A Short Sail is a cozy sailing game where you are a little tabby cat with a sailboat: you deliver mail between little islands, fish by day and by night, and make friends with the islanders. If you like it, play Sail Forth for more sailing, A Short Hike for a small island to explore, and Spiritfarer for a boat full of friends. We checked every game on October 29, 2026.
At a glance
| Game | Best for | Length | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sail Forth | Players who want sailing to be the whole game | About 16 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox |
| A Short Hike | Anyone who wants a complete, cozy game in one evening | About 1.5 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, PS4, Xbox One |
| Spiritfarer | Players who want a warm story on the water | About 25 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android |
| Mail Time | Players who love the idea of a cozy delivery job | About 2 hours (HowLongToBeat) | PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, PS5 |
| Little Kitty, Big City | Cat lovers who want playful mischief | About 2.5 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox |
| Cast n Chill | Players who want fishing to calm them down | About 16 to 18 hours | PC, Mac, Switch 2 |
| Webfishing | Players who want to fish and chat with friends | Open-ended | PC (Windows) |
| Lil Gator Game | Players who want a playful island and lots of small favors | About 3 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox |
| Tchia | Explorers who want a big, sunny island world | About 7.5 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X |
| Dredge | Players who like a cozy routine with a creepy edge | About 9.5 hours (HowLongToBeat) | PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox, iOS, Android |
What A Short Sail is
A Short Sail is a cozy sailing game. You are a little tabby cat with a sailboat, and the islands need your help. You pick up letters and parcels, pack them into your hold and sail them out to the little islands. You fish by day and by night, and you make friends with the islanders. There are no timers, and there is no fighting on foot, only gentle sea battles against storms and living waves. You can play alone or online with friends. It is coming to Steam and itch.io in Q1 2027, and the free demo plays in your browser now.
We make it, so this list is not neutral. It is also not a ranking of our game against others. These are games we think a fan of A Short Sail would enjoy: games with sailing, deliveries, cats, fishing or small islands. Each one shares at least one of those things.
Our picks
- Best for more sailing: Sail Forth
- Best small island to explore: A Short Hike
- Best story with a boat: Spiritfarer
- Best for deliveries: Mail Time
- Best for cat lovers: Little Kitty, Big City
- Best for calm fishing: Cast n Chill
- Best with friends: Webfishing
Sailing and the sea
Sail Forth
Who it is for: players who want sailing to be the whole game.
You command a small fleet across a big, colorful ocean, meet fishfolk crews and chart dozens of island regions. The wind and sail system feels real but stays easy to learn, and there is a free-sail mode for pure cruising. It is not combat-free: you fight pirate ships with cannons, and some players find the story thin. Our A Short Sail vs Sail Forth page compares the two.
Developer: Festive Vector | Year: 2022 | Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox | Length: about 16 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | Steam Deck: Verified | Steam page
Spiritfarer
Who it is for: players who want a warm story on the water.
You sail a boat between islands and build it into a home for spirits. You cook, farm, fish and care for each one until they are ready to move on. The boat, the islands and the friends on board are close to the heart of A Short Sail. It is sad by design, and the trips between islands can feel slow.
Developer: Thunder Lotus | Year: 2020 | Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android | Length: about 25 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | Steam Deck: Verified | Steam page
Tchia
Who it is for: explorers who want a big, sunny island world.
You climb, glide, swim and sail around an archipelago inspired by New Caledonia, and you can jump into animals and objects. Sailing is one of many ways to get around. It has some light combat and a darker turn in its story, so it is less calm than A Short Sail.
Developer: Awaceb | Year: 2023 | Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X|S | Length: about 7.5 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | Steam Deck: Verified | Steam page
Small islands and kind folk
A Short Hike
Who it is for: anyone who wants a complete, cozy game in one evening.
You are Claire, a young bird on a holiday in an island park. You climb, glide, fish and help the people you meet on your way to the peak. You can even rent a motorboat. It is short, which is its only real downside. Wondering about the names? See Is A Short Sail like A Short Hike?.
Developer: adamgryu | Year: 2019 | Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, Switch, PS4, Xbox One | Length: about 1.5 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | Steam Deck: Verified | Steam page
Lil Gator Game
Who it is for: players who want a playful island and lots of small favors.
