The third title focuses primarily on discovery, but the series tends to allow protagonists the choice to excel in one of these three career paths. Traders purchase and sell international goods to roughly mimic the Columbian Exchange. Pirates make their gain from combat by looting other ships in the open seas and hunting for treasure.

Adventurers focus on global discovery in the unmapped regions of the known world. The main objective in most titles is to raise the protagonist's fame, an attribute which can be raised by either being an adventurer, living as a pirate, or by becoming a trader. Succeeding titles change the time setting and beginning area based on the multiple protagonists available for selection every protagonist has different motivations and traits which may influence unlockable events in each playthrough. The first title limits the setting to 1502~1522 with the starting point of Portugal to follow the adventures of Leon Ferrero (Leon Franco in English localization), a sixteen-year old disposed Portuguese aristocrat seeking to reclaim his right to nobility. Like the Japanese namesake suggests, the series's historical setting is the Age of Exploration the player's avatars are original European characters. The iconic main theme heard in the opening credits and most promotional trailers for the series was composed by Yoko Kanno. He hopes players will continue to experience the same thrill as the first explorers did in any series's entry. Like most Koei historical simulations, this means censoring or omitting many of the harsher realities of the era to fit with this theme. Eiji Fukuzawa first devised Uncharted Waters to offer 'romantic freedom and adventure' during the prime of medieval discovery, granting players the option of choosing their fate through sailing. The series's main distinguishing feature is its emphasis on global travel by sea. It is the only European centric title in the franchise listing, although Söldnerschild Special would follow as a Western-themed fantasy game. It is the second entry in the Rekoeition series –a set of simulation titles which incorporate role-playing game elements.

Uncharted Waters (大航海時代, Dai-kōkai Jidai Translation: 'Age of Exploration') is a historical simulation series first released by Koei in 1990.

Uncharted series