Ship of the line

⚓ Command a Fleet, Not Just a Ship.

From the Spanish Armada in 1588 to Navarino in 1827, Ship of the Line is a serious naval strategy simulation covering nearly 240 years of warfare under sail.

Read the wind, form the line of battle, concentrate your broadsides, and break the enemy fleet.

▶ Currently in Early Access — The game is already fully playable from beginning to end, while historical scenarios, ships, and systems continue to expand.

— 42 Historical Scenarios —

Fight with historical ships and admirals in battles recreated across the Age of Sail.

The scenarios are divided into two categories.

• 39 Historical Battles — The Spanish Armada, Hansando, Myeongnyang, Noryang, the Siege of Suncheon, the Kentish Knock, Lowestoft, Solebay, Texel, Beachy Head, Havana, Minorca, Quiberon Bay, Flamborough Head, the Penobscot Expedition, Chesapeake, Dogger Bank, the Saintes, the Glorious First of June, Camperdown, Cape St. Vincent, the Nile, Copenhagen, Algeciras, Trafalgar, Grand Port, Lissa, the Bombardment of Algiers, Navarino, and more.

• 3 Large-Scale Reconstructions — Recreate major fleet engagements at full scale while commanding from your flagship through period communication systems such as flags, sound signals, and lights.

These include Trafalgar with 73 ships, the Battle of the Nile at night in a reconstructed Aboukir Bay, and an introductory Dogger Bank engagement with 7 ships of the line against 6.

— Campaign: 1778 —

The American War of Independence.

Choose Britain, France, Spain, the Netherlands, or the United States, and take command of an entire national navy.

• One strategic map stretching from the North Sea and English Channel to Gibraltar, the western Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and the coast of North America
• Shipyards and construction queues, research, crew recruitment and training, officer management, logistics, and finance
• Assign fleets to blockade, escort, commerce raiding, and reconnaissance missions while competing for control of the sea
• When fleets meet, the campaign transitions directly into a tactical naval battle. Battles you do not wish to fight can be auto-resolved
• Wars are decided by victory points rather than a simple checklist. Territory, fleet strength, trade, war exhaustion, national survival, and strategic objectives are weighted differently for each nation

— A Serious Naval Wargame —

This is not a casual game.

The real mechanics of Age of Sail warfare shape every engagement.

• Wind and the Weather Gauge — Square-rigged sailing ships cannot sail directly into the wind. Gain the weather gauge and seize the initiative.

• Line of Battle — Form your ships into a battle line and concentrate broadside fire in a single direction.

• Raking Fire — Cross an enemy ship's bow or stern and fire down the length of her decks for devastating damage.

• Ammunition Types — Round shot smashes hulls, chain shot tears through rigging and reduces mobility, while grapeshot cuts down crews.

• Boarding — Come alongside, throw grappling hooks, cross the decks, and capture enemy vessels.

• Sails, Masts, and Damage Control — Set full sail for maximum speed. Lose a mast and your ship may become nearly helpless. Fire spreads, flooding rises, and deciding where to send pumps and firefighting crews can determine whether a ship survives.

• Anchoring and Emergency Departure — Anchor and fight like a floating battery, or cut the cable and escape when caught by surprise.

• 30 Ship Classes — From massive first-rate ships of the line to frigates and sloops, every class differs in speed, firepower, and durability.

— The Coastline Is Part of the Battlefield —

The battle does not end at the waterline.

• Forts and Batteries — Stone fortifications, fieldworks built from earth and sandbags, and East Asian fortresses can all become part of the battlefield. Bombard walls and support troops ashore with naval gunfire.

• Amphibious Operations — Land troops by boat, or bring a ship directly alongside and send men from the deck onto fortifications.

• Shoals, Reefs, Currents, Night, and Weather — The environment changes the battle. Deep-draft ships can run aground in shallow waters.

• You Cannot See Beyond the Horizon — A lookout may initially report nothing more than “sails sighted.” Identification requires closing the distance.

— Command Mode —

In large fleet engagements, you do not directly control every ship.

You directly command only your flagship, while subordinate ships receive orders through period communication methods including flags, sound, light signals, and dispatches.

Every signal has a limited range. If relay ships are poorly positioned, orders may never reach distant squadrons.

Captains and officers have different abilities and personalities. Their signal decoding speed and tactical judgment will vary.

Not every ship will acknowledge an order at the same time.

And information that has not been reported to you simply remains unknown.

Your task is not to control everything. Your task is to make decisions despite the things you cannot control.

— Scenario Editor & Steam Workshop —

• Create your own battles by configuring terrain, fleets, wind, weather, and victory conditions
• Publish scenarios to the Steam Workshop
• Subscribe to battles created by other commanders and play them directly

— Custom Battles & Multiplayer —

• Custom Battles — Build both sides from a catalog containing data for more than 2,784 ships and create your own engagements.

• Solo Play — Fight tactical AI that reads formations, evaluates the battlefield, and responds using period doctrine. Fully playable offline with no internet connection required.

• Multiplayer — Challenge other commanders in PvP battles and points-based skirmishes.

— Learn to Command —

An 8-stage tutorial teaches you everything from the basics to fleet combat:

Ship information, sailing and tacking, gunnery, fleet organization, line-of-battle combat, boarding, escaping shoals, and a final battle.

— About Early Access —

Historical battles and ships will continue to be added on the road to full release, while tactical AI, ship balance, and multiplayer systems continue to improve.

Players who purchase during Early Access will receive future content additions at no additional cost.