Timberman
Timberman
Game
Game2006
The Ship: Murder Party
Developer Outerlight Ltd.
The Ship (later retitled The Ship: Murder Party) is a first-person shooter video game developed by Outerlight using Valve's Source engine. The game was released on 11 July 2006, on Steam with retail distribution in Europe and Australia in September, and 10 April 2007, for North America. A playable concept for The Ship was released as a modification for the game Half-Life in 2004. The game is set on a 1920s… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
184 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
79
LovedLoved
126 positive · 33 negative
95% range 72–85%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 126 | 33 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 3 | 0 | 21 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
3,522 of 4,090 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
78% recommend · 127 yes, 36 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 163 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (5,088 of 5,942 positive).
Players fondly recall the game as a classic ahead of its time. [1][2][3] Many note the multiplayer is now dead due to server shutdowns. [4][5][6] Some say it's still fun with a group of friends. [4][7][2]
Liked
Representative posts
- [5]
doesn't actually work anymore and if you manage the server list doesn't work because they shut it down years ago why does steam still allow games to be sold when you can't play them or they don't work
- [1]
The Ship is the earliest example of an online battle royale style game that I can remember a genre that wouldn’t explode in popularity until over a decade later with the likes of PUBG and Fortnite. The game feels like a curious blend of Agatha Christie murder mysteries and The Sims, brought to life with a striking art deco aesthetic built on the Source engine. Because the singleplayer and multiplayer experiences …
- [2]
The game is completely dead but if you have enough friends to get a bit of a lobby going I think it's absolutely worth going for. The game is an absolute laugh and a lot of fun will be had but you will need other people to hop in with. I somewhat feel like this game was ahead of it's time. It was great fun but did not get that much exposure. Seeing how other similar games in the genre blew up due to massive exposure …
- [8]
Fun game IF you can find a server and people who are playing the game properly. In this game you are given a target to kill on board a ship. You need to kill them, while avoiding the guest who is trying to kill you. During this, you also have to attend to needs, like eating and using the restroom (sims style). This balancing of needs leads you to having to move around and not just camping or hiding in one place. …
- [3]
Classic, truly. One of those, imposter type games before those became memes.
Summarised from 34 of the 179 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
The Ship: Murder Party sits at 79% positive across 159 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
The Ship received generally positive reviews from critics and has a score of 78 on Metacritic. Reviewers praised the innovation of the game and their enjoyment of the game itself, but thought it would need some refinements and fixes to some inconsistencies to complete the game. It received less favorable reviews from players.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 184 · most liked firstI need gamers to understand the Ship of Theseus in relation to Game Studios. Most of these studio names are NOT the studio who made that game. If 80%+ of the devs are different, it's not going to be what you want.
neutral · AI labelView post →proposing we call this one "The Ship of Theseus Game"
neutral · AI labelView post →Very happy to announce you'll be able to hear me as The Botanist and The Tribe Mother in the upcoming game Down With The Ship! Was a lot of fun to give commands and scream as the cold hard vacuum of space turned my lungs inside out ❤️
neutral · AI labelView post →this game was MY among us
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →doesn't actually work anymore and if you manage the server list doesn't work because they shut it down years ago why does steam still allow games to be sold when you can't play them or they don't work
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Still waiting on that community lets play, NerdCubed...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Enjoyed playing this back in my high school days with my mates. Shame there are no players on anymore. If you can get a group of players together, you will have so much fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Ship is the earliest example of an online battle royale style game that I can remember a genre that wouldn’t explode in popularity until over a decade later with the likes of PUBG and Fortnite. The game feels like a curious blend of Agatha Christie murder mysteries and The Sims, brought to life with a striking art deco aesthetic built on the Source engine. Because the singleplayer and multiplayer experiences differ so much, they deserve to be considered separately. The single player…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Still waiting on the Nerdcubed "The Ship" Server!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →god The Ship is such a good game
positive · AI labelView post →Dead Game. RIP The Ship, it's a shame yours servers were shut down. This game was a lot of fun back in the day
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good but pretty dead game, I remember playing it on lan with friends around 20 years ago and it was soooo damn fun
