Summary
As far back as the Stone Age, humans have experimented with vehicles designed for traversing water. These are what we now call “boats.” Of course, many sailors would make a point of distinguishing between a “boat” and a “ship,” with size usually being the defining factor. The exact line is a little blurry, but picture something like the difference between a kayak and an oil tanker, and it should give some idea. And every ship needs a captain. The captain is, of course, the person in charge of the ship. They might work alone or with a crew, but either way, they hold the same basic responsibility- making sure everything runs smoothly, and the ship gets where it needs to go. It’s not an easy job. There’s a lot that goes into being a good captain. It’s a job that, depending on the type of ship, can involve a number of different responsibilities. After all, if something goes wrong, it is the captain that people will turn to.
Naturally, being captain of a ship can be a great mechanic for video games, especially of the open-world variety. Taking charge of a ship means sailing out on the high seas with a degree of freedom. In an open world game, having a ship can be a great way to facilitate exploration. And of course, many games love to incorporate ship-to-ship combat. When done effectively, the ship itself can start to feel like a character in its own right. But it can also come with some interesting challenges. Just like in real life, being a captain requires quick-thinking, an ability to make decisions under pressure, and the knowledge of what it takes to keep the ship going.
This ranking is based purely on how much the position of “captain” affects gameplay. Higher rankings simply indicate that the game does more to simulate the actual responsibilities and jobs of a captain. It does not reflect the overall quality of the game. All of these entries are excellent titles and recommended to players.
To avoid getting too complicated, this list only includes single-player games. While there are multiplayer games likeSea of ThievesandSkull and Boneswhich put emphasis on ships, players usually act more like a crew, and there isn’t always a clearly designated captain. This list is also limited to seafaring ships, and does not include space or air ships.
It should be emphasized that this selection is based on games that have actually been played by the author. This does mean that some good entries might have been ommitted simply because of a lack of experience with them. Feel free to share any recommendations for other games in the comments.
After the success ofBlack Flag, it only made sense that Ubisoft would want to experiment with revisiting the ship mechanics. They might have stumbled with bringing it back forRogue, but they would succeed inOdyssey. This one took place during in Ancient Greece during the Pelopennesian War, so it made sense to give Kassandra a ship. But they went all out. They could have just used it as a means of fast travel, but the developers also reworked naval combat to fit the older setting. A significant portion of the game involves Kassandra engaging in combat with other ships, mainly those of the Athenian and Spartan navies, but sometimes also encountering pirates and more unique opponents. Plus, it has a beautifully detailed underwater world full of sea creatures and ancient ruins to explore.
That said, there are limits to how much of Kassandra’s position actually comes up in gameplay. During quieter moments, the player’s main job is to steer the ship. Kassandra can recruit officers who give bonuses, and purchase upgrades, but the actual day-to-day responsibilities of running a ship are mostly relegated to the background and happen automatically. Her position mainly comes into play during combat, when she needs to direct her crew on how to engage an enemy vessel. This is great for casual players, but has its limits for those who want the full experience of being a ship’s captain.
After some moderate success experimenting with naval combat inAssassin’s Creed III, Ubisoft decided to try developing it further in the next game.Assassin’s Creed Black Flagis often considered one of the best games in the series, and a big part of that was easily the updated sailing mechanics. Early on, Edward Kenway gets his own ship, a sloop called theJackdaw, and can freely maneuver it around an open-world Caribbean map. Naturally, one of the game’s biggest selling points is being a pirate, an aspect which ended up being so popularUbisoft tried to rework it into its own game. Edward can attack ships of the Spanish and British navies and plunder them for all they’re worth. And he even crosses paths with actual history, making both friends and enemies among some real-life pirates.
Of course, as a captain Edward does have some responsibility. Although not the most intense managerial experience, Edward does need to do a few things. Obviously, he needs to steer the ship and can purchase upgrades with help in combat. But other pirates and colonial powers aren’t the only threats he needs to deal with. Just like in real-life, storms can create dangerous currents for ships, and of course there’s the occasionalrogue wavewhich can easily sink theJackdawif Kenway can’t react in time. Because life is so dangerous at sea, Kenway does have to regularly ensure theJackdawis sufficiently crewed and repaired, and regularly has to address both issues. While upgrades can help, they can only do so much to mitigate the danger. There’s also an optional side activity where Kenway can build up and manage a merchant fleet.
Most entries on this list concern taking ships on the surface, but what about players who want to go underwater? There aren’t a lot of open-world games about submarines.Technically,the player can use submersibles inGTA V, but it’s not exactly a major focus. Fortunately, there is one exception. The main selling point of both the originalSubnauticaandBelow Zerois the alien ocean, so it makes sense that any vehicle should fit that setting. It’s not easy, but in both games the player can build a submarine to explore the planet’s depths. TheCyclopsin the first game and theseatruckin the second both allow plenty of options. And since both protagonists are more or less alone, they are effectively the captain. The AI even directly addresses them as such.
