Both are sailing games, but they aim at different moods. Sail Forth (Festive Vector, 2022) is a sea adventure: you command a fleet, chart dozens of island regions and fight pirates with cannons. A Short Sail is a cozy errand game: you are a tabby cat with one sailboat who delivers mail, fishes and makes friends across the islands. Pick Sail Forth for adventure and ship battles; pick A Short Sail for a slow, friendly island routine.
Short answer first: if you want sailing as an adventure with ship battles, play Sail Forth. If you want sailing as a calm daily routine with friends and fishing, try A Short Sail. We make A Short Sail, so we tried hard to be fair. Here is the honest comparison.
Who makes each game
Sail Forth is by Festive Vector. It came out in December 2022 on PC, Mac and Linux, and it is also on Switch, PlayStation and Xbox. The Maelstrom expansion added new storms, foes and ship cosmetics in January 2024. It is Verified for Steam Deck and takes about 16 hours for the main story, according to HowLongToBeat.
A Short Sail is made by Yos Riady, a solo developer. It is still in development and coming to Steam and itch.io in Q1 2027, for PC (Windows), Mac, the web and Steam Deck. The free demo plays in your browser now at play.ashortsail.com.
What is alike
Sailing is the heart of both. In both games, you catch the wind in your sail and steer between islands. Neither is a hard simulator. Sail Forth’s wind system is detailed enough for sailing fans but easy to learn. A Short Sail keeps it simple and cozy.
Many islands to find. Sail Forth has dozens of regions full of isles to discover. A Short Sail has many little islands across a calm sea, each with its own beaches and secrets to find.
Day, night and storms. Both have a day and night cycle and stormy weather. In Sail Forth, you sail through stormy swells and sunsets. In A Short Sail, you sail through sun, night and storms, and rain rolls in over the sea.
Make your boat your own. Sail Forth lets you buy, equip and modify ships, and the Maelstrom expansion added ship cosmetics. In A Short Sail, you customize your boat with new sails, hulls and more.
A mystery to uncover. Sail Forth has a secret buried in the depths of its ocean. A Short Sail has the secrets of the islands. We will not spoil either.
Bright, friendly looks. Both are colorful 3D games with a light, warm tone.
What is different
A fleet or one sailboat. In Sail Forth, you build a fleet of specialized ships and recruit fishfolk crews. In A Short Sail, you have one sailboat, and you are a tabby cat at the helm. You can step off on the docks, walk around the islands and chat.
Cannons or the post. Sail Forth’s main loop is to explore, fight pirates and privateers, and loot shipwrecks and giant clams for treasure. A Short Sail’s main loop is the island post: you pick up letters and parcels, pack them into your hold, and deliver them to folks.
Combat. Sail Forth has real ship battles with cannons and weapon upgrades. A Short Sail has no fighting on foot, only gentle sea battles against storms and living waves, and they are single-player only. There are no timers.
Fishing and friends. Fishing is not the focus of Sail Forth. In A Short Sail, fishing is one of the main things you do: different fish bite in different waters and at different hours, and you try again after dark, when your lantern glows. The islanders become your friends when you help them, and they write to you on their own letter paper.
A home. Sail Forth is about life at sea. A Short Sail gives you a home island, where you build up your home island one plank at a time, lend a hand in the shops, and join weekly events like a fishing contest, a regatta, a lantern festival, and a night market.
Alone or together. Sail Forth is single-player. A Short Sail plays alone or online with friends: you host a lobby or join one by its code or from a list of public lobbies, chat, ride along in a friend’s boat and play flag tag.
Out now or coming soon. Sail Forth is out now, with an expansion. A Short Sail comes in Q1 2027, and only its demo is out now.
Side by side
| Sail Forth | A Short Sail | |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Festive Vector | Yos Riady |
| Release | 2022 | Q1 2027 (in development) |
| You sail | A fleet of ships | One sailboat, as a tabby cat |
| Main thing you do | Explore and fight pirates | Deliver mail between islands |
| Combat | Ship battles with cannons | Gentle sea battles only, no timers |
| Fishing | Not the focus | Yes, by day and by night |
| Home base | Life at sea | Your home island and its old cottage |
| Multiplayer | Single-player | Alone or online with friends |
| Length | About 16 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | Not shared yet |
| Platforms | PC, Mac, Linux, consoles | PC, Mac, Web, Steam Deck |
Who should play which
Play Sail Forth if you want a sea adventure you can play today. It is for players who love the feel of tacking into the wind, want a fleet to manage and upgrade, and enjoy a cannon battle now and then. It is also a good pick if you want a Free Sail mode with no goal but the horizon. For more like it, see our games like Sail Forth list.
Play A Short Sail if you want sailing to be calm and friendly. It is for players who like small errands, fishing at night, making animal friends and fixing up a home, and who would rather face a storm than a pirate. It is also the pick if you want to sail with friends online. Try the free demo first: it runs in your browser, and your save carries over to the full game.
Play both if you love boats. They are different enough that one will not spoil the other. Our best cozy sailing games list has more.
Our own game
We make A Short Sail, so this page is not neutral. We like Sail Forth a lot, and we tried to be fair to it. You can get it on Steam.
Questions
Is A Short Sail like Sail Forth?
Partly. Both let you sail between many islands with a wind and sail system. Sail Forth is about a fleet, exploration and ship battles. A Short Sail is about one sailboat, delivering mail, fishing and making friends.
Does Sail Forth have combat?
Yes. You fight pirates and other foes with cannons, and you upgrade your ships' weapons. There is also a Free Sail mode where the only goal is the horizon.
Does A Short Sail have combat?
There is no fighting on foot. At sea there are gentle battles against storms and living waves, never people or animals, and there are no timers.
Can I play Sail Forth or A Short Sail with friends?
Sail Forth is single-player. A Short Sail plays alone or online with friends: host or join a lobby, chat, ride along in a friend's boat and play flag tag.
Is Sail Forth on Steam Deck?
Yes. Sail Forth is Verified for Steam Deck. A Short Sail's full game will have a Linux build for Steam Deck, played with the built-in controls.
