Nauticrawl

About

Nauticrawl is a single player real-time strategy game. It was developed by Armor Games Studios and was released on September 16, 2019. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Nauticrawl" is a challenging game where you must operate a mysterious, advanced vehicle while evading pursuing forces in a crushing atmosphere. With a complicated UI, you must experiment with pulling levers, redirecting power, and hacking devices to ensure your survival. Many have died trying to do what you're doing, but with determination and experimentation, you may just make it out alive. The game is now available in multiple languages including English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, and Russian.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 436 reviews

gameplay20 positive mentions

grinding14 negative mentions

Nauticrawl offers a unique and immersive experience, encouraging players to explore and experiment with its complex controls without any hand-holding.
The atmosphere is highly praised, with excellent sound design and a mysterious world that keeps players engaged throughout their journey.
The game provides a gratifying sense of progression as players learn to operate the machine, making each successful maneuver feel rewarding.

The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in just a few hours, leading to concerns about replayability and overall value.
Some players found the initial learning curve to be frustrating, as the lack of instructions can lead to confusion and repeated failures.
There are technical issues reported, particularly with ultrawide monitors, making the game unplayable for some users.

gameplay
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
71%
8%
The gameplay in this title is characterized by a unique blend of mechanical puzzle-solving and exploration, where players gradually learn to navigate and operate their nauticrawler through trial and error. While the initial learning curve is engaging and the atmosphere is immersive, many players find that the gameplay loop becomes repetitive and lacks challenge once the mechanics are mastered. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience for those who enjoy tinkering and narrative-driven gameplay, but it may leave some wanting more depth and replayability.
- “The mechanics made me feel like I'm piloting an ancient machine crawler and the story was well written.”
- “Recommended for people who like tinkering, trial-and-error, and immersive experiences that rely more on narrative and fun gameplay mechanics than flashy action and graphics.”
- “What I got out of it was an excellent 5 hours of puzzle solving and mystery unraveling that had such a good impression I was left wanting more in both gameplay and lore by the time I was done with it.”
- “The moment-to-moment gameplay loop becomes pretty thin and uninteresting.”
- “After that, the core gameplay loop is tedious and boring, enough to where I didn't feel like continuing the game to a conclusion.”
- “As I understand it, this decision was made as a result of playtesters facing unreasonable difficulty, which does make perfect sense, but I feel that the game being turn-based has also limited the gameplay, brought about a total lack of challenge to the game once you make certain discoveries about recharging the battery, and, because of this, made the game much less of a roguelike as intended.”
story
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
48%
5%
The game's story is generally well-received, described as engaging, intriguing, and well-written, with a cohesive narrative that immerses players in a rich world. While some players appreciate the depth and atmosphere, others feel the story lacks significant hooks or merit, often conveyed through sparse text and in-game notes. Overall, it is seen as a strong aspect of the game, enhancing the experience despite its relatively short length.
- “It manages to tell a cohesive and engaging story and build an intriguing, deep world while, paradoxically, having a main cast of two - the player character(s) and the single NPC merchant, who is the only named character.”
- “The story is intriguing and understated.”
- “Nauticrawl is a rewarding puzzle, it's an atmospheric story, it's an exploration game - all in one beautifully polished package.”
- “I am thankful the game didn't have the same vague and ambiguous story that a lot of indie games use as crutches, but I also didn't feel like the story held much merit.”
- “There wasn't much intrigue, and no real story hooks either.”
- “The story and setting are delivered sparsely through a brief introduction and in-game notes or interactions.”
atmosphere
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
42%
5%
The atmosphere of Nauticrawl is widely praised for its immersive and thick ambiance, enhanced by impeccable sound design and a mysterious narrative. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke feelings of isolation and tension, effectively capturing the essence of being trapped in a confined space under immense pressure. Overall, the combination of dark sci-fi and steampunk elements creates a unique and engaging experience that resonates with fans of atmospheric indie titles.
- “I feel like it was inevitable that I enjoyed Nauticrawl; a bite-sized and tactile play experience, thick atmosphere, a mysterious world and narrative, impeccable sound design, great music.”
- “The atmosphere and ambiance is subtle but very effective, and the world you're in is mysterious and unique.”
- “Nauticrawl is a rewarding puzzle, it's an atmospheric story, it's an exploration game - all in one beautifully polished package.”
- “However, if you'll forgive me, the atmosphere of the game did appropriately convey the sense of being locked in a tin can under constant threat of death, and I had a good time with it.”
- “The atmosphere and ambiance are subtle but very effective, and the world you're in is mysterious and unique.”
- “The atmosphere is dark sci-fi, like a steampunk mech warrior.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
46%
11%
The game's graphics are praised for their clean detail and charming retro-futuristic aesthetic, reminiscent of steampunk designs. While some users noted minor glitches, the overall visual experience is immersive and complements the narrative-driven gameplay. The developers successfully create a satisfying world that encourages imagination, proving that high-end graphics are not always necessary for an engaging experience.
