Archipelago Sim – The Sailing Simulator

This game is an OPEN 3D WORLD for virtual sailors. Can’t go sailing today? Don’t have a sailboat? Hey! You can practice your skills and have fun with Archipelago! My mission is to provide a fun and safe environment and entertainment for you.

Archipelago Sim is a fun-no-stress simulation game with realistic waves and physics that you can run in just about any modern Windows computer. You can create your own 3D scenery, set the time of day and weather conditions including wind intensity and direction, rain and fog and overcast conditions; add any number of models and… you can save the situation for future retrieval. Or… for a quick start, you can download Situation examples that I have provided in the distribution site (link below). You are welcome to modify any saved Situation. Set your boats, sailboats or any structure in your scenery and then get onboard a boat and take a leisurely ride between or around islets while practicing your sailing skills, or … if you feel more adventurous, try to setting up and race computer-controlled boats (the AI is smart enough to avoid collisions and check right-of-way) and turn on the new game mode (try the Catamaran race example). If you like a challenge, you can even add your own boats to Archipelago (in OBJ format) or any other 3D models to your scenery and you are welcome to use the models that I have included as a template!

Hello! I am PapaySailor. Years ago, I started writing this program as a “fun retirement” hobby and as a platform to learn 3D OpenGL in Java using an amazing API tool published in JogAmp.org… Except for this library, I am not using any standard or commercially available “game engine” like Unity or UnReal, which BTW, they are great!…. I wrote my own game engine. You might say: “well…that’s not smart”, and you might be right but…hey! … for me, that’s where most of the fun is. The journey is the destination. Let’s do it from scratch. Reinvent the wheel! Learn the nuts and bolts of how those amazing 3D games, that you can find out there, are done. Not long after I started the “project”, it became more than just a learning platform: it is now a fun sailing game/simulator, so…. I wanted to share it with everybody… for FREE! No strings attached, no commercials, no annoying messages and no time limit! Surely, Archipelago Sim is far from perfect, but I’ll keep trying to improved it and hopefully, with your help and feedback, we’ll make it better. I am sure you will enjoy it! You can be the judge, but please let me know how you liked it, or not! I do appreciate any type of feedback.

Please press the “Like” and “Subscribe” buttons below; I’d really appreciate it. It sure helps with the search algorithms!

Impatient to install or to update your current version? You can go straight to download the program at itch.io site to get the latest :

https://papaysailor.itch.io/archipelago-sailor-simulator

Updated Oct 2, 2025:

Tutorial #1 – Basic Navigation

Tutorial #2 – Objects Manipulation

Tutorial #3 – Routes and Races

Tutorial #4 – Game mode – Racing against Computer (NEW)

See a log (just a list)with the latest changes here: https://archipelagosim.com/changes/

If you need some help installing or how to use the program or just a little more details about Archipelago Sim just click here

NOTE: some of the videos in this site may be from OLDER versions of the program

Here are a few screenshots _{(some from older versions)}:

Notice that I recently added ropes, sail covers, true reflections, refraction, rain, lightning and thunder, and much more! I know you will enjoy this program.

This new SailboatIII was added in version 2.5. Thanks to CGTrader.com for this amazing free sailboat! BTW: they have a lot of great free and pay 3D models over there! Contact me if you want tips on how add 3D models to Archipelago:

Race under rainy conditions – weather can be set random

Life underwater: notice swaying algae, fish and occasional dolphins!

Better diffraction effects since version 2.6 – turned on with reflections Option