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Long ago this was a banger, now it's completely dead. Sure you could get a couple friends together and play this, but otherwise don't bother.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →We need to revive this game. Lets set it up
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The servers were shut down. There is no way to play multiplayer now. Yet this game still stands in the steam store, able to be purchased for $10 dollars. I don't understand why. For multiplayer online games, Steam really should have a warning label stating the game is only playable via online mode. There is an arcade mode and also a separate game that is single player, but you must have purchased this to be able to play single mode. I've been told single is basically arcade mode but the bots…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is actually a very great game.. It just sadly has lost the community. When I have played this game, which is now a while ago, there was not even a hand full of players in the lobby. I had much time playing this and even the games before this one. I have no clue why this game lost it's community base. I give it a rate from when it was mroe filled with players: 8/10! GET GOO GOO ALU!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is completely dead but if you have enough friends to get a bit of a lobby going I think it's absolutely worth going for. The game is an absolute laugh and a lot of fun will be had but you will need other people to hop in with. I somewhat feel like this game was ahead of it's time. It was great fun but did not get that much exposure. Seeing how other similar games in the genre blew up due to massive exposure from streaming, I think the same would have happened with this game but it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Streaming an early build of "The Ship", a game I worked on back in high school. Come check it out! twitch.tv/caseymongillo
neutral · AI labelView post →a game about stabbing the middle class -nerdcubed 2011 that quote brings me joy every time i play this masterpiece
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game is only fun if you have friends to play with. otherwise dead. please someone remake it properly ❤️❤️❤️
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is from 2006 but still a fun murder mystery type game. The internet servers is no longer supported but if you take a server IP and add it under the "Favorites" list then it will stay there and then you can play on the server.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After jumping through some more hoops, this loony shows up for a rematch. He takes a lot of damage, but can't deal out much, even with his sidekick, so in the end he runs off. I finally have The Ship, opening up most of the game world (presumably). #DestinySpire #jrpg #indiegames #pixelart
neutral · AI labelView post →I mean who doesn't love a great classic like this? It's a hood classic
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Here I will leave the cat, friends who pass by can pet it and give it a thumbs up and awards ／＞ フ | _ _ l ／` ミ＿xノ / | / ヽ ﾉ │ | | | ／￣| | | | | (￣ヽ＿_ヽ_)__) ＼二つ
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Ship of Death - Kyle Winkler 🎧📱🤓🎲💙📚🩸 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A hair-raising tale about a cursed RPG table top game (with a killer multicast audiobook production led by the insanely talented Wil Wheaton). Obsessed and slowly losing grip on reality, the line between game and IRL is getting thinner. #ShipOfDeath
neutral · AI labelView post →Fun fact #1: I named the main character in THE SHIP OF DEATH “Cole” after the board game designer @colewehrle.bsky.social. Big fan of Pax Pamir, Arcs, and Root.
neutral · AI labelView post →peanut would love some pets and treats :) 🌸＞ フ | _ _ l ／` ミ＿xノ / | / ヽ ﾉ │ | | | ／￣| | | | | (￣ヽ＿_ヽ_)__) ＼二つ
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →We got NerdCubed Community Plays The Ship before GTA 6
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Here I will leave the cat, friends who pass by can pet it and give it a thumbs up ／＞ フ | _ _ l ／` ミ＿xノ / | / ヽ ﾉ │ | | | ／￣| | | | | (￣ヽ＿_ヽ_)__) ＼二つ
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Classic, truly. One of those, imposter type games before those became memes.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is... how do I say it?... Epic! I use this game when I am close to thinking of having fun! Signed - Epic 1000
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →even private servers dont work anymore. don't buy
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Gotta love those moments where you pull out a knife, and as you are being stabbed, security puts you in prison instead. I did have to do a bit of setup to get this to run. The host of a game may need to port forward 27015 to get multiplayer working (host only has to do this), just undo this once your done to avoid security problems. I couldn't get the game to launch, but enabling compatibility mode in Windows and setting it to "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)" resolved the issue. The official…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game IF you can find a server and people who are playing the game properly. In this game you are given a target to kill on board a ship. You need to kill them, while avoiding the guest who is trying to kill you. During this, you also have to attend to needs, like eating and using the restroom (sims style). This balancing of needs leads you to having to move around and not just camping or hiding in one place. There is also a security presence, so if you commit a crime in view of the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The longer I work on THE AGONY GAME, the more I realize it's a thematic companion to THE SHIP OF DEATH. Different but they share DNA. Or mitochondria. Something like that.
