Land Above Sea Below

About

Land Above Sea Below is a single player casual puzzle game. It was developed by Glasscannon Studio and was released on September 13, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Land Above Sea Below is an atmospheric building strategy and puzzle game where you have to build your island from tiles in order to raise its height as much as possible, to avoid it getting flooded by the constantly rising sea level.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 111 reviews

music15 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a relaxing soundtrack, creating a charming atmosphere for players.
It offers a unique twist on the puzzle genre with strategic gameplay that requires planning and adaptation to rising sea levels.
Players appreciate the variety of game modes, including a sandbox option that allows for creative tile placement without scoring pressure.

The game suffers from a steep learning curve and a lack of clarity in its mechanics, making it difficult for some players to grasp the strategies needed to succeed.
There are numerous bugs and inconsistencies, particularly with tile placement and the randomness of gameplay, which can lead to frustrating experiences.
The tutorial is considered inadequate, leaving players confused about the game's rules and how to effectively manage their tiles.

music
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
28%
12%
The music in the game is widely praised for its relaxing and chill qualities, enhancing the overall aesthetic and gameplay experience. Many players appreciate the beautiful soundtrack, which complements the visuals and creates a peaceful atmosphere, although some express a desire for more variety. Overall, the music stands out as a significant positive aspect, contributing to the game's appeal as a soothing and enjoyable puzzle experience.
- “I really hope the developers will take the time to polish this title up -- it's a gorgeous game to play with relaxing music and pacing.”
- “What really stood out to me was the music!”
- “The music and artwork are beautifully done, and may be one of the prettiest indie puzzle games I've played.”
- “Music is fine too, but I'd prefer to have a bit more variety in it.”
- “It plays has some kind of logic and there's a soundtrack.”
- “It plays has some kind of logic and there's a soundtrack.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
43%
5%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant colors and beautiful aesthetics, contributing to a relaxing and enjoyable experience. However, some users noted that performance issues arise as the game progresses, suggesting a need for options to simplify visuals or disable animations. Overall, the combination of appealing visuals and a soothing soundtrack enhances the game's charm, making it a standout in the indie puzzle genre.
- “It is a relaxing puzzle game with beautiful graphics.”
- “The visuals are gorgeous with vibrant colors.”
- “The music and artwork are beautifully done, and may be one of the prettiest indie puzzle games I've played.”
- “Especially once your land mass starts to spread wide, the graphics kind of start to fall short.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
29%
18%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its charming and relaxing puzzle mechanics reminiscent of Minesweeper and Tetris, while others criticize the design choices that require players to sacrifice progress, leading to a frustrating experience. Although the game is described as cute and engaging, it feels unfinished to some, suggesting that it could benefit from further refinement to enhance the overall experience.
- “A charming and well-priced puzzle game that manages to hit the sweet spot of relaxing yet consistently engaging gameplay.”
- “Beautiful, kind of chill and relaxing game. After hard work or study, this game is the best choice among other strategy games. The music gives feelings of peace, and the gameplay is not so hard to understand, but you can't easily farm points. You have to think about how to place those territories and how to grow them above sea level. I enjoyed 30 minutes of playing this game, and I think that I will play it more. Also, this game is very cute!”
- “Perhaps with each new tree of fall you discover, the developers intend for you to sacrifice everything you've already done, let it sink, and start anew. This seems like a terrible gameplay decision and doesn't seem fun to do, even if it may technically work.”
- “In terms of gameplay: it feels like a combination of Minesweeper and Tetris, but with less randomness.”
- “Gameplay (2/5)”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marred by glitches, particularly in tile placement, which can affect gameplay. Users recommend having at least two tiles to mitigate these issues, and there are also concerns regarding the quality of translations that require further editing.
- “To keep a block of similar color tiles afloat and even out with that season's water rise, you need a minimum of 2 tiles (preferably more given the buggy nature of the game).”
- “There are still some glitches with tile placement, and the translations (including English) still need some editing.”
- “There are still some glitches with tile placement, and the translations (including English) still need some editing.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere is consistently described as cute and cozy, contributing to an inviting and warm experience for players.
- “All this together creates a cute and cozy atmosphere.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is criticized for being laggy and poorly optimized, especially considering its simple design, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “Kinda boring and weirdly laggy/unoptimized for how simple it is.”