You are a young gator who wants their big sister to come and play. You climb, swim and glide around an island and help other kids with their make-believe games. There is no game over. It is short, and there is no sea to sail, but the “help your neighbors” feel is close.
Developer: MegaWobble | Year: 2022 | Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox | Length: about 3 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | Steam Deck: Verified | Steam page
Deliveries and cats
Mail Time
Who it is for: players who love the idea of a cozy delivery job.
You are a tiny Mail Scout delivering letters across a forest full of animals. The art and writing are sweet. There is no map, and some jumps are tricky, so a few players found it more confusing than cozy. More in our cozy mail delivery games.
Developer: Kela van der Deijl | Year: 2023 | Platforms: PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, PS5 | Length: about 2 hours (HowLongToBeat) | Steam Deck: Playable | Steam page
Little Kitty, Big City
Who it is for: cat lovers who want playful mischief.
A small black kitten falls from a window and must find the way home through a Japanese-style city. You nap, knock things off ledges, trade hats and help animal friends. It is short and the city is small. More in our cozy cat games list.
Developer: Double Dagger Studio | Year: 2024 | Platforms: PC, Switch, PlayStation, Xbox | Length: about 2.5 hours main story (HowLongToBeat) | Steam Deck: Verified | Steam page
Fishing
Cast n Chill
Who it is for: players who want fishing to calm them down.
You drive a little boat through side-scrolling pixel-art waters with a pet for company, catch fish and buy upgrades. An idle mode lets the game fish on its own. The loop is repetitive by design, and there are no islanders to befriend. More in our cozy fishing games.
Developer: Wombat Brawler | Year: 2025 | Platforms: PC, Mac, Switch 2 | Length: about 16 to 18 hours | Steam Deck: Verified | Steam page
Webfishing
Who it is for: players who want to fish and chat with friends.
You are a little cat or dog at a camp by the water. You fish, buy cosmetics with your catch and hang out in lobbies of up to 12 players. It is silly and social. There is no story, no boat and no islanders, and it is on Windows only. See A Short Sail vs Webfishing.
Developer: lamedeveloper | Year: 2024 | Platforms: PC (Windows) | Length: open-ended | Steam Deck: Playable | Steam page
Dredge
Who it is for: players who like a cozy routine with a creepy edge.
You captain a small fishing boat around a set of islands, sell your catch and upgrade your boat. Day trips are calm. After dark, strange things happen at sea, and the mood is closer to horror than cozy. Play it only if you want a chill down your spine.
Developer: Black Salt Games | Year: 2023 | Platforms: PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox, iOS, Android | Length: about 9.5 hours (HowLongToBeat) | Steam Deck: Verified | Steam page
Our own game
This whole page is about A Short Sail, and we make it, so we did not rank it. If you have not tried it yet, the free demo covers the start of the game, up to the first Golden Thread, and runs in your browser at play.ashortsail.com or on itch.io. Your demo save carries over to the full game. You can also read how it compares to Animal Crossing, Sail Forth and Webfishing.
Related guides
- The best cozy sailing games: more boats and calm seas.
- Cozy mail delivery games: more games about the post.
- Cozy cat games: more games with cats.
- Cozy island games: little islands to explore.
- Cozy fishing games: calm games with a rod and line.
- Is A Short Sail like A Short Hike?: our honest comparison.
Questions
What games are similar to A Short Sail?
Sail Forth (sailing between islands), A Short Hike (a small, kind island adventure), Spiritfarer (a boat and friends to care for), Mail Time (cozy deliveries) and Little Kitty, Big City (a cat's day out) are the closest.
Is A Short Sail out yet?
Not yet. A Short Sail is coming to Steam and itch.io in Q1 2027. The free demo plays in your browser now at play.ashortsail.com and on itch.io.
What is the best sailing game like A Short Sail?
Sail Forth. You sail between many islands with a detailed but easy wind system. It has more ships and cannon battles with pirates, so it is less of a slow, cozy errand game.
Are there other cozy games where you play as a cat?
Yes. Little Kitty, Big City is the best known. Our cozy cat games list has more.
Can I play A Short Sail with friends?
Yes. You can play 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.