Of course, since Ryley and Robin are theonlycrew members, it does come with some challenges. Just getting a cyclops or seatruck built is hard enough. But without a crew, there’s a lot more responsibility to keep things running. The Captain needs to keep the ship powered, and stay on top of repairs. The latter is especially difficultwhen some creatures can easily rupture the hull, and repairs require moving into a more vulnerable position outside. And just like a real submarine, it’s also important for the captain to understand the limits of their ship, since diving past crush depth will lead to disaster. The good news is both the Cyclops and the seatruck have lots of customization options, so the player can modify and upgrade it to fit their playstyle.
This 2004 classic casts the player as an up-and-coming pirate captain in an open-world reconstruction of the Caribbean islands. Naturally, most of the gameplay centers around sailing their ship around the map, with more or less free rein on how they want to pursue their pirating career. Any ship encountered can be plundered and/or taken, assuming the player has the crew and firepower to challenge it. They can go full chaotic or try their hand at privateering for one of the major colonial powers (England, France, Spain, and Holland). Other options include searching for buried treasure, earning social status and romancing a governor’s daughter,and challenging actual historical piratesfor a place in the top ten ranking.
But it does come with its challenges. For one thing, as a leader, the player needs to be good at evaluating potential scores. While they can choose to attack any ship they come across, that doesn’t mean it’s always the smartest idea. After all, ships come in different sizes, with varying degrees of firepower and durability. Attacking a much larger and better armed opponent can result in a pretty swift defeat. The player also has the job of keeping the crew satisfied, since low morale can lead to mutiny. And they need to make sure their ship is in good condition, which means using plunder to buy repairs and upgrades. It can be tougher than it looks.
This peculiar indie game from Black Salt Studios puts players in the role of a newly-hired fishermanin an eerie open world. But what starts as a seemingly simple game about catching fish to sell soon reveals itself to have a much uglier side, especially when it comes to navigating open water at night. It doesn’t even need a particularly large open-world when it already makes the player feel paranoid just of crashing into rocks. But of course, what the game isreallyknown foris its sea monsters. As if regular nautical safety hazards weren’t enough, the player also has to deal with Lovecraftian sea creatures occasionally popping out of the deep. As the captain, the player has to somehow navigate these treacherous waters and get back safely. It is possible to improve the vessel to have better chances, but getting those upgrades means surviving long enough to get the required resources.
A big part of what makesDredgeso compelling is the way its apparent simplicity betrays a much more intense experience. While the basic gameplay mechanics are easy to learn, the real challenges come in unexpected places. A common one, for instance, is the simple act of trying to fit cargo into the hold- if there isn’t enough space, what should be kept and what can be discarded? There’s also the regular choice between playing it safe and docking at night, or going out and risking everything for a bigger reward. Of course, sometimes the player doesn’t get to make that choice, and night falls while they’re in open waters. That means having to deal with any number of hazards and mental health, and there’s also a need to be sufficiently rested to better prepare for those challenges. Plus, the boat needs to be kept in working order or the captain might go down with it. It’s easily one of the most intense captaining experiences available.
This interactive novel from Bellular Studios might not be what most people conventionally think of as an “open world,” but it offers a distinct setting and gives the player a degree of freedom to explore as they see fit, so it still works. Inspired by the real-life Shackleton Expedition to the Antarctic,The Pale Beyondfollows the crew of theEnduranceafter it gets trapped in ice. While protagonist Robin Shaw doesn’t start as the captain (initially being recruited as the first mate), they quickly get thrust into the role after the original captain seemingly deserts for unclear reasons. Now they have the task of keeping the crew alive long enough to escape, which is easier said than done when trapped in ithe middle of nowhere in sub-zero temperatures.The Pale Beyondis easily the most challenging game on this list. And it’s probably the most detailed look at what it actually means to be a ship’s captain.
The thing that makesThe Pale Beyondso challenging is it actually details the day-to-day life of a captain. There aren’t really any sailing mechanics in this one, but there are individual crew members Robin has to interact with, all of whom are under stress due to the life-threatening circumstances. LikeSid Meier’s Pirates, keeping up morale is essential, but morale can vary widely for different people. Different actions can gain or lose trust with specific characters. And of course, if someone gets scurvy or frostbite, that’s less people who can be allocated to life-saving tasks. Adding to the tension is a supply shortage that requires Robin to make decisions on how to delegate resources, and one mistep can lead to certain death.
