Ahoy Sailors, the coastline is calling....
It’s time again for a new Public Test! Today, we’re launching Update v0.8.5 into the Public Test Branch — and it holds alot of quality of life improvements and much more. From the brand-new Sea Taxi system, which lets you teleport to company-owned ships out at sea or move quickly within ports, to the dramatic new Burning House mission and major improvements to our Buoyancy and Ship Physics/Handling, there’s plenty to explore. We can’t wait to hear what you think!
Back up your Save File
As usual, to avoid any potential issues, we strongly recommend backing up your save files before joining to the Public Test version v0.8.5
To find your Steam for Ships At Sea saves:
Press Win + E
Paste %USERPROFILE%/AppData/Local/Sas/Saved/SaveGames into the search bar.
To try the PUBLIC TEST, please follow these steps:
Open Steam
Right-click on Ships At Sea in your library
Select Properties
Go to the Betas tab
Enter the password: SaSPublicTest
Choose "public_test" from the "Beta participation" drop-down list
Wait for the game to update the files (if nothing happens, restart the Steam client)
Launch the game
Note: Also, remember to verify the integrity of game files via Steam to avoid issues.
🌊 Big Step Forward: Major Improvements to Physics & Buoyancy
This update delivers Part 2 of our Buoyancy and Ship Physics Overhaul, significantly improving how vessels behave in the water.
Key improvements include:
More natural wave response with reduced bouncing and jittering
Improved steering and maneuverability at both low and high speeds
Smoother acceleration and more controlled deceleration
Resolved overly aggressive instant turning behavior of vessels
More accurate weight distribution, engine, and propeller force simulation
Support for multiple engines and rudders
Refined wave height transitions between open ocean and calmer areas
Optimized water shader and overall performance improvements
A major technical change in this update is that thrusters now have their own dedicated engine, entirely separated from the main propulsion system. This means bow thrusters equipped on the Class 3 Ships work independently and can be controlled even when the ship is stationary, behaving as expected in real-world operations.
This update marks another important foundational milestone toward achieving the level of realism players expect from Ships At Sea.
Please note: With the new ship physics system now active, our next step is to further fine-tune the handling and behavior of all boats and ships so they fully align with this improved foundation.
Because the updated physics support multiple engines and propellers, we will also introduce dedicated dual and triple throttle levers on ship bridges in the upcoming v0.8.6 update.
Sea Taxi — Fast Travel Between Ships & Ports
One of the most highly requested features from our community is finally here: the Sea Taxi!
This first iteration of the new system gives players the option to quickly teleport from a port to their company-owned ships out at sea or to move efficiently within major ports such as Røst, Værøy, and Bodø. You can also teleport between ports when needed, making logistics smoother while still preserving the core sailing experience. The Sea Taxi provides convenience when you want it, without replacing the journey itself.
If you want to teleport with your entire ship and crew, you can use your handheld radio, which could be quite costly without an insurance!
How does it work?
Interact with the Sea Taxi NPC at the ports, open the destination tab on the world map, and choose either a ship or a port location. The Sea Taxi will then transport you directly to your selected destination.
All available Sea Taxis are marked with an icon on the map for easy identification.
🔥 Burning House Mission — Dynamic Firefighting With Progressive Damage
The new coastal Burning House mission event in single- or co-op is much more than simply putting out a fire! Buildings now go through stages of burning and destruction, giving you a far more dynamic and realistic firefighting experience.
As the fire spreads, you’ll see the structure visibly deteriorate — from light scorching, to full flames, to heavy damage, and eventually complete collapse.
Just like in real life, pausing your firefighting efforts can allow the flames to reignite, so players must stay alert and persistent. If the fire is not extinguished at all, the house will ultimately be reduced to a ruin — a pile of ash.
Currently, there are few houses configured for the Burning House mission for the Public Test version, however, we will expand this system so that any house in any port can catch fire as part of future dynamic events. Destroyed houses are automatically rebuilt after a certain amount of time.
However, in a later update, we plan to introduce missions where players can deliver rebuilding materials to help restore these structures manually, adding more depth and variety to the world’s dynamic events.
We’ve also adjusted the water cannon pressure, improved the visual effects, and refined the camera view to enhance the firefighting experience. In addition, we’ve added a clear visual indicator for fire intensity and health, making it easier to track firefighting progress. New animations for water cannon operation will arrive in upcoming updates, and we also plan to further smooth and refine the burning stages to create a more immersive firefighting experience.
Side note: We’ve also added new boats for Burning Boat missions, expanding the variety of emergency scenarios players can encounter.
Enhanced Hover Details for Fishing
We’ve added new details when hovering over fish in bleed boxes or longline buckets. When hovering over a bleed box, players will now see the type of fish stored inside and the total weight of each fish species.
For longline buckets, you can clearly see the bait type assigned once bait has been attached, making it much easier to track which bucket contains which bait and improving overall clarity during fishing operations.
Improved Night/Winter Lighting and more Level Design in the World
We’ve refined the lighting system to make nights and winter scenes more atmospheric and visually consistent. Ships, ports, and surrounding landscapes now benefit from improved contrast, clearer illumination, and more realistic reflections, ensuring better visibility during nighttime operations and creating a more immersive winter environment across the world.
