Rogue Waters
Release Date: September 30, 2024
Strategy, fantasy, turn-based, roguelike, tactics, pirates, RPG elements, Polish, ships, indie games, singleplayer
OpenCritic
Steam
A turn-based strategy game with elements or RPGs and roguelikes. Rogue Waters allows us to lead the crew of a pirate ship. We explore a procedurally generated archipelago, starting turn-based battles - they include firing at other ships and melee combat after boarding them.
Rogue Waters is a turn-based strategy with RPG elements, enriched with elements taken from the roguelike genre. The game was developed by Ice Code Games - an independent Polish studio, which has games such as Re-Legion and Hard West 2 in its portfolio. The authors take us to a fantasy land overrun by pirates and allow us to take on the role of one of them.
Gameplay
In Rogue Waters we see the action from a bird's eye view. During the game we take command of the crew of a pirate ship that travels through a vast archipelago in search of fortune and fame. Over time, we recruit new crew members, who are diversified in terms of combat potential and preferred weaponry. The game world is procedurally generated, so every adventure here looks different from the previous one.
Our pirates do not shy away from fighting and the battles take place in turn-based mode. When an enemy ship appears on our path, we can engage in a naval battle and start firing cannons, aiming at its specific elements. After such a preliminary "softening" of the adversaries, we can proceed with boarding and fight another direct skirmish, this time primarily with melee weapons.
This is not the end, because as we progress we can rescue legendary sea creatures (like the Kraken) from oppression and call upon them to help us in battle. These unusual helpers not only sow panic in the ranks of our enemies, but also significantly increase our chances of victory.
Videos and Screens
[1:11] Rogue Waters - Console Launch Trailer
[1:11] Rogue Waters Consoles Announce Trailer
Gameffine: 73 / 100 by Uphar Dutta
Rogue Water establishes itself to be a complete package of what modern rogue lite feels with its unique elements that make the ‘pirate’ aspect of the setting stand out. While the story plays safe with very generic OSTs, the game starts by being a big grindy. But if that’s something you can overlook, you’re in for sinking a lot of hours, given you’re not sinking your ship that is.
Final Weapon: 4.5 / 5 by Alexander Samudio
Rogue Waters is a very well-designed TRPG that has many customization options and does a great job of getting beginners involved by perfectly explaining everything so they can get to the fun factor much more quickly. Combine that with an interesting pirate tale, a great atmosphere, and great visuals, and you’ve got a fresh game worthy of the TRPG genre.
Pure Nintendo: 7 / 10 by David Temple
Overall, Rogue Waters is a good roguelite, turn-based combat game withs some interesting mechanics and features. It looks good and sounds OK. Some elements are a bit predictable, but I suppose you get that with a bunch of pirates.
The main pros of the game
- Tactical Combat: The turn-based combat mechanics are praised for being unique, deep, and satisfying, especially on higher difficulty levels. Many users enjoy the strategic elements involved in both ship and crew battles.
- Engaging Theme: The pirate theme is well-executed with good visuals, humor, and voice acting, creating an enjoyable atmosphere.
- Replayability: The game offers adjustable difficulty levels and the ability to engage in runs separate from the main campaign, allowing players to tailor their experience.
- Potential for Growth: Many users express excitement about the game's potential for future content and improvements, indicating a solid foundation.
The main cons of the game
- Repetitiveness: A common complaint is that the gameplay becomes monotonous over time, with many battles feeling similar and lacking variety in combat maps and scenarios.
- Content Limitations: Users feel the game lacks sufficient content for its price, with many stating they can complete the game in a short amount of time and run out of upgrades and items to collect.
- Grindiness: Several reviews mention that the game can feel grindy, particularly in leveling up characters and obtaining upgrades, which can detract from overall enjoyment.
- Technical Issues: Some players report bugs such as save data being lost or enemies failing to act during battles, which negatively impacts the gaming experience.
The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users
- More Content: Users desire additional ships, crew types, enemy factions, and upgrade options to enhance gameplay variety and depth.
- Enhanced Combat Diversity: Suggestions include introducing more diverse combat scenarios, unique enemy introductions, and varied objectives to keep battles fresh.
- In-Game Resources: There is a call for better in-game tutorials or wikis to explain mechanics and tooltips, as well as more opportunities to collect items during runs.
- RPG Elements: Some players wish for deeper RPG elements or progression systems, such as a more detailed captain improvement system and meaningful choices that affect gameplay outcomes.
Summary
- Overall, while "Rogue Waters" has a solid core and enjoyable mechanics, user feedback indicates it currently lacks sufficient content and variety to maintain long-term engagement, leaving many hopeful for future updates and expansions.
Summary generated on:
Rogue Waters Summary
Platforms:
PC Windows September 30, 2024
Xbox One February 4, 2025
Nintendo Switch February 4, 2025
PlayStation 5 February 4, 2025
Xbox Series X/S February 4, 2025
Developer: Ice Code Games
Publisher: Tripwire Interactive
Age restrictions: 16+
Rogue Waters System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Core i5-4690T 2.5 GHz / AMD Phenom X4 9850 2.5 GHz, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GTX 950 / Radeon RX 560, 12 GB HDD, Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended: Intel Core i5-2320 3 GHz / AMD Ryzen 3 1200 3 GHz, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 4 GB GeForce GTX 1050 Ti / Radeon RX 570, 12 GB SSD, Windows 10 64-bit