ShipCrafter is a naval sandbox combat simulator built around designing vessels and putting them to the test. Players unlock parts, construct ships, then take on progressively stronger opponents in a campaign framed around liberating Europe. For a different kind of challenge, custom battles let players pit their own creations against one another and pursue efficient, original designs.
Its engineering focus reaches into the combat model: buoyancy responds to weight and submerged volume, and adjustable ballasts enable submarine builds. Shells follow simulated trajectories shaped by atmospheric conditions, while armor penetration considers thickness, impact angle, shell speed and mass. Damage is physics-based rather than represented by health bars, and hits can impair turrets and engines. Weather and changing ocean waves add further variables to battles.
The game pairs its campaign with a custom battle editor that supports chosen weather and time of day, as well as bot-versus-bot encounters. Manual and automatic weapon controls offer different ways to handle combat, while first-person ship visits, workshop sharing and official modding support broaden the creative side.
