--- title: "A Short Sail vs Webfishing: which to play? | A Short Sail" description: "A Short Sail and Webfishing both let you fish online with friends as a little cat. An honest look at what is alike, what differs and who should pick which." url: https://ashortsail.com/blog/a-short-sail-vs-webfishing/ published: 2026-08-20 updated: 2026-10-29 author: "Yos Riady" image: https://ashortsail.com/og/blog/a-short-sail-vs-webfishing.jpg --- # A Short Sail vs Webfishing: which to play? A Short Sail and Webfishing both let you fish online with friends as a little cat. An honest look at what is alike, what differs and who should pick which. By [Yos Riady](https://ashortsail.com/authors/yos-riady/) · Published 20 August 2026 · **Updated October 2026** **They share a cat, a rod and friends online, but they are built for different evenings.** Webfishing (lamedeveloper, 2024) is a social hangout: you fish and chat with up to 12 players at a camp by the water. A Short Sail is a cozy sailing game with a world to explore: you are a tabby cat with a sailboat who delivers mail, fishes by day and by night and makes friends across the islands, alone or online. Pick Webfishing to hang out; pick A Short Sail for a journey. Short answer first: **if you want to fish and chat with friends and strangers, with nothing else to do, play Webfishing. If you want fishing to be part of a bigger cozy journey by boat, 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 [Webfishing](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3146520/) is by lamedeveloper, a solo developer. It came out on Steam in October 2024 and became a surprise hit. Its Steam page calls it “a multiplayer chatroom-focused fishing game.” It is on Windows only, and it is Playable on Steam Deck. [A Short Sail](https://ashortsail.com/) is made by [Yos Riady](https://yos.io/), also 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](https://play.ashortsail.com/). ## What is alike **A cat with a fishing rod.** In Webfishing, you play a little cat or dog. In A Short Sail, you are a little tabby cat, and in online play you pick your own animal. **Fishing at the center.** Webfishing has nearly 100 creatures to catch, a journal to fill and gear to upgrade. In A Short Sail, different fish bite in different waters and at different hours, a few are rare shiny ones, and you try again after dark, when your lantern glows. **Friends online.** Webfishing lobbies hold up to 12 players. In A Short Sail, you host a lobby or join one by its code or from a list of public lobbies, chat, and ride along in a friend’s boat. **Play music.** Webfishing has a guitar you can play for the whole lobby. In A Short Sail, you find instruments and tunes and play music, and islanders may join in as a little band. **Dig for treasure.** Webfishing has a metal detector for buried treasure. A Short Sail has treasure maps to dig up and finds on the beaches to bring to a little museum. **Small games from one person.** Both are made by solo developers, with a soft, friendly look. ## What is different **A hangout or a journey.** Webfishing is mostly about hanging out: you fish, chat, sit by the campfire and show off your outfit. There is no story and no sea to sail. A Short Sail is a world to explore: you catch the wind in your sail and steer your sailboat from island to island, each with its own beaches and secrets to find. **Things to do besides fishing.** In A Short Sail, you also deliver mail: you pick up letters and parcels, pack them into your hold and deliver them to folks. You help the islanders until they become your friends, build your home island, lend a hand in the shops and join weekly events like a fishing contest, a regatta, a lantern festival and a night market. Webfishing keeps it simple on purpose. **Islanders or strangers.** Webfishing’s people are the other players, and its community is part of the charm. A Short Sail has islanders to befriend, such as Ines the rabbit and Pip the pelican postman, who write to you on their own letter paper. You can bring your own friends online too. **Alone time.** You can play Webfishing offline, but most of its fun comes from other people. A Short Sail is made to be played alone as well as together. **Play styles online.** Webfishing has silly toys: chalk, a guitar, and even punching your friends. A Short Sail’s online play has riding along in a friend’s boat and flag tag. The sea battles against storms and living waves are single-player only. **Platforms.** Webfishing is on Windows (and Playable on Steam Deck). A Short Sail is coming to Windows, Mac, Steam Deck and the web. **Out now or coming soon.