%%
%% Image selected per Image Pickin thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=17113161620.73703600
%% Please don't change or remove without starting a new thread.
%%
[[quoteright:350:[[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1000008748.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Dock your worries and indulge in the seaside atmosphere.]]
%%

->''"Hey, where am I?"''
->''"You wanna know where you are? Hahaha!'' In Port Royal!"
-->-- Intro to "Port Royal" by '''Music/RunningWild'''

Usually coupled with an island and much larger than the FirstTown, this is usually just where the characters are going to GetOnTheBoat to the next continent. Otherwise expect docks, a fishing village, and a beach, usually with {{accordion|ToMostSailors}}s in the soundtrack, perhaps with a [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere floating fish monster]] that's preventing ships from sailing. If the boat doesn't leave fast enough to get wrecked at sea, the Port Town suffers this fate instead.

Often the Port Town will only let you GetOnTheBoat after doing a [[FetchQuest quest]], usually as a way [[BrokenBridge to assure the game you're ready]] to move ahead to an area where you might not be able to backtrack to. If, as is often the case, the Port Town is host to an [[WretchedHive unsavory or criminal subdistrict]] filled with [[VenturousSmuggler smugglers]], BlackMarket goods, privateers and pirates, thieves and [[TheOldestProfession prostitutes]], this is the NotSoSafeHarbor.

TruthInTelevision, of course, as in RealLife ports do attract TheSyndicate's [[BlackMarket illegal activities]], but so ubiquitous that trying to list all non-video game examples would be futile.
----
!!Video Game Examples:
* The [[TropeNamer eponymous]] Port Town from ''VideoGame/FZero'', servicing as a port for space travel on Earth.
* Talewok in ''Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage''.
* Beloveno from ''VideoGame/{{Albion}}'' is the largest settlement in the entire game. The large port takes up 25% of the map. The rest is a maze of buildings. If you didn't use the map for instant travel in the first town, you will use it here.
* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': Harbor Town is a large port at sea located far from the city. It's home to the [[GladiatorSubquest arena tournament]], an ItemCrafting shop, a FishingMinigame, and a large ShipLevel.
* Many coastal towns in ''VideoGame/{{Avernum}} 3''. Unfortunately, the quarantine on the continent of Valorim has shut most of them down, and only a few actually allow transport anywhere.
* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'':
** ''VideoGame/BanjoTooie'': The "above water" section of Jolly Roger's Lagoon is a small port town surrounded by gray plateaus. It houses a touristic hotel run by Jolly Roger, as well as a recreational swimming area where Tiptup (from the first game) and his yet-to-be-born 20th child is.
** ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooieGruntysRevenge'': Spiller's Harbor used to be a healthy, popular harbor city until Gruntilda and her minions turned it into a PollutedWasteland. There are many areas in the water tainted with oil, as well as a lighthouse, an ice cream truck, and pipelines colored red and yellow.
* Rhappala in ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIII''. [[spoiler: You don't get a boat on your first visit, though]].
* ''VideoGame/BugFables'': The Bugaria Pier serves as the docking area for ships sailing to and from the Ant Kingdom through Metal Lake.
* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'': A ferry operates between Truce and Porre. Once history is changed and relations with Medina thaw over, it's revealed that Medina is in the process of adding a ferry as well.
* Talos Island, Independence Port, and Striga Island in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes''. Port Oakes in ''City of Villains''.
* Kingsport in ''VideoGame/CthulhuSavesTheWorld'' is where Cthulhu can hitch a boat to Alhazred, after curing the illness that plagues the town.
* ''VideoGame/{{Deponia}}'' has The Floating Black Market and Porta Fisco.
* Lut Gholein in ''VideoGame/DiabloII''. The character can only GetOnTheBoat after the city is safe and the Sultan allows the ship to depart.
* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'': Lake Orangatanga, the first world, is a temperate biome next to a pine forest and surrounded by wooden piers and rural mills, in which the levels take place (though one is located within the snowy border leading to the mountains, thus being SlippySlideyIceWorld). The boss is Belcha, a large living barrel that has to be defeated in RingOutBoss form.
* Kirkwall in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' is one of these, though it's also the AdventureTown since the entire plot of the game is focused on the city and the area around it.
* In the ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' series:
** Lianport in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestII''.
** Portoga in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII''.
** Havre Léon and Porthtrunnel in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV''.
** Littlehaven (admittedly, not much of a "town", but the first place you take a boat to a new continent) and Lodestar Harbour in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV''.
