Games Like Sea of Thieves on PS5 & PS4 (2026)

The closest games to Sea of Thieves on PS5 and PS4 are Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, Skull and Bones and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, each capturing a piece of the open-sea pirate adventure, from naval broadsides to shanties on deck. This list ranks 12 PlayStation games by how closely they match that experience, spanning co-op survival chaos like Raft and Grounded, solo voyages like DREDGE and Subnautica, and pure sailing in Sailing Era and Sail Forth. Sea of Thieves itself is left off, so every pick earns its place on similarity, not rating.

By Ugur Saritepe · Updated Jul 10, 2026

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12 games found

1Assassin's Creed® IV Black Flag
Closest match

Assassin's Creed® IV Black Flag

4.6(78,019)2013
PS+ ExtraPS Plus ExtraESRB Maturehistorical
MixedReview analysis

Overall player feedback for Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is very positive, with many praising its immersive pirate gameplay, strong narrative, and naval combat mechanics, alongside some criticism regarding technical issues and Ubisoft's launcher. Despite these criticisms, players express deep affection for the game, often recalling fond memories and experiences. The mixed sentiment surrounding Ubisoft's practices somewhat offsets the game's numerous accolades.

Why it's here: The closest single-player answer to Sea of Thieves: an open Caribbean where Edward Kenway sails, sings shanties with his crew, hunts treasure and boards enemy ships in the naval combat that still defines the genre. The pirate fantasy is complete in a way few games have matched since. Whether the decade-old structure around it still holds up is the question.

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2Skull and Bones™
Best naval combat

Skull and Bones™

2.9(25,815)2024
PS+ ExtraCo-op: 3PS Plus ExtraESRB Mature 17+pirate
MixedReview analysis

Overall player feedback for Skull and Bones is highly polarized, with a significant divide between those who enjoy its naval combat and those who criticize its lack of depth and repetitive gameplay. Many players commend the ship mechanics and visuals, but numerous others express disappointment due to glitches, limited content, and unmet expectations compared to previous Ubisoft titles.

Why it's here: Mechanically the nearest thing to Sea of Thieves' ship-to-ship combat on PS5: a live-service pirate game built almost entirely around naval warfare in the Indian Ocean, sailable solo or with two friends. The broadsides, wind angles and ship building run deep. Player reception stays divided over everything that happens off the deck, and that divide is worth reading before boarding.

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3Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Best pirate action

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

4.6(7,959)2025
ESRB Mature 17+fantasy
GoodReview analysis

The feedback for 'Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii' reveals a largely positive player experience, with many praising its fun gameplay, humor, and engaging side content. However, there are notable criticisms regarding the story quality and ship combat mechanics, leaving some players feeling disappointed. Overall, players appreciate the goofiness and adventurous atmosphere of the game, although opinions vary significantly on how it fits within the Yakuza series.

Why it's here: Sea of Thieves' swashbuckling joy filtered through the Like a Dragon lens: Goro Majima wakes on a beach with no memory, recruits a pirate crew and takes to ship battles around Hawaii between brawls on land. The naval combat is arcade-fast and the tone gleefully unserious. How the pirate reinvention sits inside a Yakuza story is the surprise.

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4Raft
Best co-op survival

Raft

4.3(4,000)2024
Co-op: 8ESRB Teensurvival
GoodReview analysis

Overall, the feedback on Raft is predominantly positive, especially highlighting the enjoyable multiplayer experience and crafting mechanics. Many players appreciate the satisfying progression from a small raft to a sprawling floating home, though some express disappointment regarding the late-game pacing and story elements.

Why it's here: The co-op half of Sea of Thieves distilled: up to eight friends stranded on a raft, expanding it plank by plank while sharks circle and islands drift past. The same emergent chaos of crewmates juggling jobs at sea drives every session, with a surprising story thread pulling the ocean voyage forward. How far that raft can grow is the hook.

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5DREDGE
Best solo voyage

DREDGE

4.7(16,087)2023
PS+ ExtraPS Plus ExtraESRB Everyone 10+fantasy
GoodReview analysis

Overall, player feedback for DREDGE is highly positive, with many praising its unique blend of fishing mechanics and Lovecraftian horror elements, as well as its atmosphere and art style. However, some reviews express dissatisfaction with the pacing and narrative depth, particularly regarding the fetch quests and the perceived shortcomings of the DLC. Despite the mixed feelings about certain gameplay aspects, the majority of players recommend the game for its engaging design and visuals.

Why it's here: Sea of Thieves' open water with the crew replaced by creeping dread: a lone fishing boat working an archipelago where the catch turns stranger the further from shore it sails. The loop of sailing out, filling the hold and upgrading the boat is immaculate, and the eldritch mystery underneath gives every voyage a pull. What waits in the deep is the reason to keep casting.

