Raiders of the North Sea

About

Raiders of the North Sea is a single player and multiplayer puzzle game. It was developed by Dire Wolf and was released on July 30, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

"Raiders of the North Sea" is a digital adaptation of the award-winning board game, where players assemble a crew and outfit a longboat to raid settlements for gold and fame. With cross-platform online play, the game features deep worker placement strategy, allowing players to harvest resources and hire a Viking crew to win gold and glory through daring raids. Survive battles with the legendary Valkyrie and impress your Chieftain to earn your place among the legends of the North Sea.

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 324 reviews

graphics20 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Excellent adaptation of the board game with smooth gameplay and engaging mechanics.
Great graphics and sound design that enhance the overall experience.
Fun solo mode and a well-structured campaign that adds depth to the game.

Multiplayer functionality is severely broken, with frequent disconnections and sync issues.
Lack of expansions and additional content limits replayability and variety.
User interface is clunky and slow, making gameplay frustrating at times.

graphics
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
28%
9%
The graphics of the game have received positive feedback for their vibrant artwork, responsive interface, and engaging animations, which enhance the overall experience. Many players appreciate the faithful recreation of the original board game's art and the attention to detail in sound design. However, some users feel that while the graphics are visually appealing, they do not compensate for certain gameplay shortcomings.
- “The good of the digital implementation: the graphics are easy on the eye, the interface is responsive, the sound design and animations are as good as you could hope for, very competently designed all around.”
- “Overall sound and graphics are well above standard for a digital board game.”
- “I immediately fell in love with this game even before I bought the tabletop version for the colorful, wonderful artwork.”
- “Tbh if it wasn't for the artwork I wouldn't have finished the first game.”
- “The extra graphical details do not make up for the lack of basic game options, such as the ability to turn off a horribly implemented and opaque turn timer.”
- “Wasn't sure about the look of the graphics at first as it felt like it made it less of a game, but I have got used to them.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
31%
14%
The gameplay of "Raiders of the North Sea" is praised for its smooth mechanics and engaging worker placement system, which combines simplicity with strategic depth. Players appreciate the thematic elements and the innovative mechanic of placing one worker and retrieving another, making it both fun and educational for those new to the genre. Overall, the game offers a well-executed solo experience and is highly regarded among euro board game enthusiasts.
- “The gameplay is smooth and the challenges you can experience solo (campaign, vs AI) are really well done.”
- “Raiders of the North Sea is a wonderfully thematic worker placement euro-game with excellent mechanics.”
- “Gameplay is simpler than Root, but definitely requires thought and strategy.”
- “If you like worker placement board games as a theme, you will love this: the mechanic that you place one and pull another is a genius idea.”
- “If you like euro board games (or kiwi-euro), this is the online implementation of the game that turned worker-placement mechanics on its head.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The game's story is minimal, primarily serving as a backdrop for its 12-mission campaign, which takes about 15 hours to complete. Players appreciate the gradual difficulty increase, starting with easier missions that function as tutorials before introducing more challenging scenarios against AI opponents. Overall, the narrative is seen as a simple framework that effectively supports the gameplay experience.
- “I had a blast playing the 12 mission campaign which took about 15 hours to complete.”
- “I don't normally do reviews but I've just had a play through the tutorial and the first campaign mission and I have to say this is an excellent adaptation of a board game, very easy to pick up and now I just need to talk others into buying it.”
- “The first few missions are pretty easy -- I guess they serve as an extended tutorial, but as soon as you face 3 opponents (who usually start with a boost), you need both luck and good thinking to win.”
- “Where you have a dozen missions with slight variations to the rules.”
- “That's all the story you need!”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The game's music is generally well-received, complementing its visual style, but a significant drawback is the lack of volume control for both music and sound effects, which some players find essential for an optimal gaming experience. While the music itself may not be a major concern for all, the absence of a volume slider is noted as a flaw.
- “The game also has a great visual style and music to go along with it.”
- “The first flaw is, there's no volume control for the music and sound effects in this game.”
- “The music is no big loss for us, but the sound effects - even at a low volume - are an integral part of a video game's interface.”
- “There is no volume slider for the music and sound effects.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
75%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with multiple users reporting frequent bugs, freezing issues, and disconnections during online play. While some players note that the AI performs well, the overall experience is marred by these technical problems, leading to a lack of recommendations.
- “The game appears to be bug-free, and the AI is competitive.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any noticeable issues.”
- “I haven't encountered any crashes or glitches during my playtime.”
- “This game is very buggy.”
- “However, I can't recommend it as every online game I've played with friends, it freezes up on one of us or kicks us from the game.”
- “But the implementation is too buggy.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game is well-optimized for smooth performance, particularly in single-player mode. However, players have noted that the AI could use improvement, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Runs smoothly and the loop is fun.”
- “Single player runs smoothly but the AI is simply lacking.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The digital version of the game successfully replicates the pace and atmosphere of the original board game, providing an immersive experience for players.
- “I have the actual board game, and this digital version perfectly captures the pace and the atmosphere of the game.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing digital animations, which add a charming touch to the overall experience. Players appreciate the lightheartedness, though some feel that additional content, such as expansions, could enhance the comedic elements further.
- “The game is great, smooth, and quick. The digital version's animations are kind of funny and add a sweet touch to the game.”