. It is the standard mid-to-late game vessel for players who want a ship that can do everything reasonably well without excelling at any one thing.
Frigate
The largest and most powerful ship class available. Frigates carry heavy cannon capacity and can absorb significant damage. The tradeoff is slow turning speed and limited maneuverability. A frigate can overpower anything in a straight fight but struggles in tight waters between islands. These are endgame vessels for players with the resources to build and maintain them.
Ship design philosophy
Ships in Windrose use predefined models rather than player-built designs. The developer confirmed: "We do plan to introduce a good degree of ship customization, but generally, we plan to keep ships pre-made. We don't plan to allow layout changing or building them from scratch." This means each ship class has a fixed hull design, but equipment and cosmetics can be swapped. Waves affect ship handling with a "simple" influence on movement, adding some environmental challenge to navigation.
Ship summoning
Press K to summon your ship to your current coastal location. The developers describe it as "whistling for a horse, only it's made of wood and floats a bit better." This prevents the frustration of losing track of where you left your vessel and works with all ship classes.
Customization
Ships can be fitted with different sails, figureheads, and stern designs for visual customization. The developers described their approach as "function first, but with plenty of room to grow." Functional modifications are planned, including swapping cannon types (carronades vs. long cannons) and removing armaments for speed benefits. The October 2025 update added visible deck crew with day-night routines, making ships feel lived-in. In co-op, crew members take distinct roles aboard the ship, and recruited NPCs can be assigned to assist as well.
Progression
Players start with a small vessel provided through the main quest and work their way up to larger ships through crafting and resource gathering. Each ship class requires increasingly expensive materials to build. Upgrading from a sloop to a brig to a frigate marks clear progression milestones in the game. Ship-to-shore transitions are seamless with no loading screens, so sailing up to an island and jumping ashore happens in one continuous flow.