FAR: Lone Sails

I am alone on this barren earth

Story:

Truth be told, Far: Lone Sails isn’t about grand plot twists or epic dialogue - it’s a quiet, meditative journey through a hauntingly beautiful post-apocalyptic world. You play as a tiny, nameless figure in a red coat, piloting a rickety land-ship across a desolate seabed long since dried into a cracked wasteland. Who are you? What has happened in this world? There’s no exposition or explanation for why the world is this way, and that’s the point. You get some tiny glimpses into the things, but the story is in the journey itself: the bond you form with your clunky machine, the remnants of civilization you pass (like rusted ship carcasses and abandoned settlements), and the subtle environmental storytelling that whispers of loss and resilience. By the end of the three-hour trek, you’ll feel like you’ve lived a lifetime with your vehicle - a silent companion that becomes as much a character as you are.

A black and white game screenshot of an arctic landscape with a wooden ramp, a red arrow pointing up the hill towards it, a dark sky, and smoke in the background, all in a simple, low-poly video game style

Graphics:

The game’s visuals are minimalist but striking, blending a muted, almost monochrome palette with bursts of color (like your crimson coat or the glow of your engine). The 2D side-on perspective lets you gaze at the vast, lonely landscapes: dried ocean floors, eerie plains, and haunting ship graveyards that tower over your tiny vessel. The art style presented as a grungy, hand-drawn aesthetic, with weather effects like sandstorms and rain adding texture to the world.

That said, the simplicity comes with quirks. Animations are stiff, and navigating your ship’s cramped interior can feel clunky, especially at times when you need to make a quick repair or simply get from the cargo hold to your sail. But these flaws almost add to the charm: your machine isn’t sleek or futuristic; it’s a patchwork relic, and its rough edges make it feel real. When you unfurl your sails and glide under heavy lead clouds or a blood-red sunset, it’s downright magical.

I mean, come on, just look at the screenshots.

A digital painting of an abandoned, futuristic tractor on the vast, flat landscape of Mars at dusk, with dust clouds in the sky and many black ornithopters walking around it. The background is a desolate field of gray dirt under a twilight orange horizon

Rare signs of life

Audio:

The sound design is great: the chug of your steam engine, the creak of metal, the howl of wind, and the satisfying clink of feeding fuel into the furnace immerse you in the world.

There’s no voice acting, but none is needed. The music and ambient noise tell the story: a storm’s roar builds dread, while the sudden silence after it passes feels like a relief. Do yourself a favour - play this with headphones. Trust me.

A seagull perched on the edge of an old wooden fence, overlooking the vast ocean under a cloudy sky. The bird's orange beak and black wings stand out against its white feathers in contrast to the gray clouds overhead.

Gameplay:

At its core, Far: Lone Sails is a game about "partnership". You and your machine depend on each other to survive. Early on, you’ll scramble to keep the engine fed with fuel, vent excess pressure to avoid explosions, and put out fires. It’s stressful but rewarding: like a zen rhythm game where multitasking becomes second nature. As you move through the story and upgrade your vessel, the gameplay evolves. Soon, you’re balancing wind power with engine boosts, timing sail deployments, and solving simple puzzles to clear blockages.

The world is linear but dotted with moments of discovery: scavenging fuel, exploring wrecked ships, or collecting quirky trinkets (a bell, a flower, a radio) to personalize your ship’s cabin. These mementos serve no purpose other than to make the journey feel like yours.

Combat? What combat? The tension comes from environmental challenges: navigating a hailstorm, running away from active volcano, or pushing your engine to climb a steep dune. The controls can be finicky (accidentally dinking your sail on the rubble is a rite of passage), but more often than not, the lack of pressure lets you embrace the hiccups. This isn’t a game about winning; it’s about persisting.

Screenshot of an in-game level design for a Soviet cargo ship, with large steel ships and military vehicles on the ground. In the style of Unreal Engine 5.

Far: Lone Sails is a rare gem- a game that finds beauty in desolation and meaning in simplicity. It’s a love letter to journeying, not destinations. The clunky controls and repetitive fuel-gathering might test your patience early on, but stick with it. By the time you’re cruising under full sail, the wind in your hair, you’ll feel a peace few games ever deliver. It’s short (about 3-5 hours), but every minute matters. Like a good road trip, it’s not about the miles - it’s about the moments that take your breath away. And believe me, this game left me breathless countless times.