Skip to main content

Rogue Waters

This roguelike heartily embraces trappings of piracy and life on the high seas that flips the traditional pirate ghost story on its head to offer more than appears at first glance.
82%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, stability
87% User Score Based on 706 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

PCPCXboxXboxXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|SEpic GamesEpic GamesPlaystation 5Playstation 5WindowsWindowsPlayStationPlayStationNintendo SwitchNintendo SwitchXbox OneXbox One
Buy Nowfrom $9.82
Buy NowGet on Steam$29.99Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store

About

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
Rogue Waters screenshot
Rogue Waters screenshot
Rogue Waters screenshot
Rogue Waters screenshot
Rogue Waters screenshot
Rogue Waters screenshot
Rogue Waters screenshot
Rogue Waters screenshot
Rogue Waters screenshot
Rogue Waters screenshot
Rogue Waters screenshot
+11

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 712 reviews
story34 positive mentions
grinding35 negative mentions
  • Engaging and fun turn-based combat with unique mechanics like pushing enemies and using environmental hazards.
  • Charming pirate theme with good voice acting and humor, creating an immersive atmosphere.
  • Solid progression system that allows for meaningful upgrades to crew and ship, enhancing replayability.
  • Repetitive gameplay with limited variety in maps, enemies, and encounters, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
  • Ship combat can feel RNG-heavy, making it frustrating when luck determines the outcome of battles.
  • Some balance issues, particularly with enemy difficulty scaling and the effectiveness of certain crew classes.
  • story
    235 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is generally described as simple and somewhat mundane, yet engaging enough to keep players invested throughout its progression. While many appreciate the intriguing characters and world-building, they note that the narrative feels short and lacks depth, with some expressing a desire for a more satisfying conclusion. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the addictive gameplay, allowing for endless replayability even after the main storyline is completed.

    • “The story was compelling though, and the game was doing a good job of introducing new mechanics and characters at a decent pace.”
    • “What's here is well done, with a great execution of a theme and a light, fun pirate story running through it.”
    • “Thanks to an interesting story and engaging meta-progression, you will easily play through all three acts.”
    • “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.”
    • “Other than that glaring issue, the story is very weak, and when you get over the intrinsic fun of the system mechanics, there's not much to keep you playing.”
  • gameplay
    182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by engaging turn-based combat that emphasizes strategic positioning and environmental interactions, with unique mechanics like the push feature that adds depth to battles. While the game offers a satisfying loop of upgrades and tactical encounters, some players find the overall experience repetitive and lacking in variety over time. Despite these criticisms, the mechanics are generally well-executed and provide a solid foundation for a fun, albeit niche, gaming experience.

    • “The combat mechanics are incredibly engaging, allowing for strategic planning and exciting encounters with each battle.”
    • “The gameplay loop is doing a run and coming back to the hub to upgrade your ship, recruit new crewmates, and level up your current ones.”
    • “The battles are tactically demanding thanks to dozens of different units, each with their own abilities, and even hours into the game, new enemies and battle mechanics will be introduced.”
    • “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?'”
    • “Once you've figured out the mechanics, there doesn't seem to be much different from game to game.”
    • “It is the main gameplay loop, and for that, it is too simple for my taste.”
  • graphics
    59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their quality and aesthetic appeal, effectively capturing the pirate theme with beautiful visuals and smooth animations. While some players noted minor issues with voice acting and occasional performance hiccups, the overall presentation is considered polished and immersive, enhancing the gameplay experience. However, a few reviews mentioned that the graphics, while good, may not be groundbreaking, suggesting a mixed reception in terms of innovation.

    • “I loved the stunning visuals—the scenes are beautifully crafted—and the sound design really pulls you in.”
    • “The visuals are great and the pirate theme is executed perfectly.”
    • “The graphics are great, the music very pirate-ey and the whole game feels polished.”
    • “The graphics are alright and easy to comprehend but nothing to write home about.”
    • “Other than that, there's art-style: it's a matter of taste, but I don't like it.”
    • “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.”
  • grinding
    35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is generally viewed as tedious and repetitive, with many players feeling that it detracts from the overall experience. While some find the core gameplay enjoyable, the need for extensive grinding to obtain upgrades and power can become monotonous, especially since players reach max power too quickly. Overall, the game is seen as having potential but suffers from a lack of variety and excessive grind, making it feel more suited for mobile gaming.

