High Sea Saga

About

High Sea Saga is a single player casual role playing game with a business theme. It was developed by Kairosoft and was released on March 31, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"High Sea Saga" is a simulation game where players become pirates, seeking treasure and fighting monsters while building their ship and assembling a crew. Collaborative gameplay with friends can result in valuable rewards. Players must choose their crew and ship wisely to succeed in this swashbuckling adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,725 reviews

gameplay32 positive mentions

monetization190 negative mentions

The game offers a unique blend of RPG and city-building simulation, providing hours of engaging gameplay.
The pixel art style and humor add charm to the overall experience, making it enjoyable for players.
The game allows for offline play, which is a significant advantage for those who prefer to play without an internet connection.

Despite being labeled as offline, the game often requires an internet connection for various features, leading to frustration.
The lack of a cloud save feature means players risk losing their progress if they switch devices or uninstall the game.
The monthly subscription model for ad removal and additional features feels exploitative, especially after paying for the game upfront.

monetization
224 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
7%
85%
The monetization model of the game has drawn significant criticism from users, primarily due to the presence of ads in a paid app and the requirement of a monthly subscription to remove them. Many players express frustration over the perceived greed of having to pay both for the game and an ongoing fee for an ad-free experience, with some suggesting a one-time payment option instead. While some users find the ads manageable, the overall sentiment leans towards disappointment with the shift to a subscription-based model for ad removal and additional in-game purchases.
- “Its a shame they try to charge at every corner but the game is perfectly playable without in-app purchases and without the monthly subscription.”
- “Medals are pretty easy to get if you play daily, meaning in-app purchases aren't necessary!”
- “Eventhough I hate the in-app purchases, I still liked the game because it's pretty solid and very enjoyable.”
- “I was excited to play the game until I saw a monthly subscription link to get rid of ads.”
- “Paid for the game, but I would have to subscribe to get rid of ads, really.”
- “It's just money grabbing now; the games have always been good, but this monthly payment to remove ads idea of yours is amazingly bad.”
gameplay
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
43%
11%
Overall, the gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its engaging mechanics, retro graphics, and addictive nature. However, common criticisms include repetitive elements, reliance on energy systems, and frustrating bugs that disrupt the experience. While some players find the gameplay enjoyable and immersive, others express dissatisfaction with the pacing and monetization strategies that detract from the fun.
- “The pixel art style is really unique, and the gameplay is great too.”
- “I love the gameplay, style, story, funny comments, and more.”
- “This game is great; I recommend not listening to the one-star reviews because I got this game when it was free, and there are some ads, but they only appear at the bottom on a thin black bar, and sometimes when the game opens up, but the stamina timer is part of some games as a gameplay feature and I haven't even run completely out once.”
- “Stun mechanic is infuriating and the difficulty curve makes it so that progress almost completely halts at a point in the game.”
- “It would at least be fun if the energy refilled while offline; slow gameplay (fall asleep while playing) and any action you make consumes energy. I won't recommend downloading.”
- “Disappointed so much in the gameplay mechanics.”
story
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
69%
5%
The game's story has received mixed feedback from players; while some appreciate the engaging narrative and quest elements, others express disappointment over the lack of a substantial overarching storyline and direction. Many players enjoy the humorous dialogue and character interactions, but some find the quest structure repetitive and frustrating, particularly regarding mission difficulty and resource management. Overall, the story is seen as a highlight for some, but it could benefit from more depth and clarity to enhance the gaming experience.
- “I love the storyline and how we can progress not only in terms of the exploration but also from our battle team, e.g., jobs and pets.”
- “I love the gameplay, style, story, funny comments, and more.”
- “Monsters battling with you, lots of loot, and a killer storyline.”
- “I thought there was going to be a story involved in this and a big quest that revolves around me going from island to island, but there just isn't.”
- “This game looked amazing but (after playing for several days now) it's got no sense of direction or achievement; quests are everywhere.”
- “Gameplay is alright but you can't do anything unless you are actually playing the game, which would be fine if it wasn't just staring at the screen waiting for a quest to finish.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
33%
7%
The game's graphics, primarily in a retro 8-bit and pixelated style, receive mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the unique and cute design while others note issues like bugs and stuttering. Overall, the visuals are generally considered good for a pixelated game, complementing the engaging gameplay, though some users express a desire for improvements and updates. Despite some technical drawbacks, the graphics contribute positively to the overall experience, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- “The pixelated art style is really unique, and the gameplay is great too.”
- “The artwork is a treat for the eyes, the creativity in every aspect is inspiring and all around it is a game done right.”
- “Awesome game and lovely pixelated graphics.”
- “I hope soon the graphics will be updated.”
- “Need graphic improvement please do.”
- “Good game but the visuals are buggy to the point of unplayability.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
70%
15%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising its charm and nostalgic RPG vibes, particularly the sailing theme. However, several users express frustration over the inability to mute or adjust the volume, which detracts from their overall experience. While some find the soundtrack enjoyable and fitting, others criticize it as abrasive and overwhelming, indicating a need for more options to customize audio settings.
- “And I love the music.”
- “The sailing music sounds like a tune from an RPG where you go to town and hear that music.”
- “Medieval story and pirate invaders.. nice story and gameplay was awesome. I like this game... the music is smooth and relaxing.”
- “This game is enjoyable but the music is so bad.”
- “The game itself is good otherwise but the fact that sound cannot be muted within the game stops me from playing it when I also want to listen to music or a podcast at the same time.”
- “Main theme song is abrasive.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players enjoying the funny dialogues, quirky character behaviors, and amusing situations that arise during gameplay. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to blend humor with engaging mechanics, making it both addictive and entertaining. Overall, the comedic elements contribute significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The way to invite friends in this game is also hilarious.”
- “So addictive and fun, with a hint of humor.”
- “Funny lines, a totally awesome ship and places, and even super cool crew and monsters; gotta say I loved it. Now I'm playing it for months and still keeping it on my phone.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent glitches, bugs that hinder gameplay, and persistent freezing, particularly in offline modes. While players appreciate the game's content, the technical problems detract from the overall experience, making it difficult to enjoy fully.
- “It is a great game, but it glitches every time I play it offline.”
- “Good game, but the visuals are buggy to the point of unplayability.”
- “It's a buggy game that freezes all the time now.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is described as balanced, offering a significant amount of grinding that caters to players who enjoy it, though it may not be suitable for those with limited playtime. While it is not pay-to-win, players will find that idle grinding becomes necessary for further progression, making it fun initially but potentially tedious over time.
- “It's not pay-to-win, but grinding is not easy; it's somewhat balanced.”
- “Fun for a while, but idle grinding is required to progress further.”
- “Perfect for those who love grinding, but can't play all day.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Users report significant issues with optimization, citing frequent connection errors despite having stable internet, poor performance during multiplayer sessions, and sluggish app functionality on devices like the Note 3. These problems suggest a lack of effective optimization, impacting overall gameplay experience.
- “It has run smoothly before.”
- “This may just be a lack of optimization.”
- “The game has poor performance when the party is on a quest.”
- “Even the apps are running slowly on a Note 3, yet they are glitchy and sometimes stop working.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game boasts significant replayability due to its abundant content and engaging gameplay, encouraging players to return for more. However, some users express concerns about microtransactions that detract from the overall experience, suggesting that certain features should have been included in the initial purchase.
- “Tons of replay value.”
- “I don't mind waiting to play because it keeps the replay value high, so you don't beat it quickly.”
- “Offers good replay value with lots of content to explore and fun gameplay.”
- “I don't mind waiting to play because it keeps the replay value up, so you don't beat it quickly.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel pointless.”