Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree

About

Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree is a single player casual action adventure game. It was developed by Starvania Studio and was released on May 8, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree is a 2D adventure set in the underwater realm of Ma'een, inspired by Arabian mythology. Explore vibrant ecosystems and ancient ruins while swimming seamlessly through corrupted depths, using the power of light to fend off dark entities. Solve puzzles, decipher relics, and restore the ocean's lost radiance.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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99%

Audience ScoreBased on 84 reviews

story18 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree features stunning visuals and a unique art style that beautifully blends 2D drawings with simple 3D shapes, creating an immersive underwater environment inspired by Arabian mythology.
The gameplay mechanics, particularly the drawing with light to solve puzzles, are innovative and engaging, providing a relaxing experience without the pressure of failure states.
The game offers a captivating narrative that intertwines cultural storytelling with exploration, enhanced by a soothing soundtrack and atmospheric sound design.

The game is relatively short, with limited replay value and some players feeling that it lacks depth in both gameplay mechanics and storytelling, particularly in the final chapter.
Technical issues such as frame rate drops, especially in later chapters, and problems with the drawing mechanic not registering inputs correctly can detract from the overall experience.
The voice acting, particularly in Arabic, may be difficult to understand due to pacing, and the automatic dialogue skipping can be frustrating for players who want to fully absorb the story.

