Rogue Waters

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In "Rogue Waters" , set sail as Captain Cutter, a pirate seeking revenge and legendary treasure. Each run offers new encounters, requiring careful navigation and strategic ship upgrades. Assemble your crew from six unique classes, and lead them into battle as you unravel a story of loyalty, betrayal, and immortal enemies across three acts.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 371 reviews

story18 positive mentions

grinding18 negative mentions

Engaging turn-based tactics with unique ship and crew combat mechanics that keep battles fresh and strategic.
Charming pirate theme with great visuals, voice acting, and a humorous narrative that enhances the overall experience.
Solid progression system that allows for meaningful upgrades and customization of crew and ship, encouraging replayability.

Repetitive gameplay loop with limited enemy and mission variety, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
Ship combat can feel overly reliant on RNG, making battles frustrating when luck doesn't favor the player.
Some technical issues, including bugs that can disrupt gameplay and a UI that could use further refinement.

story
131 mentions
14 % positive mentions
84 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, featuring engaging dialogue and a solid narrative that intertwines with tactical gameplay, though it is often described as short and somewhat predictable. Players appreciate the option to pursue side missions for upgrades alongside the main storyline, which adds variety and depth to the experience. However, some critiques highlight repetitive dialogue and a lack of character backstory, leaving the narrative feeling less impactful than it could be.
- “The story mode juxtaposed with pirate adventuring is a nice way of giving playthroughs meaning and variety, allowing you to sail for XP, money, and blueprints or pursue the story that they've crafted.”
- “The combat is interesting and keeps getting deeper as you grow more powerful, and while I normally don't expect a story in a roguelite, this one has a story and it is worth the time to play through it.”
- “Amazing combat mechanics, great setting, good progression, and story.”
- “The story is okay, you feel invested in it even though it's not the most deep and the end falls a little flat.”
- “My only real complaint would be that the story, which seems surprisingly nuanced for a roguelike, ends quite quickly in order to allow the status quo of infinite replays with the same boss.”
- “I was especially annoyed by the generic wall of texts and overall mediocrity of story delivery - stopped looking for role-playing elements after a couple of hours.”
gameplay
96 mentions
43 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this game is characterized by short, intense turn-based battles that incorporate unique mechanics such as a push-and-retreat system, environmental interactions, and tactical positioning. Players appreciate the variety of enemies and the strategic depth required to overcome challenges, making each encounter feel like a mini-puzzle. While the core gameplay loop is engaging and addictive, some players express concerns about potential repetitiveness and a desire for more content and depth in future updates.
- “There is a great variety of enemies with different attack angles; armoured enemies, for example, seem invulnerable at first, but this is where the game begins to demand you to think tactically, utilising collision mechanics, the environment, and your team of specialists.”
- “The combat mechanics are incredibly engaging, allowing for strategic planning and exciting encounters with each battle.”
- “The gameplay loop has three parts: 1) upgrades, 2) ship-to-ship combat, 3) crew combat, making for a diverse and enjoyable experience.”
- “And while I am having fun due to the novelty of the game and its content, this fun is going to turn into no fun from meaningless grind and repetitive gameplay!”
- “This game is super repetitive and the gameplay loop, in my opinion, is just boring. I have Netflix on my second monitor just to keep myself entertained, and it got to the point where I had to ask myself, 'Why am I playing?'”
- “It is the main gameplay loop, and for that, it is too simple for my taste.”
graphics
33 mentions
64 % positive mentions
27 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics in the game are generally well-received, with many players appreciating the charming visuals, smooth animations, and effective sound design that enhance the immersive experience. While some users noted that the graphics are decent but not groundbreaking, others praised the game's aesthetic, particularly its successful execution of a pirate theme. However, a few players experienced technical issues that affected their graphics performance, indicating that while the visuals are appealing, they may not be flawless for all users.
- “The graphics and audio are both nicely done, have a bit of a cartoonish look/feel to them, and are pretty pleasing overall.”
- “I loved the stunning visuals—the scenes are beautifully crafted—and the sound design really pulls you in.”
- “The graphics are great, the music very pirate-y, and the whole game feels polished.”
- “Only problem is something about it keeps causing my graphics card to flip out and crash my system every once in a while, even though I have the most recent drivers and well exceed the minimum requirements.”
- “The graphics are alright and easy to comprehend but nothing to write home about.”
- “Other than that, there's the art style: it's a matter of taste, but I don't like it.”
grinding
