Far: Lone Sails
A side-scrolling adventure through a post-apocalyptic world in a large vehicle.
Far: Lone Sails (styled as FAR: Lone Sails) is a side-scrolling exploration adventure game from the Swiss studio Okomotive. Players control a driver navigating a large vehicle through a post-apocalyptic world, moving inside its cross-sectional interior to operate stations, fuel the boiler, and repair damage. The vehicle can be upgraded, and the player must solve environmental puzzles to progress. There are no enemies, but hazards can kill the character, who then restarts at the last checkpoint. The story begins with a burial and remains deliberately vague, using ruined landscapes, dried-up oceans, and extreme weather to spark curiosity.
Development started in 2015 as a bachelor’s project by lead developer Don Schmocker at the Zurich University of the Arts. He continued during his master’s with fellow student Goran Saric, founding Okomotive in February 2017 and expanding the team with other students. Inspiration came from Strandbeests, Stephen Biesty’s *Incredible Cross-Sections*, *The Straight Story*, and games like *Journey* and *LittleBigPlanet*. The developers wanted players to depend on and emotionally bond with their vehicle. The game was built in Unity, with 3D graphics in Blender and 2D art in Photoshop.
It launched for macOS and Windows on May 17, 2018, followed by PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on April 2, 2019, Nintendo Switch on August 18, 2019, and Android and iOS on October 22, 2020. A sequel, *Far: Changing Tides*, arrived on March 1, 2022.
Reviews were generally favorable. Critics praised its intuitive design, visual style, music, and ability to convey meaning silently. *GameSpot* scored it 8/10, *Eurogamer* called it “enormously warm-hearted,” and *IGN* noted its “stunning” soundtrack. It was a finalist for Best Student Game at the 2017 Independent Games Festival and nominated for Best Visual Design at the 2018 Golden Joystick Awards, as well as for Game, Puzzle at the NAVGTR Awards.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Far: Lone Sails
- Developer
- Okomotive
- Publisher
- MixtvisionDistributed by Assemble Entertainment since 2022
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- macOS · Windows · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One · Nintendo Switch · Android · iOS
- Released
- macOS, Windows / May 17, 2018 / PlayStation 4, Xbox One / April 2, 2019 / Nintendo Switch / August 18, 2019 / Android, iOS / October 22, 2020
- Genre
- Adventure
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Far: Lone Sails began in 2015 as a Bachelor's degree student project by lead developer Don Schmocker at the Zurich University of the Arts. During his master's degree, he continued development with fellow student Goran Saric. They founded the game studio Okomotive in February 2017 and expanded the team with other students and friends from the university. Schmocker was inspired by Strandbeests, the book Stephen Biesty's Incredible Cross-Sections, The Straight Story, and games such as Journey and LittleBigPlanet. The developers aimed to create a game where the player was dependent on their vehicle, forming an emotional attachment to it over the course of the game. The game was developed in Unity, with Blender and Adobe Photoshop used for 3D and 2D graphics respectively.
Reader's Guide
Far: Lone Sails received generally favorable reviews according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Critics praised the game's visual design, music, and intuitive gameplay. Chris Livingston of PC Gamer described it as 'one of the most intuitive games' he had played, also praising the visual design and music. On Polygon, Charlie Hall described the game as having 'more meaning, conveyed silently, than many major AAA games released so far this year'. GameSpot scored the game 8/10, praising the visual style and ease of play. Edwin Evans-Thirlwell of Eurogamer recommended the game, describing it as an 'enormously warm-hearted adventure' and commenting positively on the game's pace and environments. Writing for IGN, Tom Marks described the game's music as 'stunning' and 'incredible', noting that Lone Sails was a 'gorgeous little game' and 'a journey packed full of both stressful and serene moments alike'. The game was a finalist in the Best Student Game category at the 2017 Independent Games Festival. It was also nominated for 'Best Visual Design' at the 2018 Golden Joystick Awards, and for 'Game, Puzzle' at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards.
Did You Know?
- The game began as a Bachelor's degree student project at the Zurich University of the Arts.
- The developers were inspired by Strandbeests, the book Stephen Biesty's Incredible Cross-Sections, and the film The Straight Story.
- The game has no enemies, though the player-character can die due to environmental hazards.
- A sequel, Far: Changing Tides, was released in March 2022.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Far: Lone Sails?
Far: Lone Sails is a side-scrolling exploration adventure game set in a barren, post-apocalyptic world. You pilot a large mobile vehicle across ruined landscapes while managing its interior systems to survive and push forward.
What do you actually do in Far: Lone Sails?
You move around inside the cross-section of your vehicle to operate stations, stoke the boiler, patch up damage, and work through environmental puzzles. You can also upgrade the vehicle over time to handle tougher terrain and obstacles.
Is there combat or enemies in Far: Lone Sails?
No, the game contains no traditional enemies or fight sequences. The real danger comes from environmental hazards that can kill your character, after which you simply restart at the last checkpoint.
Who developed Far: Lone Sails and when was it released?
The game was made by the Swiss studio Okomotive and first launched on May 17, 2018, built on the Unity engine. It debuted on Windows and macOS before expanding to consoles and mobile devices.
What platforms can I play Far: Lone Sails on?
It's available on Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS. That makes it one of the more widely ported indie titles of the late 2010s.
More in Adventure Games of the 2010s, Part 2 1-24
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