Far: Lone Sails
A side-scrolling exploration game set in a post-apocalyptic world.
Far: Lone Sails (often written as FAR: Lone Sails) is an exploration adventure game from the Swiss studio Okomotive. It launched on Windows and macOS in May 2018, followed by PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in April 2019, Nintendo Switch in August 2019, and Android and iOS in October 2020. A sequel, Far: Changing Tides, came out in March 2022.
In the game, players control the driver of a large vehicle navigating a post-apocalyptic world. The perspective is side-scrolling, showing the vehicle’s interior as a cross-section. To move forward, the player must move around inside, operating stations and pressing buttons to perform tasks like starting the engine or feeding the boiler with fuel found along the journey. The vehicle can take damage, forcing the player to stop and put out fires or repair broken parts. Players also solve environmental puzzles to let the vehicle pass and collect upgrades. There are no enemies, but the character can die from environmental hazards, restarting at the last checkpoint.
The story begins with a burial scene, but the rest of the background is deliberately vague. The developers wanted curiosity to drive exploration. The landscapes show ruins of an advanced civilization, dried-up oceans with massive ships stranded on dry beds, and periods of extremely dangerous weather.
Development started in 2015 as a bachelor’s degree project by lead developer Don Schmocker at the Zurich University of the Arts. He continued it during his master’s with fellow student Goran Saric. They founded Okomotive in February 2017 and added other students and friends. Schmocker drew inspiration from Strandbeests, the book *Stephen Biesty’s Incredible Cross-Sections*, the film *The Straight Story*, and games like *Journey* and *LittleBigPlanet*. The team wanted a new approach to vehicles in games, making the player dependent on their vehicle and forming an emotional bond with it. The game was built in Unity, with 3D graphics in Blender and 2D graphics in Adobe Photoshop.
Reviews were generally favorable, according to Metacritic. Mashable’s Anna Washenko called it a favorite from E3 2016, a “simple but lovely game.” PC Gamer’s Chris Livingston, after playing at GDC 2017, called it “one of the most intuitive games” he had played, praising its visuals and music. Polygon’s Charlie Hall said it had “more meaning, conveyed silently, than many major AAA games released
- Developer
- Okomotive
- Release year
- 2018
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
- Genre
- Exploration adventure
- Perspective
- Side-scrolling
- Notable for
- Vehicle-dependent gameplay with no enemies
Lore & Background
Far: Lone Sails began in 2015 as a Bachelor's degree student project of 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 game is developed in Unity, with Blender and Adobe Photoshop used for graphics.
In the game, the player controls the driver of a large vehicle as they search through a post-apocalypse setting. The vehicle interior is shown as a cross-section, and the player must move inside to operate stations, press buttons, engage the engine, and fill the boiler with fuel sources. Parts can take damage, requiring the player to stop and extinguish fires and repair systems. The player solves puzzles to allow the vehicle to pass and collects upgrades. There are no enemies, though the player-character can die from environmental hazards and restart at the last checkpoint. The background story is intentionally vague, with landscapes showing ruins of a technologically advanced civilization and dried-up oceans with scuttled ships.
Reader's Guide
Far: Lone Sails received 'generally favorable' reviews according to Metacritic. Critics praised its visual design, music, and intuitive gameplay. Chris Livingston of PC Gamer described it as 'one of the most intuitive games' he had played. Charlie Hall of Polygon said the game had 'more meaning, conveyed silently, than many major AAA games released so far this year'. GameSpot scored it 8/10, praising the visual style and ease of play. Edwin Evans-Thirlwell of Eurogamer called it an 'enormously warm-hearted adventure'. The game was a finalist in the Best Student Game category at the 2017 Independent Games Festival and was 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. Its sequel, Far: Changing Tides, was announced in June 2021 and released on March 1, 2022.
Did You Know?
- The game began as a Bachelor's degree student project of lead developer Don Schmocker at the Zurich University of the Arts.
- The developers founded the game studio Okomotive in February 2017.
- The game has no enemies, though the player-character can die due to environmental hazards.
- The game was a finalist in the Best Student Game category at the 2017 Independent Games Festival.
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