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6No Man's Sky
Best exploration

No Man's Sky

4.0(116,645)2016
Co-op: 32ESRB Teensci-fi
MixedReview analysis

Overall, player feedback for No Man's Sky is divided, with many praising its vast exploration potential and continual updates, while a significant number criticize repetitive gameplay and technical issues. The game has seen a notable transformation from its rocky launch to a more content-rich experience, yet opinions vary widely regarding gameplay depth and enjoyment.

Why it's here: The same promise Sea of Thieves makes, written across a galaxy: a shared universe where friends crew up, chart procedurally endless worlds and chase the horizon for its own sake. Years of free updates turned a rocky launch into one of gaming's great redemption stories, with freighters, fleets and settlements to run. Where the expeditions lead next keeps the community sailing.

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7Grounded PS4® & PS5®
Best co-op adventure

Grounded PS4® & PS5®

4.6(7,500)2024
Co-op: 4ESRB Teensurvival
GreatReview analysis

Players overwhelmingly praise 'Grounded' for its engaging gameplay, creative world design, and enjoyable multiplayer experience. Many find the game to be an excellent survival crafting title that effectively combines exploration, combat, and base-building mechanics, while the aesthetic and thematic elements have left a lasting positive impression. However, some users did note issues related to gameplay mechanics, such as combat clunkiness and the optimization and performance concerns, which slightly detract from an otherwise stellar experience.

Why it's here: The session-based co-op adventure energy of Sea of Thieves relocated from the open sea to a shrunken backyard: four friends navigating grass blades like masts, building bases and taking down spiders the size of ships. The shared-discovery loop, where every expedition returns with stories, is the same one that powers a great pirate crew. The yard keeps escalating.

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8Subnautica
Best underwater wonder

Subnautica

4.6(87,840)2018
ESRB Everyone 10+ocean
GreatReview analysis

Overall, players are overwhelmingly positive about Subnautica, praising its immersive world, engaging gameplay, and the blend of exploration and horror elements. However, some critiques point to challenges with resource management and pacing in the later stages of the game, particularly regarding grindiness. Despite these criticisms, the majority of feedback reflects a deep appreciation for the game's atmosphere, visuals, and storytelling.

Why it's here: The open-ocean awe of Sea of Thieves turned vertical: a lone survivor diving an alien sea where every descent trades safety for discovery, from sunlit reefs to biomes that reward real nerve. No crew, no cannons, just the water itself as the adventure. The wreck that started it all still has to be explained, and the depths hold the answer.

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9Sailing Era
Best age of sail

Sailing Era

4.2(401)2023
ESRB Teenfantasy
GoodReview analysis

Overall, player feedback for Sailing Era is largely positive, with many praising its engaging gameplay, nostalgic nods to classic games, and immersive exploration mechanics. However, there are notable criticisms regarding technical issues, repetitiveness in gameplay, and translation quality, leading to a divided experience for some. While most players relish the game, a portion expresses frustration with its execution and mechanics.

Why it's here: For players whose favourite part of Sea of Thieves is the sailing itself: an age-of-sail RPG about running trade routes, managing a fleet and mapping a 16th-century world port by port. Wind, cargo and crew all matter, and the pace rewards patience over broadsides. How deep the trading and exploration systems go is the draw.

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10Sail Forth
Best pure sailing

Sail Forth

4.2(61)2022
ESRB Everyone 10+fantasy
GoodReview analysis

Overall, players find "Sail Forth" to be an engaging and charming sailing game, praising its vibrant art style, enjoyable mechanics, and the fun of open-world exploration. While the majority of reviews highlight the relaxing nature of the game and its rewarding gameplay, some users express frustration over repetitive gameplay elements and control issues.

Why it's here: Sea of Thieves' wind-in-the-sails feel in a breezy, approachable package: a procedurally generated ocean crossed in customisable boats, with light ship combat and a cheerful world that asks nothing but curiosity. The actual sailing model, trimming to the wind and reading the water, is the real star. Where the flotilla ends up is anyone's guess.

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11Rogue Waters
Best pirate tactics

Rogue Waters

4.1(261)2025
PS+ TrialPS Plus PremiumESRB Matureocean
MixedReview analysis

Player feedback on Rogue Waters is highly polarized, with many praising its engaging pirate theme and tactical combat while others criticize its numerous bugs, balance issues, and unfinished gameplay. Many feel that while it has potential, the game's execution and stability detract significantly from the overall enjoyment.

Why it's here: The boarding actions of Sea of Thieves slowed down to turn-based tactics: a roguelike where a cursed pirate crew rams, rakes and storms enemy decks, recruiting sea monsters between runs. Ship positioning sets up every fight and the crew builds carry between voyages. Whether the run-based structure keeps the plunder fresh divides its players, and that tension is the read.

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12Windbound
Best survival sailing

Windbound

3.6(848)2020
ESRB Everyone 10+survival
MixedReview analysis

Player feedback on Windbound shows a divided reception, with some praising its beautiful visuals, sailing mechanics, and art style, while many express frustrations with gameplay mechanics, particularly regarding combat and inventory management. Although there are some positive reviews highlighting the game's exploration and engaging atmosphere, the overall sentiment reflects significant dissatisfaction with core gameplay elements.