    • “Upgrades help, but you get them through grinding, and even then half the time the upgrades are more harmful than helpful.”
    • “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
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the immersive experience, particularly during naval battles. While some reviewers noted that the soundtrack is solid and captures the game's pirate theme well, others felt it lacks memorability and diversity. Overall, the combination of music, sound effects, and voice acting contributes positively to the game's polished feel.

    • “Solid soundtrack.”
    • “It truly captures some pretty cool vibes with the setting and music in the background; I actually enjoy the storyline and voice lines of the characters in the game.”
    • “Like the voice-acting, some of the animations, not that much in the way of music or map diversity.”
    • “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, not that much in the way of music or map diversity.”
  • replayability
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 particularly detrimental for a roguelike. Many reviewers express hope for future updates or sequels that could enhance replay value, suggesting that the foundation is solid but requires further development to fully realize its potential. Overall, it offers a fun experience for a limited time but may need more depth to sustain long-term engagement.

    • “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!”
    • “Very addictive, loads of replayability.”
    • “A very nice surprise, this is a true roguelike game with nice graphics and a lot 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, and this is annoying for turn-based games, but after proper development of your team, ship, etc., the game becomes much more playable.”
  • atmosphere
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive pirate theme, bringing players into a vibrant world filled with colorful characters and a delightful touch of campiness. While the music is noted as good but not memorable, the overall experience is enhanced by top-notch voice work and engaging animations, making players feel like true swashbucklers. Many reviewers rate the atmosphere highly, emphasizing its adventurous spirit and the depth it adds to the gameplay.

    • “The best part is the atmosphere; the pirate theme is immersive, you really are 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
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever and engaging dialogue, often drawing comparisons to the comedic style of "Pirates of the Caribbean." Players appreciate the blend of subtle and raunchy humor, which enhances the overall experience and contributes to memorable character interactions and stories. Overall, the humor is a standout feature that adds significant enjoyment to the gameplay.

    • “The humor is amazing.”
    • “So often I find myself laughing at the various lines they spew out.”
    • “As long as you know what you're going into, I think you'll have fun with the humor and theme.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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. Users report that the optimization contributes to a seamless gameplay experience, making it well-suited for the platform.

    • “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
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent freezes when all pirates are stunned by fishermen, along with numerous bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience.

    • “When all pirates are stunned by fishermen, the game also freezes.”
    • “I have to say a warning: there are still a bunch of bugs and glitches in this game.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development is praised for its strong script and good pacing, featuring dialogues that incorporate subtle humor. The character designs also contribute positively to the overall experience, enhancing the depth of the characters.

    • “The script appears to be very good; although I've played little to give my full opinion, the pacing is excellent, the dialogues feature subtle and pleasant humor, and the character designs are impressive.”

76%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews

Buy Rogue Waters

25h Median play time
36h Average play time
13-40h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 11 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Games Like Rogue Waters

Gordian Quest Image
83%3.4kreviews

Gordian Quest

2022Tactical Role Playing
PCPCAndroidAndroidiPhoneiPhone+11
The Last Spell Image
This game contains adult content
87%11.1kreviews

The Last Spell

2023Tactical Role Playing
PCPCPlaystation 5Playstation 5Playstation 4Playstation 4+5
Star Renegades Image
79%2.9kreviews

Star Renegades

2021Role Playing
PCPCXboxXboxXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|S+9
Tainted Grail: Conquest Image
90%7.6kreviews

Tainted Grail: Conquest

2021Role Playing
PCPCWindowsWindowsLinuxLinux+1
Monster Slayers Image
78%1.8kreviews

Monster Slayers

2017Arcade Role Playing
PCPCXboxXboxPlaystation 4Playstation 4+6