You probably haven’t heard of Sailing Era, a new simulator our of China, but it just launched on Steam and the Epic Games Store. It’s one worth checking out, because it has some gorgeous aesthetics and sounds really interesting. Also, it’s coming to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch later on, so even if you’re not much of a PC gamer, this is worth looking into.
It seems to be a game that promises some significant freedom in terms of how you go about playing. As the game’s description states “Navigate your fleet and sail for fun; run a business; have a romantic encounter in the tavern; capture pirates amid intense battle; explore inland for treasure… Experience foreign culture, make novel discoveries, and sail away!”
The game features a rea-world scale map, a highly detailed recreation of the ocean, land, monsoon currents and weather changes, so it’s not just a cute-and-fun adventure, there’s some serious thought that you’ll need to put into it as you play. You’ll also need to deal with pirate attacks and other more physical threats.
Mainly though, it does seem to be a trading sim, focused on the idea of “buy low, sell high.” Different towns have different demands, and prices will fluctuate, so having a good nose for when commodities are cheap, and where they’ll be at a premium is key. You’ll also be able to build a fleet of ships of different sizes, and take direct control in battle.
Way back on the Game Boy Advance there was a game I absolutely loved called Sea Trader. In hindsight it was an incredibly simple game, but being able to navigate around the world, selling all kinds of goods (and even some illegal ones), was a fantasy that I loved indulging. This game seems very much in that vein, and so, it’s one I’ll be keeping a close eye on (though I think I’ll wait for the Switch version, as that console seems perfect for this).