** Port Haven in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI''.
** Fishbel (which is also the FirstTown) in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVII''.
** Port Prospect in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII''.
** Port Llaffan and Bloomingdale in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX''.
** Gondolia in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI''.
* Toto in ''Videogame/EarthBound1994'' is a small fishing village/port town attached to Summers, which is a beachside resort. You can take the boat from there to Scaraba, a town with a less favorable pier-to-town ratio, but still one that clearly relies on incoming water transport.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'': Vvardenfell being an island turns almost every coastal city into one of these. However, due to the Blight quarantine, only [[FirstTown Seyda Neen]] remains in operation with traffic from the mainland.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' has Anvil as the main seaport, although the Imperial City has a river-based dock as well. You don't really travel anywhere from them in the unmodded version, although a few mods have you start the game by getting off a boat in Anvil.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' has Solitude and Windhelm as well (Dawnstar was one according to previous lore, but by its appearance has been retconned or for unexplained reasons degenerated to a port ''village'').
* ''VideoGame/EpicMickey'': Pirate Voyage and Tortooga. They are based on the village from ''Pirates of the Caribbean'', after all. Pirate Voyage even has little boats you can ride on.
* Queynos and Freeport in ''VideoGame/{{Everquest}}''. They also count as FirstTown for human characters.
* Bloodstone in ''VideoGame/FableII''.
* Port Puerto in ''VideoGame/FantasyLife''.
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
** Pravoka in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI''. You get the game's ship by defeating the pirates that have taken over the place.
** South Figaro (pictured), Nikeah, and Albrook in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''.
** Port Junon and Costa Del Sol in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''.
** A few in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII''; you can dock the garden at Fisherman's Horizon, and the [[GlobalAirship Ragnarok]] at the airport in Esthar. Balamb and Dollet are more traditional Port Towns, but you cannot pilot boats to and from there and in the case of Dollet, the town is entirely optional once you finish your mission there. You can rent cars from both locations, however.
** Lindblum in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', and it's also an ''airship'' port town.
** Luca in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' is a massive port that uses some machine permitted by the Church of Yevon. Its seaside areas consist of five enormous docks arranged in a circle around the Blitzball stadium connected to the mainland and sphere theater by a bridge.
** Selbina and Mhaura in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI''. Selbina only goes to Mhaura, but Mhaura swaps trips between Selbina and [[TheEmpire Aht Urhgan]].
** Balfonheim in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' is a semi-independent port that bribes [[TheEmpire the Archadians]] to stay away. It's mostly home to [[ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything self-styled pirates]] and was quite the WretchedHive until Reddas took over. Bhujerba takes advantage of its [[FloatingContinent lofty position]] to be one of these for airships.
** Limsa Lominsa in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' is a coastal city-state centered on the port of the same name. It has a formidable navy that it uses to defend its trade routes from pirates and the invading [[TheEmpire Garleans]]. Its ruler even has the title of Admiral.
* The port of Badon in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemBlazingSword''.
* Mactan Base, Cadiz Base, and Planet Toledo from ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}'' are like staging areas within missions.
* Kalay and Tolbi in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun''.
** Those two are just inland cities that own ports. For REAL port towns, check Lalivero, Alhafra, and Champa.
** And in ''[[VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn Dark Dawn]]'', there's Belinsk, Port Rago, Champa again, [[spoiler:(what's left of it, anyway)]] and Tonfon.
* Cyrum kingdom in ''VideoGame/GrandiaII''.
* One in each ''VideoGame/GuildWars'' campaign: Lion's Arch in ''Prophecies'', Kaineng Center in ''Factions'', and Kamadan in ''Nightfall''. If you purchase more than one campaign, you can travel between continents using these cities.
* Sashimi Bay from ''VideoGame/HellPie'' is an island populated by snail-people who used to base their economy around whaling before they were forced to quit by environmentalists.
* [[http://www.terraearth.com/wp-terraearth/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/South-Cape.png South Cape]] from ''VideoGame/IllusionOfGaia''. The hometown of the KidHero, it's where the game first starts. Ironically, you end up going north and travelling by land when you leave, instead of taking a boat.
* ''VideoGame/{{Indivisible}}'': Port Maerifa is an independent port town settled at the edge of the [[ShiftingSandLand Almutah Desert]].
* Port Zala and (to a lesser extent) Kolton from ''VideoGame/InfiniteUndiscovery''.
* Several of the cities in the ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'' games are coastal: Haven City, Spargus City, and Kras City. Unusually, Haven City is completely enclosed in walls (including its port) to keep out the Metal Heads, which raises the question of where its ships actually go.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': The series represents ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' with Port Royal. It's implied in ''II'' with pirate ships, but it becomes a full-fledged gameplay mechanic in ''III'' with pirate ships and pirate supporting characters.