story
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
52%
7%
The story of "Bahamut" is a straightforward yet engaging narrative inspired by Middle Eastern mythology, focusing on two guardians and a mystical light from the waqwaq tree. While the storytelling is enhanced by atmospheric voice acting and a unique art style, some players noted issues with consistency and pacing. Overall, the game offers a captivating experience that intertwines gameplay mechanics with its lore, making it a worthwhile choice for those seeking a relaxing, story-driven adventure.
- “Born from a nascent Saudi game development ecosystem, Bahamut is a short story revolving around two guardians and a 'light' that emerged from a special fruit.”
- “The storytelling is powerful, the atmosphere is immersive, and the mythological elements are beautifully woven into the gameplay.”
- “The lore of the story being inspired by 1001 Arabian Nights is something I have been craving for years, so I'm very happy we are getting some Arab representation in video games with Bahamut and the Waqwaq tree.”
- “What lacks in this game is the consistency of the storytelling, and sometimes the environmental storytelling in some areas does a disservice to what the creator really wanted to communicate with us.”
- “Bahamut and the waq waq tree only give you a story and lore if it's connected to their gameplay mechanics, which is nice and easy to digest.”
- “The text for the main story did move a bit fast, but the developers are aware and are fixing it!”
gameplay
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
49%
8%
The gameplay in "Bahamut" is characterized by its smooth swimming mechanics and innovative light-drawing puzzles, creating a relaxing yet engaging experience. While the game features a beautiful atmosphere and captivating story, some players feel that the mechanics could be expanded for greater variety and challenge. Overall, it strikes a balance between exploration and puzzle-solving, appealing to those who enjoy calm-paced gameplay intertwined with narrative elements.
- “Bahamut is a 2D puzzle game with omnidirectional movement where you navigate polluted waters with your light and draw shapes to unlock doors and collect lore snippets.”
- “The game blends fluid movement and an elegant tracing mechanic that feels both intuitive and inventive, allowing players to solve puzzles and traverse the world in a way that’s deeply satisfying.”
- “Gameplay strikes a beautiful balance between relaxing exploration and mentally engaging puzzles.”
- “The ending sequence started showing puzzles before I was able to solve them, and the number of mechanics is limited which made the last part feel like a drag.”
- “A visually beautiful game, but with poor and boring gameplay, which is frustrating considering the experience could have been harder, more enjoyable, and more varied. I wish the idea of swimming with the character had been used in a more fun way.”
- “The main gameplay loop has some puzzles and exploration, but so far seems pretty straightforward and linear.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
50%
12%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique art style that blends 2D drawings with simple 3D shapes, creating vibrant and atmospheric environments that feel alive and dreamlike. Players appreciate the stunning visuals, smooth movement, and the emotional depth conveyed through the art and soundtrack, which together enhance the overall immersive experience. The game's aesthetic, influenced by Arabic calligraphy, has earned it accolades, including the 'graphics galore' award, highlighting its excellence in design and storytelling.
- “Through a unique art style that merges 2D drawings and simple 3D shapes, Bahamut tells the story of two guardians, a 'light' born from the Waqwaq tree, and the ruined civilization created by seahorse-like creatures.”
- “The visuals are radiant and bursting with color, enhancing the sense of wonder at every turn, while the soundtrack pulls you in with emotional depth and atmosphere.”
- “The graphics are stunning, and the movement feels smooth and satisfying.”
- “The visuals were pretty for the most part but not jaw-droppingly gorgeous either, same for the music which was just okay unfortunately.”
- “As for the graphics and backgrounds, words fall short.”
- “I remember when it was in alpha, and then when I tried the complete game, it got way better in almost everything, the visuals, the audio, the feeling of the leaf swimming is so satisfying.”
music
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
20%
12%
The music in the game is widely praised for its immersive quality, seamlessly blending with sound effects to enhance the overall atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the emotional depth of the soundtrack, particularly noting the impact of the end song, which resonates strongly with players. While some found the music to be merely okay, many others described it as breathtaking and a key element that elevates the gaming experience, complementing the visuals and gameplay beautifully.
- “The soundtrack enhances the experience perfectly, shifting from calming to haunting as the story evolves.”
- “The music is breathtaking and the mechanics are great!”
- “The music in the game is quite probably one of its greatest features, especially with how the gameplay is more of a laid-back experience.”
- “The soundtrack was the magical touch that elevated the game’s atmosphere, blending melodies seamlessly with every movement and scene.”
- “The art direction, the music, the pacing—it all feels carefully crafted to immerse you in a rich, mythical universe.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
15%
23%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful art style, vibrant visuals, and immersive sound design, which together create a unique and calming experience. Players appreciate the emotional depth of the soundtrack and its seamless integration with the gameplay, enhancing the overall journey. However, some users noted minor issues with dialogue pacing that detracted from the immersive experience.
- “I loved it — the art style is beautiful, and the environment feels unique and atmospheric.”
- “The visuals are radiant and bursting with color, enhancing the sense of wonder at every turn, while the soundtrack pulls you in with emotional depth and atmosphere.”
- “The soundtrack was the magical touch that elevated the game’s atmosphere, blending melodies seamlessly with every movement and scene.”
- “The sound design is slightly not fitting with the atmosphere of the game; the texts from characters skip by themselves, which resulted in me having to read faster, and I can't seem to skip dialogue manually.”
- “The atmosphere alone is worth the dive.”
- “The environments are full of atmosphere, and the soundtrack fits the tone perfectly.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a deeply emotional experience, enhanced by its stunning visuals and evocative soundtrack that resonate with players on a personal level. It skillfully weaves cultural references into its narrative, imbuing them with significant emotional and symbolic weight, while the animation and cinematic elements elevate the overall impact, creating a rich and immersive journey through Arabic legends.
- “The visuals are radiant and bursting with color, enhancing the sense of wonder at every turn, while the soundtrack pulls you in with emotional depth and atmosphere.”
- “The game delivers a cinematic and emotional experience rooted in rich Arabic legends.”
- “The cinematic pacing, the lighting, and the emotional beats all come together to create a unique experience.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers limited replayability, primarily appealing to players seeking to unlock specific exploration achievements, as the main content can be completed in under three hours.
- “I beat Bahamut in just under 3 hours, and it holds no replay value unless you want to unlock the two exploration-specific achievements.”
- “Once you complete the game, there's really no incentive to play it again; the story doesn't change, and the side quests feel repetitive.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability with minimal bugs or glitches reported, though some users experienced physics issues during the finale due to low frame rates.
- “As a new studio in a just-emerging game development ecosystem, I have to give kudos to the fact that I did not encounter any bugs or glitches, except during the finale, where the physics started to break due to low FPS.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I experienced several instances of lag and stuttering, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization is generally good, featuring smooth swimming mechanics and engaging gameplay; however, players have reported mild stuttering in certain areas, and the in-game FPS limiter was ineffective for some, necessitating the use of external software for better performance.
- “This game has some of the smoothest swimming I've seen in a video game. It has a great soundtrack, good gameplay, and quite a captivating story, but that doesn't mean it's flawless. I experienced some mild stuttering in some areas of the game, no matter how much I limited my FPS. The in-game FPS limiter didn't work for me, and I had to use the NVIDIA app to limit my FPS.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree is a casual action adventure game.

Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree is available on PC and Windows.

Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree was released on May 8, 2025.

Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree was developed by Starvania Studio.

Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree is a single player game.

Similar games include South of Midnight, Neva, Planet of Lana, GRIS, Arise: A Simple Story and others.

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