- “Visually, the game has a charming retro-futuristic aesthetic, and calls to mind the steampunk design of Captain Nemo's Nautilus depicted in the classic film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, or even the lunar lander pod from the film First Man in the Moon.”
- “Very immersive experience both graphics and sound.”
- “This is a very interesting game that shows, once again, that you can create an immersive world without the most epic 3D graphics.”
- “Things could have been a bit more involved in the world building and the graphics/imagery department, but then again, the developers did a great job leaving things up to the imagination in a way that felt satisfying in its own right.”
- “Entering a game knowing that your graphical interface is static and the world beyond it is left to your own imagination is something that doesn't come around too often in today's gaming culture.”
- “Recommended for people who like tinkering, trial-and-error, and immersive experiences that rely more on narrative and fun gameplay mechanics than flashy action and graphics.”
replayability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
Overall, the game has limited replayability, with many players noting its short length and straightforward mechanics. While the core gameplay loop is enjoyable, there is a consensus that once completed, the game lacks significant incentive to replay. Suggestions for additional modes or challenges have been made to enhance replay value, but currently, it remains a brief experience.
- “I would love to see the developer's 'hard mode' (real-time, heat and other mechanics intertwined) to give it a bit more replay value.”
- “As such, the game isn't very replayable, unless you enjoy the core gameplay loop and actually piloting the crawler - which, I admit, is pretty fun!”
- “As a note, this game is not a mechanically deep roguelike with huge replay value, and it does not need to be.”
- “It's an amazing proof-of-concept, but if you're looking for replay value, there isn't a lot for you here.”
- “So the game is not very replayable, and quite short.”
- “The only downside with the game is that once you understand it, it's really short and easy, and there's currently no replay value.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and unengaging, leading to a lack of motivation to continue playing. Players find the core gameplay loop repetitive and frustrating, with a sense of isolation and slow progression that detracts from the overall experience. In contrast, some other games in the genre manage to balance complexity with engaging gameplay, making the grinding feel less punishing.
- “After that, the core gameplay loop is tedious and boring, enough to where I didn't feel like continuing the game to a conclusion.”
- “Wow, nothing has ever been so tedious and time-consuming for no reason.”
- “I pilot this thing easily, but what am I supposed to do, and why is it all so slow and tedious?”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music in Nauticrawl, composed by David Orr, enhances the game's thick atmosphere and mysterious narrative, though the soundtrack is minimal, featuring only a few tracks that appear during key story moments. Overall, the sound design is praised as impeccable, contributing significantly to the immersive experience.
- “I feel like it was inevitable that I enjoyed Nauticrawl; a bite-sized and tactile play experience, thick atmosphere, a mysterious world and narrative, impeccable sound design, great music.”
- “Some of the art has been done by someone else, and music is made by David Orr of Sonny fame (remember Newgrounds? heh).”
- “There isn't much of a soundtrack to speak of, save for a few scant tracks that make their appearance during certain story beats.”
- “Some of the art has been done by someone else, and the music is made by David Orr of Sonny fame (remember Newgrounds? heh).”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some users experiencing UI stuttering and unsmooth performance even on lower settings, despite reporting 60 fps. While the midgame becomes more manageable with certain strategies, inconsistencies in gameplay mechanics can detract from the overall experience, particularly following a challenging early game.
- “The midgame is pretty gentle once you master [spoiler]optimized cloaking[/spoiler], but also inconsistent that [spoiler] the nauticrawl can't die in zeppelin mode by radiation or crashing into the magmatic sea, or hypercharge mode just restarts the launch sequence if it becomes unbalanced, [/spoiler] especially after the unforgiving early game, when movement and exploration has a fun and steep learning curve.”
- “I suffered a bit of UI stuttering and unsmoothness on my underpowered machine, even when reporting 60 FPS at low quality and fairly low resolution.”
- “The midgame is pretty gentle once you master optimized cloaking, but it's also inconsistent. For example, the Nauticrawl can't die in zeppelin mode from radiation or crashing into the magmatic sea, and hypercharge mode just restarts the launch sequence if it becomes unbalanced. This is especially frustrating after the unforgiving early game, where movement and exploration have a fun and steep learning curve.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the game's mechanics evoke a strong sense of immersion, likening the experience to piloting an ancient machine crawler, while the well-crafted story enhances the emotional engagement. The tactile interactions reminiscent of "The Room" series further contribute to a captivating emotional experience.
- “The mechanics made me feel like I'm piloting an ancient machine crawler, and the story was well written.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features appealing graphics, but players have reported occasional glitches that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game remains enjoyable.
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is well-received, with players finding enjoyment in both their own experiences and the anticipation of watching friends struggle, which adds to the overall fun and laughter.
- “I enjoyed my two hours so far, and I definitely can't wait to see my friends struggle while I sit laughing next to them.”