Why it's here: Sea of Thieves' island-hopping reduced to one sailor, one handmade boat and the open sea: Kara crafts her way across procedurally scattered islands, upgrading from a grass canoe to a proper sailing vessel. The quiet survival sailing has real charm, though its punishing roguelike structure split players at launch. Which side of that divide a new sailor lands on is the gamble.

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What Makes a Game Feel Like Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves works because it fuses three things at once: a genuinely physical sailing model where the crew trims sails and reads the wind, an open sea that turns every voyage into an emergent story, and co-op play where the chaos of friends juggling jobs is the real content. No single PlayStation game does all three, so this hand-curated list covers each direction a Sea of Thieves fan reaches for next: the complete pirate fantasy of Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, dedicated naval combat in Skull and Bones, swashbuckling action in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, the crew-chaos co-op of Raft and Grounded, open-water wonder in DREDGE, Subnautica and No Man’s Sky, and the sailing itself in Sailing Era, Sail Forth and Windbound. Picks are ordered by closeness to the Sea of Thieves experience rather than by rating, and several are included with PS Plus.

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Games Like Sea of Thieves Compared

  • Assassin's Creed® IV Black Flag
    Closest match4.64 / 5PS Plus Extra

    The complete single-player pirate fantasy, sailing, shanties and all.

  • Skull and Bones™
    Best naval combat2.85 / 5PS Plus Extra

    The deepest dedicated naval combat on PS5.

  • Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
    Best pirate action4.64 / 5

    Arcade-fast ship battles inside a gleefully unserious Yakuza story.

  • Raft
    Best co-op survival4.25 / 5

    Eight-player co-op survival where the raft is the ship.

  • DREDGE
    Best solo voyage4.69 / 5PS Plus Extra

    A solo fishing voyage that slides into eldritch horror.

  • No Man's Sky
    Best exploration4.02 / 5

    Crewing up to explore an effectively endless galaxy.

  • Grounded PS4® & PS5®
    Best co-op adventure4.56 / 5

    Backyard-scale co-op adventure with pirate-crew energy.

  • Subnautica
    Best underwater wonder4.6 / 5

    Open-water wonder turned vertical into an alien ocean.

  • Sailing Era
    Best age of sail4.15 / 5

    Age-of-sail trading and fleet management, port by port.

  • Sail Forth
    Best pure sailing4.2 / 5

    The purest wind-and-water sailing model on the list.

  • Rogue Waters
    Best pirate tactics4.09 / 5PS Plus Premium

    Pirate boarding actions as turn-based roguelike tactics.

  • Windbound
    Best survival sailing3.58 / 5

    Lone survival sailing from grass canoe to proper vessel.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the closest game to Sea of Thieves on PS5?
Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag is the closest overall, pairing open-Caribbean sailing, shanties and treasure hunting with the genre’s defining naval combat. Skull and Bones is the closest to Sea of Thieves’ ship-to-ship battles specifically, and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is the best recent pirate adventure on the platform.
Is Sea of Thieves on PS4?
No. Sea of Thieves is PS5-only on PlayStation, so PS4 players need an alternative. Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag and Windbound run natively on PS4, and DREDGE, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, No Man’s Sky, Grounded, Subnautica and Sailing Era all ship PS4 versions as well.
What co-op games are like Sea of Thieves?
Raft is the standout, supporting up to eight players surviving together on the open sea. Grounded offers four-player co-op adventure with the same shared-discovery energy, No Man’s Sky lets friends crew up and explore a whole galaxy, and Skull and Bones supports three-player naval co-op.
Is Skull and Bones a good alternative to Sea of Thieves?
For naval combat specifically, yes: its ship-to-ship warfare is the deepest on PS5 and the closest match to Sea of Thieves’ broadsides. Player reception is mixed on everything else, particularly the thin on-foot play and live-service grind, so it suits players who want more sea battles rather than a complete pirate fantasy.
Are any games like Sea of Thieves on PS Plus?
Yes. Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, Skull and Bones and DREDGE are all included with PS Plus Extra, and Rogue Waters is in the Premium tier. Check our PS Plus Extra games page for the current lineup.
Do games like Sea of Thieves need PS Plus to play online?
The co-op picks do: Raft, Grounded, No Man’s Sky and Skull and Bones all require a PS Plus subscription for online multiplayer, just as Sea of Thieves itself does. The solo voyages need nothing extra: DREDGE, Subnautica, Sailing Era, Sail Forth, Rogue Waters and Windbound are complete single-player games playable offline.
Are games like Sea of Thieves suitable for younger players?
Sea of Thieves is rated T (Teen), and several picks match or beat that: DREDGE, Subnautica, Sail Forth and Windbound are rated E10+, while Raft, Grounded and No Man’s Sky are rated T. Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, Skull and Bones, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii and Rogue Waters are rated M (Mature 17+).

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