Level Design — Work in Progress (Yes, We Know, Smile)
Our level design work continues to move forward step by step. The dry dock is slowly starting to look like a real 24/7 operational facility. That said, there’s still plenty to do — more vegetation, more details, and more polish are coming with each update as we continue shaping the world.
Improved Keyboard Layout Detection
We’ve improved keyboard layout detection at game start to ensure consistent input behavior across different keyboard configurations such as QWERTY, AZERTY, and Dvorak. All physical key presses are now translated internally to a standard US QWERTY layout.
This resolves issues where some players experienced missing, incorrect, or non-responsive keybindings due to regional keyboard layouts, ensuring a more reliable and predictable control experience across all setups.
Expanded Fridge Capacity
The kiosk fridge on the Class 3 service ship can now hold significantly more items. We’ve increased its storage capacity to give players greater flexibility when stocking up for kiosk operations, allowing for better preparation during passenger service missions.
New Captain’s Chair — Welcome NorSap as a License Partner
We’re excited to welcome NorSap, a global leader in pilot, operator, and helmsman seating, as a new license partner in Ships At Sea. NorSap chairs are designed for professional maritime operations, offering excellent style and comfort during long hours at sea.
To showcase this addition, the Class 3 service ship is already equipped with this beauty, further improving the wheelhouse experience and enhancing overall authenticity.
Class 1 Fishing Boat — Cargo Upgrade Support
The Class 1 fishing boat can also now be rigged to carry XS and Small cargo, allowing players to complete smaller cargo missions alongside their fishing activities.
This upgrade adds more flexibility to early-game progression, letting players take on additional mission types without switching vessels and making the Class 1 boat more versatile in day-to-day operations.
Battery Charge Feedback in Inventory
We’ve added clear battery charge feedback when hovering over tools like the drill and flashlight in your inventory. This makes it easier to see remaining power at a glance and better plan your tasks without surprises.
Inventory Management with Drag & Drop
Inventory management is now faster and more intuitive. Players can drag and drop items directly between inventories—such as from the player inventory to the boat inventory—by simply selecting an item and moving it to another tab. This removes the need for right-click menus when faster interactions are needed during operations.
Independent Bridge & Interior Lighting
We’ve added a new dedicated light source for the bridge, separating it from the interior lighting system. This allows players to control bridge and interior lights independently, giving you better visibility where you need it and more control over lighting conditions during night operations.
Changelog
Added
Accept and decline options for the game analytics window popup
Battery charge feedback for drill and flashlight when hovering in inventory
Boat overloading checks and warning messages
Bridge lights on Class 3 ships, allowing independent control of wheelhouse lighting
Burning House missions
Cargo rigging support for Flippy (now supports XS and S cargo)
Detailed hover information for fish in bleed boxes and longline buckets
Feedback for net hauler lever activation on Conquest
Clear failure feedback when the crane cannot pick up cargo
Feedback when hooking fish with a fishing hook
Feedback when players cannot pick up fish by hand or catch via jigger
New boats for Burning Boat missions
NorSap captain chairs added to Skomcat and Nordland for improved driving visibility
Sea Taxi system for teleporting to company-owned ships at sea and within ports
Expanded XS and Small cargo mission distances to include more distant ports
Increased fridge capacity to hold up to 20 items
Fixed
Crash related to fishing gear
Despawn location issues causing players to get stuck at docking points
Steering forces incorrectly applying while airborne
Items failing to quick-slot for clients after rejoining a session
Lighthouse stairs blocking player ascent
Incorrect icons shown in map filters
Missing collision on pallets
Player marker not displaying correctly after using the radio
Quick feedback messages sending only 130 characters instead of 1000
Quickslots not working while driving
Stair collision in drydock causing players to get stuck
Waves appearing too bright at night
Rain visible under roofs at Røster
Ability to cancel global events (removed)
Improved
Boat physics and buoyancy system
Boat engine system (now supports multiple engines and rudders)
Cubemaps on buildings
Drag-and-drop item handling in warehouses
Drydock level layout and collision
Exiting the game or boat while equipped with a buoy
Boat icon display when entering drydock
Money calculation (now rounds up instead of down)
Inventory system and interactions
Keyboard layout detection at game start
Night and winter lighting
Port and onboard ship lighting
Client replication of cargo and trash
Savegame routines
Snow textures on props during winter
Display of unloaded fish boxes during fishery sales
Trash missions
Water cannon camera for better visibility
Water cannon spray visual effects
Wave height transitions between open ocean and calm areas
Watershader optimization
Overall performance
Boat and ship balance across the entire fleet
Localization
Inventory & UI Updates
Drag-and-drop item transfers between inventories
Hide bottom prompts when middle prompts are active
Show close button when viewing the logbook
Show max weight and cell capacity in inventory and cargo areas
Moved Quick Feedback below “Return to Game” in the menu
HUD restricted to 16:9 monitors
World & Level Design
Additional level design improvements across the map
⚓ Final Words
Update v0.8.5 marks another major step forward for Ships At Sea, with a strong focus on improved ship physics and handling — an area many of you have shared valuable feedback on. These long-awaited improvements also lay an important foundation for larger and more complex ships coming soon.
Alongside the physics updates, we hope you enjoy exploring the new Burning missions and the additional features included in this Public Test. We’re excited to hear your thoughts as we prepare for the full release next week.
Thank you for sailing with us on this journey — your continued support truly makes a difference.
Safe sailing, Captains!
Team Misc Games