Book it if
You want a crew game where shouting orders across the deck is half the fun.
Skip it if
You want a calm co-op game with no chance of losing progress to other players.
Trip sheet
- Crew size
- 1–4 players
- Online
- Yes
- Crossplay
- Yes
- Split-screen
- No
- Solo
- Possible on a sloop, but much harder
- Voice chat
- Essential
- Danger
- Dangerous
1The pitch
You and your crew sail an open sea looking for treasure, completing voyages for trading companies and taking on skeleton forts, sea monsters, and story adventures. Other crews share the same server, so any ship on the horizon could be friendly or hostile. Rare has supported it with free updates since its 2018 launch, and it came to Steam on June 3, 2020.
2Playing together
Crews are capped by ship size: 2 on a sloop, 3 on a brigantine, and 4 on a galleon, so 4 is the practical squad size per ship. Larger groups can split across ships and form an alliance on the same server, though that is not guaranteed. Crossplay with Xbox and PlayStation players is supported, and play is online only.
3Roles in the squad
Someone steers, someone trims the sails, someone watches from the crow's nest, and someone reads the map below deck, which means the person at the helm cannot see where they are going. In a fight, roles shift to cannons, repairs, and bailing water. Clear callouts matter more here than in almost any other game on this list.
4Look & sound
The water is the star: waves, storms, and sunsets look excellent even on modest hardware. Shanties played on in-game instruments are a crew favorite. The stylized art has aged well.
5Setup & value
It costs $39.99 on Steam for Windows, with every player buying a copy, and it is listed as Verified on Steam Deck. The Steam listing currently carries a yearly edition name. An in-game shop sells cosmetics, but progression and content updates are free.
Best bits
- Ship roles force real teamwork
- Crossplay with Xbox and PlayStation
- Beautiful sea and weather
- Free content updates
Watch out
- Hostile crews can sink hours of loot
- Max 4 per ship
- Slow start for new players
Score sheet
- Teamwork 25%
- 96
- Fun as a squad 25%
- 92
- Easy to join 15%
- 80
- Replay 20%
- 88
- Value 15%
- 86
96 × 25% + 92 × 25% + 80 × 15% + 88 × 20% + 86 × 15% = 89.50 → 90
Trip report verdict
Verdict
“Sea of Thieves is the strongest pure-teamwork game here: one ship, several jobs, and constant communication. PvP encounters will not suit every group, but a crew of four with headsets will remember these voyages.”
By the Squad Play Review editorial desk · Updated 6 Oct 2026 · How we score · Report an error