* Jurai from the ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrails''. Once a large coastal city, it fell on hard times after a typhoon destroyed most of the place, a situation only made worse thanks to the Salt Pale disaster that devastated [[GrimUpNorth North Ambria]], Jurai's most prominent trading partner. Eventually the city accepted being annexed into the [[TheEmpire Erebonian Empire]] under the promise of economical recovery.
* Saith in ''VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar''.
* Marwin and Dagron in ''VideoGame/{{Manifest}}'', though you never take a boat out of Dagron, mostly because the Thymetian army is making heavy use of it.
* ''VideoGame/MetroLastLight's'' Venice station is a port town station as it is surrounded by river and fishermen. The preceding level before it has Artyom and Fedor riding on a boat all the way to the flooded station.
* ''VideoGame/MetroExodus's'' second DLC Sam's Story has Vladivostok, which is a definitive port town, as most of it is flooded due to a tsunami that was caused by the nukes. This is [[ContrastingSequelSetting starkly contrasting]] to Moscow as radiation did not spread evenly across Vladivostok, making Vladivostok's surface safer than Moscow itself.
* ''VideoGame/MonstersIncScreamTeam'': One of the urban levels, The Docks, takes place within a harbor that features locations like a climbable lighthouse, a docked ship whose interior has crushers that must be avoided, and some rooftops.
* Highcliff in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2''.
* ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'' has Grandport, the largest port in the land, and Rippletide, a smaller port and hometown of [[IntrepidMerchant Tressa]].
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Vermilion City]], [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Olivine City]], [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Lilycove and Slateport Cities]] (the latter even has "port" in its name), [[VideoGame/PokemonXDGaleOfDarkness Gateon Port]], and [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Canalave and Snowpoint Cities]] from throughout the series. [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Castelia City]] is a mix between this and HubCity. And, of course, each island in [[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Alola]] has a port, since the player can't use Surf to travel between them (except for [[VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon Mantine Surf]]). And in the Red/Blue remakes, there's a port on each of the main Sevii Islands for the local ferry service. [[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY Coumarine City]] plays with this -- it's a port town with boats in the harbor, but the player character doesn't board any of them.
* ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheAzranLegacy'': San Grio, one of the main destinations visited in Chapter 4. It's a lively coastal town where many Poponos are sold and (as part of a celebration) exchanged between travelers and citizens alike. This turns out to be a problem for Layton and his friends, because the Poponos are identical in appearance to the Azran Eggs and ''one'' of them happens to be a real one, so the overarching challenge lies in figuring out who has it so it can be retrieved. The town also has a luxurious hotel where the characters can spend a night in certain rooms and have dreams that foreshadow events from the first three games (which chronologically happen after this one), though accessing them requires purchasing suite tickets with Play Coins.
* Larapool of ''VideoGame/Quest64''.
* All towns in ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryV''; seeing as this installment of the series is based in a JustForFun/FantasyCounterpart to Greece, this is justified as all towns are close to water and have to live off of fishing.
* In ''VideoGame/RagnarokOnline'', there's Izlude, Alberta, and Hugel. Izlude and Hugel have your normal seaports as well as airship ports.
* ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando'': Canal City, Planet Notak, so named for the canal in the Promenade district. It also has a wharf, though none of the boats shown ever use it.
* ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' has Saint Denis, a fictional counterpart of New Orleans that has a large and active port. Like its real-life counterpart, it sits where a major river enters the ocean.
* Port Sarim, Rellekka and Catherby in ''VideoGame/{{Runescape}}''. Port Phasmatys also, although it's a combination of Port Town and GhostTown.
* ''VideoGame/SentinelDescendantsInTime'' has Eska, one of the seven realms that Beni can explore Tomb 35.
* ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'': The HubLevel, Scuttle Town, is one, and it's where ships from all over dock upon arrival.
* Saraband in ''VideoGame/ShiningForceIII'', the whole town is actually a boat.
* ''Every'' town the player visits in ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'' is a port town, since the only way to travel through [[WorldInTheSky the overworld]] is via an airship.
* [[VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia Rogue's Landing]] in ''[[VideoGame/SegaSuperstars Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed]]'', combined with LevelsTakeFlight and FloatingContinent.
* The final level of ''VideoGame/StuntRaceFX'' is Harbor City, a track by the water, which the player can fall into if they're not careful.