18 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding in the game to be excessive and repetitive, often leading to a tedious experience that detracts from the enjoyment. While some appreciate the core gameplay and acknowledge that upgrades can enhance the experience, many feel that the lack of variety and the quick progression to max power make the grinding feel unnecessary. Despite these criticisms, a few players note that the grinding is not overly excessive compared to similar titles, suggesting a mixed reception on this aspect.
- “Ultra grindy on higher settings and very repetitive, so it's a 30-minute then play something else game.”
- “There is a great core game here, but it unfortunately gets too grindy and monotonous rather quickly.”
- “Feels stupidly grindy even at first glance, and I just cannot force myself to put in some long hours to farm and build up the passives/upgrades to be able to enjoy the game.”
music
13 mentions
69 % positive mentions
23 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as atmospheric and fitting for the setting, with a solid soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While some players find it enjoyable and immersive, others note that it may not be particularly memorable. Overall, the music complements the game's graphics and voice acting, contributing positively to the gameplay atmosphere.
- “Solid soundtrack.”
- “The graphics are great, the music very pirate-like, and the whole game feels polished.”
- “The sound effects during naval battles, the ambient music, and even the voices of crew members all added to the immersive experience.”
- “Like the voice acting, some of the animations, there's not much in the way of music or map diversity.”
replayability
11 mentions
64 % positive mentions
9 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it addictive and enjoyable with various levels and difficulties, others criticize it for lacking content and variety, which is essential for a rogue-like. Many users express hope for future updates to enhance balance and replay value, indicating that the foundation is solid but requires further development to fully realize its potential.
- “As an old-school XCOM fan, there are so many ideas I find really fresh, very replayable. Here's hoping for a sequel with a bigger budget; great game!”
- “Best replayable pirate game since Sid Meier's.”
- “Very addictive, loads of replayability.”
- “This game lacks content, it lacks variety, it lacks replayability; for a rogue-like, that last point is a cardinal sin.”
- “Has the core of something great and is currently extremely fun for 8-12 hours, but requires more balance patches to extend replayability.”
- “A lot of things are random, which is annoying for turn-based games, but after proper development of your team, ship, etc., the game becomes much more playable.”
atmosphere
8 mentions
75 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive pirate theme, vibrant characters, and engaging voice work, creating a lively and adventurous experience. While the music is noted as good but not memorable, the overall ambiance, enhanced by great animations and a touch of campiness, contributes significantly to the enjoyment of being a pirate. Players appreciate the depth of progression and innovative mechanics that further enrich the atmospheric experience.
- “The best part is the atmosphere; the pirate theme is immersive, and you really feel like a swearing, rum-swilling, plundering rogue of the sea.”
- “The gritty pirate atmosphere really came to life, and I found the voice work to be top-notch.”
- “I like the setting a lot, and the atmosphere is 10/10.”
humor
7 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its raunchy pirate themes and clever dialogue, often eliciting genuine laughter from players. With a well-crafted script and engaging character designs, the humor complements the game's adventurous tone, reminiscent of "Pirates of the Caribbean." Overall, players appreciate the blend of witty lines and entertaining storytelling, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
- “The script appears to be very good; the pacing is great, and the dialogues feature subtle and pleasant humor, complemented by good character designs.”
- “So often I find myself laughing at the various lines they spew out.”
- “As long as you know what you're getting into, I think you'll have fun with the humor and theme.”
optimization
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its impressive graphics and smooth performance, particularly on the Steam Deck, where it features intuitive control bindings that enhance the overall experience.
- “It runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, with great, intuitive control bindings, making it a perfect fit for the platform.”
- “Very cool graphics; the ending animations make a cool difference and contribute to very good performance.”
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game experiences significant stability issues, including freezing when all pirates are stunned by fishermen, and users report numerous bugs and glitches that affect overall gameplay.
- “When all pirates are stunned by fishermen, the game also freezes.”
- “But I also have to say a warning: there are still a bunch of bugs and glitches in this game.”
character development
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The character development is praised for its well-crafted script, featuring good pacing and dialogues infused with subtle humor, alongside appealing character designs.
- “The script appears to be very good; although I've played little to give my full opinion, the pacing is excellent, and the dialogues feature a subtle and pleasant humor. The character designs are also impressive.”