neutral · AI labelView post →Developed by Outerlight Ltd. and published by Blazing Griffin, The Ship: Murder Party remains one of Steam's most unusual multiplayer experiences. Released during an era dominated by traditional arena shooters and military-themed action games, it dared to build its entire identity around social manipulation, stealth, and calculated murder. Set aboard a collection of luxurious ocean liners inspired by the 1920s, the game places players into a deadly contest orchestrated by the mysterious Mr. X.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is still fun to play. An interesting social deception game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is an old favourite of mine. Such an awesome concept for its day and to this day, I don't think there is anything like it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the Definitive Gaming Experience.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →oh look the game has change XD, going to be trying the Ship Happens demo with @aussiegrif.bsky.social and @ripper253.bsky.social today, going starting a little earlier as well sooo Starting in ~ 20 mins www.twitch.tv/lost_one1993
positive · AI labelView post →Did you know that I like boats and the ocean? You did? Oh, okay. Well, I'm gonna give this boat game a try. Seafarer: The Ship Sim. Come sail with me! #furrylive www.twitch.tv/rieffisher
neutral · AI labelView post →The Monday Morning Commute - Live The best commute isn't the one to work, it's the one with good people The game - Seafarer: The Ship Sim. Grab a brew, climb aboard & let's ease into the week together twitch.tv/xChesterCopperpotx youtube.com/@essextea #Gaming #Seafarer
neutral · AI labelView post →There's probably more people in the Bermuda Triangle than there is playing this game. If you have a group of friends though, this is actually a really fun game. Recommended if you have a group. Not recommended if you're solo (though you can play with bots).
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shame that there isn't an online community for this game anymore. Loved playing this years ago.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →one of the earliest examples of a social deduction free-for-all i remember it like it was yesterday my friends yelling at each other in a stand off in the corner screaming in terror as the autistic homie screeches as he rounds the corner with an automatic weapon but gets arrested before he can pull the trigger
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not sure why this game didn't garner more audience during its release, it's a great party game. Maybe because it can only take place on the ship? But this game will definitely give you a few weeks of laughter with your friends. If you have none, then, don't go in expecting that.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun when I first played... Doesn't even appear to run on modern machinery. Tried many reddits and community posts, all to fail. Not to mention server availability. Also shady business practices in the past! Do not buy.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Too bad this game and the company behind it are basically r.i.p. It's decently fun
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is absolutely FANTASTIC! sadly there isnt a main server so you need to learn how to make your own server or join one that is live but otherwise that this game it LOADS of fun! I also got it on sale and got it for a bunch of my friends to play with! for an old game it's very up to date! 100x then among us or any other hunting target game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very good game to pass the time with no internet. also my first steam game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I killed a man it was fun......oh the game.....it's good I guess
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Multiplayer is deader than the Titanic. You can play with bots though but they're rough. I didn't find it much fun honestly and there wasn't even much ship to explore. It's got some trading cards at least. Under £1.00 maybe buy it but otherwise hard-a-starboard!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It was good while it lasted
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Got a cat here. Friends passing by can touch her and click Like to pet her once. Award for good luck, Take My Points for infinite pets :) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ＿＿ ／＞ フ | _ _ l ／` ミ＿xノ / | / ヽ ﾉ │ | | | ／￣| | | | | (￣ヽ＿_ヽ_)__) ＼二つ
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Able to swap genders mid game And All the Ship Names
neutral · AI labelView post →Tomorrow Morning - The Monday Morning Commute The best commute isn't the one to work, it's the one with good people The game - Seafarer: The Ship Sim. Grab a brew, climb aboard & let's ease into the week together twitch.tv/xChesterCopp... youtube.com/@essextea #Gaming #Seafarer
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is such a hidden gem, coming up on 20th anniversary too, try to give this game a shot with friends!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →better than amoung us
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →best murder game out there shame nobody plays anymore
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Ship: Murder Party is Clue with knives, paranoia, and public restrooms. It’s a social stealth murder sim where you’re the hunter and the hunted—while also managing basic needs like eating, peeing, and not getting shanked in the shower. It’s dated, janky, and occasionally buggy, but the core concept is gold. When it works, it’s tense, hilarious, and totally unique. A cult classic that deserved more love than it got.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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