Both are bright 3D island games with a boat and music, but one tells a story and the other gives you a routine. Tchia (Awaceb, 2023) is a story-driven adventure on islands inspired by New Caledonia: you climb, glide, sail and jump into any animal or object. A Short Sail is a cozy errand game: you are a tabby cat with a sailboat who delivers mail, fishes and makes friends across the islands. Pick Tchia for a short, heartfelt journey; pick A Short Sail for a calm island life to come back to.
Short answer first: if you want a short, heartfelt island adventure with a story, play Tchia. If you want an island life of errands, fishing and friends that you can come back to, try A Short Sail. We make A Short Sail, and we love Tchia, so we tried hard to be fair. Here is the honest comparison.
Who makes each game
Tchia is by Awaceb, a small studio. It came out in 2023, and it is on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch and Xbox Series X|S. Its islands, music and language are inspired by New Caledonia. It is Verified for Steam Deck and takes about 7.5 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
Bright islands in a warm sea. Both are colorful 3D games set among small tropical islands, with beaches, palm trees and clear water.
A boat of your own. In Tchia, you sail a small boat between the islands and dress it up with cosmetics. In A Short Sail, you catch the wind and steer your sailboat from island to island, and you customize it with new sails, hulls and more.
Music you play. Tchia carries a ukulele, and music plays a big part in the game. In A Short Sail, you find instruments and tunes and play music, and islanders may join in as a little band.
Day, night and photos. Both games turn from day to night as you play, and both let you stop and take photos of the places you find.
What is different
Story or routine. Tchia is a story adventure: you set out to save your father, and the game has a clear end in about 7.5 hours. A Short Sail is a cozy routine: the islands need your help, you deliver the island post, and you build friendships over many days.
How you move. Tchia is about freedom of movement: you climb almost anything, glide, swim, and Soul Jump into any animal or object, from a bird to a rock. In A Short Sail, you are a tabby cat who sails, walks the islands and chats with the islanders. You can also get a snorkel to swim over reefs and old ruins.
Fights. Tchia has light fights with the Maano, soldiers of wood and fabric, and its story has darker turns. A Short Sail has no fighting on foot, only gentle sea battles against storms and living waves, and there are no timers.
Fishing, the post and friends. In A Short Sail, you pick up letters and parcels, pack them into your hold, and deliver them to folks. You fish by day and by night, and different fish bite at different hours. The islanders become your friends when you help them. Tchia has side tasks too, but its focus is the journey and the story.
A home and a calendar. A Short Sail gives you a home island to name as you like, where you build up your home island. A weekly calendar brings a fishing contest, a regatta, a lantern festival and a night market. Tchia is a journey across its islands, not a home to settle into.
Alone or together. Tchia is single-player. A Short Sail plays alone or online with friends.
Out now or coming soon. Tchia is out now. A Short Sail comes in Q1 2027, and only its demo is out now.
Side by side
| Tchia | A Short Sail | |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Awaceb | Yos Riady |
| Release | 2023 | Q1 2027 (in development) |
| You play | Tchia, a girl on a tropical archipelago | A tabby cat with a sailboat |
| Main thing you do | Explore and follow a story | Deliver mail between islands, fish and make friends |
| Moving around | Climb, glide, swim, sail and Soul Jump | Sail, walk and snorkel |
| Combat | Light fights with the Maano | Gentle sea battles only, no timers |
| Music | Ukulele, with songs in the story | Instruments and tunes, islanders may join in |
| Home base | A journey across the islands | Your home island and its old cottage |
| Multiplayer | Single-player | Alone or online with friends |
| Length | About 7.5 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | Not shared yet |
| Platforms | PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X|S | PC (Windows), Mac, Web, Steam Deck |
Who should play which
Play Tchia if you want a short, heartfelt adventure with a strong sense of place, and you love to climb and glide wherever you look. Soul Jumping is a delight, and its island world is one of a kind. For more like it, see our best cozy adventure games.
Play A Short Sail if you loved Tchia’s islands and boat, but want a gentler game with no fights on foot and a life to settle into: the post, a line in the water at night, animal friends and a home to fix up. 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 tropical islands and boats. Tchia is a journey; A Short Sail is a place to come back to. Our best cozy sailing games and cozy island games lists have more.
Our own game
We make A Short Sail. Tchia is one of our favorite island games, and we tried to be fair to it. You can get it on Steam.
Questions
Is A Short Sail like Tchia?
Partly. Both are colorful 3D games where you sail a small boat between tropical islands, play music and explore on foot. Tchia is a story adventure with climbing, gliding and Soul Jumping into animals and objects. A Short Sail is a cozy routine: you deliver mail, fish by day and by night, and make friends.
Does Tchia have combat?
Yes, a little. You face the Maano, soldiers made of wood and fabric, in camps across the islands. You fight them with your slingshot and by Soul Jumping into animals and objects. Reviews say the fights are light and can get repetitive, and the story has darker turns.
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. They are single-player only, and there are no timers. The rest of the time you deliver mail, fish, chat with the islanders and fix up your home.
Which game has more sailing?
Both let you sail. Tchia's boat is hands-on: you move around the deck to set the sail, steer and drop anchor, though you also glide, swim and climb a lot. In A Short Sail, sailing is how you get around and do your job: you catch the wind and steer your sailboat from island to island.
Can I play Tchia or A Short Sail with friends?
Tchia is single-player. A Short Sail plays alone or online with friends: 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. In online play you pick your own animal.
Are Tchia and A Short Sail on Steam Deck?
Tchia is Verified for Steam Deck. A Short Sail comes to Steam in Q1 2027 for PC (Windows), Mac, the web and Steam Deck, and its free demo plays in your browser now at play.ashortsail.com. Demo saves carry over to the full game, so nothing you do in the demo is lost.
