Assassin's Creed Black Flag Meets Valheim In New Pirate R...

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Meets Valheim In New Pirate RPG You Can Try Free Now Crosswind Key Art

Key art from Crosswind press kitOfficial Press Kit

By Paul Farrelly Published Feb 18, 2026, 8:00 PM EST Paul Farrelly is a Contributing Writer for Screen Rant’s Gaming section and the founder of GeekGasm.org, a site dedicated to celebrating all things gaming, from triple A blockbusters to weird and wonderful indie hits. Based in Louth, Ireland, Paul has spent years writing about games, pop culture, and tech, turning his lifelong love of gaming into a career that lets him talk (probably too much) about what makes this industry so endlessly fascinating. He’s previously written and collaborated with several entertainment outlets, including LADbible, gaining a wide perspective on how gaming fits into today’s pop culture conversation. His work blends genuine enthusiasm with thoughtful analysis, exploring how design, storytelling, and community have made gaming one of the most creative mediums around. When he’s not glued to a controller or keyboard, Paul’s usually spinning vinyl, plotting his next horror marathon, or debating which Resident Evil entry really reigns supreme. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Add Us On Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum! There's nothing better than getting to fully immerse yourself in the pirate experience, and thanks to Steam, you can now get your hands on a free demo that will take you on an adventure that'll have you challenging Blackbeard himself for the title of king of the pirates. This crafting survival game focused around the age of piracy will let you go from shipwrecked survivor to feared legend of the high seas in no time.

The demo of Windrose (formerly known as Crosswind) is available to download for free on Steam right now. As a polished slice of pirate action, Windrose offers players the survival and crafting mechanics of Valheim with the high-stakes action and pirate setting of Assassin's Creed Black Flag. For anyone who loves the lawless era of pirates and wants to evolve their lowly character into a fearsome pirate leader to be feared, this could be an easy recommendation.

Windrose Is A New Pirate RPG You Can Try Free Now

It's A Pirate's Life Of Survival For Me

Naval ship battle from Windrose AKA CrosswindOfficial Press Kit

I was lucky enough to be part of the early alpha playtest of Windrose last July, and it's only gone from strength to strength since. The newly released demo shows a visual overhaul while still keeping those strong gameplay mechanics intact.

You'll find yourself washed up on a beach at the start of the demo fighting for survival. Like all good survival/crafting games, you'll find that satisfying loop of gathering, building and upgrading gear keeps you playing more and more.

There's nothing quite like crafting your first buffed cutlass and taking down some drowners in an abandoned shack to get your heart racing. Building up your base, meeting NPCs and following story quests gives this more direction than, say, a Minecraft game.

The game also has unique boss battles, and you'll eventually get to explore the open seas, taking on ships to plunder their loot and amass your very own empire. Getting a huge open world RPG adventure like this might just be a godsend for pirate fans.

Think Assassin's Creed Black Flag Meets Valheim

A Pirate Crafting Survival Mash-up

There are plenty of crafting/survival sims out there already, but few boast such robust gameplay mechanics as Windrose. Pulling the crafting, building and survival elements from Valheim and adding the open sea exploration, treasure hunting and pirate-themed adventures of Assassin's Creed Black Flag is a marriage made in heaven. This demo gives you a taste of a free Steam open-world RPG adventure that will could very well consume all your spare time if you let it once it launches.

Screen Rant Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters

Dive into the world of movies and TV shows with Screen Rant, your source for news, reviews, and exclusive content. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Windrose has a combination of progression, survival and combat that feels balanced and satisfying to experience. Exploration along procedurally generated islands can lead to exciting risk/reward situations where you'll feel lucky to have gotten out alive. From wild boars to even wilder pirate bosses, everything is against you, and survival feels earned. We often get free games to play on Steam, but you should take a chance with the Windrose Steam demo...no eye patch or companion parrot required!