** Webfishing is out now and costs little. A Short Sail comes in Q1 2027; its demo is out now and free. ## Side by side | | Webfishing | A Short Sail | | --- | --- | --- | | Developer | lamedeveloper | Yos Riady | | Release | 2024 | Q1 2027 (in development) | | You play as | A little cat or dog | A little tabby cat (your own animal online) | | Main thing you do | Fish and chat | Sail, deliver mail and fish | | Story | None | Secrets of the islands to uncover | | Islanders to befriend | No | Yes, shown as hearts | | Online | Lobbies of up to 12 | Lobbies by code or a public list | | Solo play | Yes, but made for groups | Yes, a full single-player game | | Platforms | Windows | PC, Mac, Web, Steam Deck | ## Who should play which **Play Webfishing if** you want a cheap, silly, social game to share with a group. It is for players who love to fish while they talk, dress up their character and make new friends in a lobby. If your friends are already there, it is hard to beat. Our [games like Webfishing](https://ashortsail.com/blog/games-like-webfishing/) list has more. **Play A Short Sail if** you want fishing to be one part of a cozy adventure: a sailboat, islands to find, mail to deliver and animal friends who write to you. It is for players who want a game to enjoy alone that also lets friends come along. Try the [free demo](https://play.ashortsail.com/) first: it runs in your browser, and your save carries over to the full game. **Play both if** you love to fish. One is for a night with a group, the other for a slow sail on your own or with a friend. Our [cozy fishing games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/cozy-fishing-games/) list has more. ## Our own game We make [A Short Sail](https://ashortsail.com/), so this page is not neutral. Webfishing is a lovely little game, and we tried to be fair to it. You can get it on [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3146520/). ## Questions ### Is A Short Sail like Webfishing? Partly. Both let you fish as a little cat and play online with friends. Webfishing is a chat-room hangout with no story. A Short Sail is a sailing game with islands to explore, mail to deliver, islanders to befriend and secrets to uncover, which you can also play alone. ### How many players can play Webfishing together? Up to 12 players in one lobby. You can also play it offline on your own. ### Can I play A Short Sail online with friends? Yes. You can 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. ### Is Webfishing on Mac? No. Webfishing is on Windows only, through Steam, and it is Playable on Steam Deck. A Short Sail is coming to Windows, Mac, Steam Deck and the web. ### Does A Short Sail have a boat to fish from? Yes. You cast a line from your boat. Different fish bite in different waters and at different hours, and a few are rare shiny ones. - [a short sail](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/a-short-sail/) - [fishing games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/fishing-games/) - [co op games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/co-op-games/) - [cozy games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/cozy-games/) **Written by [Yos Riady](https://ashortsail.com/authors/yos-riady/)** Yos Riady is the solo developer making A Short Sail, a cozy sailing game. ## Related guides - 10 Dec 2026 ### [A Short Sail vs Moonglow Bay: which to play?](https://ashortsail.com/blog/a-short-sail-vs-moonglow-bay/) A Short Sail and Moonglow Bay are both cozy boat games about fishing and helping a community. An honest comparison: what is alike and who should pick which. - [a short sail](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/a-short-sail/) - [fishing games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/fishing-games/) - [boat games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/boat-games/) - [cozy games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/cozy-games/) - 8 Dec 2026 ### [A Short Sail vs Dredge: which to play?](https://ashortsail.com/blog/a-short-sail-vs-dredge/) A Short Sail and Dredge are both boat games about fishing between islands. An honest comparison: what is alike, what is different and who should pick which. - [a short sail](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/a-short-sail/) - [fishing games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/fishing-games/) - [boat games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/boat-games/) - [cozy games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/cozy-games/) - 5 Nov 2026 · Updated 31 Oct 2026 ### [Games like Rift Fishing: cozy picks (2026)](https://ashortsail.com/blog/games-like-rift-fishing/) Games like Rift Fishing, for chill fishing, chat, painting and a campfire with friends: Webfishing, Palia, Sky, Draw & Guess, Cast n Chill and more. - [cozy games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/cozy-games/) - [fishing games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/fishing-games/) - [co op games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/co-op-games/) - [indie games](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/indie-games/) - [game lists](https://ashortsail.com/blog/tags/game-lists/) ## A Short Sail The cozy sailing game with a cat. Coming soon to Steam and [itch.io](https://yosriady.itch.io/a-short-sail) [Play the free demo](https://play.ashortsail.com/) [Get updates](https://ashortsail.com/blog/a-short-sail-vs-webfishing/#newsletter)