* ''VideoGame/SuperKiwi64'': The eighth and final level takes place within a coastal city with buildings in the shore and some submarines in the surrounding waters. Located in various parts are color-coded keys that open the doors leading to a grotto hiding a gem.
* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** Delfino Plaza in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' is quite a tourist spot given the game's setting.
** Alongside [[PalmtreePanic beach themed tracks]], ''VideoGame/MarioKart'' started to make port town tracks since ''VideoGame/MarioKartDS''. They usually are in Flower Cup, though some exceptions occur:
*** ''VideoGame/MarioKartDS'' has [[VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine Delfino Square]], which takes place in a lively harbor town set in Isle Delfino and features a drawbridge that opens and closes periodically.
*** ''VideoGame/MarioKartWii'': Star Cup has Daisy Circuit, which takes place in a coastal town and is raced during sunset; statues of Luigi and Daisy dancing together (both in their adult and infant forms) decorate the plaza as well. On its part, [[NostalgiaLevel Banana Cup brings back DS Delfino Square]], while the battle stage Delfino Pier happens on a docking stage with raising water.
*** ''VideoGame/MarioKart7'': [[VideoGame/WiiSportsResort Wuhu Loop]] starts and ends in a small touristic town while the whole battle stage Wuhu Town happens in the said town.
*** ''VideoGame/MarioKart8'' has Toad Harbor, which can be considered a small San Francisco, while the ''[[UpdatedRerelease Deluxe]]'' version brings back Wuhu Town as a battle stage. The Booster Course Pass for ''Deluxe'' also features Sydney Sprint from ''Tour'' (where a coastal plaza is run across during the second lap), as well as Los Angeles Laps (also from ''Tour'') and Daisy Circuit (from ''Wii'').
*** ''VideoGame/MarioKartTour'': One of the variants of Sydney Sprint goes through the eponymous city's coastal plaza. Also, one of the variants of Los Angeles Laps goes through the touristic Santa Monica Pier. Lastly, a later wave added Daisy Circuit of ''Mario Kart Wii'' fame.
** ''VideoGame/MarioParty7'': The board Grand Canal takes place in a city very reminiscent of Venice, Italy. The players move through wooden bridges, gondolas, and piers, and one of the main attractions is a giant Blooper who runs a find-the-prize game with its tentacles. The goal is to reach a Star and pay 20 coins to get it, like in most boards in the series, but it's also the only board in the game that follows this rule (there's another board that does it to an extent, but it comes along with its own twist).
** ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' has three examples:
*** Rogueport, which is also the HubLevel of ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor''.
*** Surfshine Harbor, a small coastal town in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar''.
*** Port Prisma, the main hub from ''VideoGame/PaperMarioColorSplash''.
** ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'' has Wakeport.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOf''
** Izoold and Palmacosta in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia''.
** Venezia in ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' is where the protagonists can get a boat to Alvanista, which is also a port town.
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' has Capua Nor and its sister town Capua Torim which lie on the opposite sides of a strait, along with Nordopolica to a lesser extent.
** ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria'' has Hellawes, Port Zekson, Port Cadnix, Reneed, Yseult, and Taliesin.
* Solde in ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile2Silmeria''.
* Brimloch Roon in ''VideoGame/WizardsAndWarriors''.
* About eight different towns in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', including one of the Alliance capital cities (Stormwind). The port area of the island Darnassus is treated as a separate zone, but since it's built around a teleporter that takes you straight into the city the division is somewhat arbitrary.

!!Non-video game examples:
* A common setting for many a TabletopGame, the ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' campaign setting ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' has several including the cultural melting pot city of Waterdeep, with its's extensive Dock Ward is the setting of many works set in the realms - in particular the adventure module ''TabletopGame/WaterdeepDragonHeist'' takes place there.
* The place where the title character works as a barmaid in the song "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" by The Looking Glass. ("There's a port/On a western bay/And it serves/A hundred ships a day")
* ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'' has Forpitas, which is near an island called Piratas. For bonus points, it also happens to be near an UnderTheSea location according to the novels.
* There's no {{Pirate}} media without these, naturally.
** In ''Film/CutthroatIsland'', Morgan Adams must free the erudite scoundrel William Shaw from the prison of Port Royal in UsefulNotes/{{Jamaica}}. A furious chase and a cannonade from an English ship ensue.
** The ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' saga has the orderly and dignified Port Royal, and the scruffy and raucous [[WretchedHive pirate haven]] of Tortuga.
* The ''Film/{{Popeye}}'' film has Sweethaven Village, a set built in UsefulNotes/{{Malta}} that's been used as a tourist attraction since filming ended.
----