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Rule the Waves 3

89%Game Brain Score
graphics, gameplay
optimization, replayability
89% User Score Based on 1,256 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
Buy Nowfrom $8.69
Buy NowGet on Steam$39.99

About

"Rule the Waves 3" is a naval simulation game that covers the period from 1890 to 1970, allowing players to design and build their navy's ships, manage their fleet's operations, and engage in tactical naval battles. With campaigns starting in four different time periods, players must carefully manage their naval budget and navigate political tensions while forging their own unique history. Battles are resolved using a realistic tactical system, providing a challenging and immersive experience.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Rule the Waves 3 screenshot
Rule the Waves 3 screenshot
Rule the Waves 3 screenshot
Rule the Waves 3 screenshot
Rule the Waves 3 screenshot
Rule the Waves 3 screenshot
Rule the Waves 3 screenshot
Rule the Waves 3 screenshot
Rule the Waves 3 screenshot
Rule the Waves 3 screenshot
Rule the Waves 3 screenshot
+4

89%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,256 reviews
graphics70 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • Incredibly detailed ship design and fleet management mechanics that allow for a deep strategic experience.
  • Engaging gameplay that captures the complexities of naval warfare from 1890 to 1970, with a focus on historical accuracy.
  • The game offers a unique blend of strategy, tactics, and resource management, making it highly addictive for naval warfare enthusiasts.
  • The user interface is outdated and clunky, making it difficult to navigate and read, especially on higher resolution screens.
  • The battle generator can lead to frustrating scenarios where the player has little control over which ships participate in battles, often resulting in unbalanced engagements.
  • There are numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including issues with save files and AI behavior during battles.
  • graphics
    320 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in this game are widely described as simplistic and reminiscent of older eras, often compared to spreadsheet interfaces or even early gaming visuals. While many players acknowledge the graphics are not impressive, they emphasize that the game's depth, mechanics, and immersive naval simulation experience far outweigh the visual shortcomings. For those who prioritize gameplay over aesthetics, the game offers a rich and engaging experience despite its dated graphics.

    • “The graphics may not be much, but this allows it to be a very powerful engine for naval combat.”
    • “If you can look past primitive graphics and sophisticated spreadsheets and allow yourself to be immersed - it's lots of fun, especially if you like tech, warfare, and history.”
    • “Once you get over the extremely dated (but charming, in a way) graphics, this is an amazing game.”
    • “You also have to be fully aware that you'll need a vivid imagination to immerse yourself into the world you create as the graphics on offer are little better than Atari-era.”
    • “The only really bad thing I can say is that the graphics are objectively bad.”
    • “Combine all of that with a fairly high price and 90's level graphics and I just can't recommend this game.”
  • gameplay
    152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a complex mix of strategic and tactical elements, requiring players to navigate intricate mechanics and a somewhat confusing user interface. While it offers a rich and immersive experience for those who appreciate depth over graphics, many players find the reliance on RNG and poorly explained mechanics frustrating, leading to a steep learning curve. Overall, the game is praised for its detailed simulation of naval warfare, but it may not appeal to those seeking a more casual or visually polished experience.

    • “Despite the spreadsheet-like first impression, this game is rich in features and mechanics that make it a really immersive experience for those who value mechanics and depth over graphics and polished UI.”
    • “It's highly detailed and meticulous in just about every aspect; the gameplay can be addicting (just one more turn!), and it's an excellent, if not entirely historically accurate, representation of 19th-20th century naval combat.”
    • “All in all, this game seems to be a direct hit to me - stimulating content and gameplay considerations, relaxing to play, and easy to navigate.”
    • “New in RTW 3 is the missile age, but it is not really working out in terms of gameplay.”
    • “This is a massive oversight by the devs and should not be happening in a game that costs over $25, and whose gameplay consists mostly of looking at spreadsheets and moving around 2-dimensional ships on a 2-dimensional map.”
    • “The information the game gives you to make decisions on is lacking, or outrightly false, and the devs haven't even implemented a tutorial for many mechanics, with a poorly thought out UI that doesn't give you the information you want.”
  • story
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story aspect is largely driven by player choice, allowing users to create their own narratives through mission fulfillment and fleet management, though it lacks a structured storyline. While some players appreciate the strategic depth and the AI's challenge, others find the battles repetitive and unbalanced, leading to a less engaging experience. Overall, the game critiques historical naval strategies but may not appeal to those seeking a traditional narrative or sandbox experience.

    • “The other reviews already do a good job of talking about the technicalities of the game, so let me tell you a story.”
    • “Don't expect this to be a sandbox where you can bash ships together and create grand battles with your favorite ships - because the game is here to tell a very different story, where one of the main messages is to critique quasi-Mahanian grand fleet strategies of the early 20th century, and to show limitations even of the more modern air/sub/missile warfare that came to replace it.”
    • “Back in the RTW and RTW II days, I poured countless hours into creating a long-form after-action report (AAR) narrative story of the Imperial Ottoman Navy (modded); RTW has all the little missing features.”
    • “Only real complaint is that battles can get tedious, both in terms of a single battle pointlessly dragging for various reasons (e.g. a chase that won't end), and multiple battles playing out very similarly and getting boring (the game will give you a lot of too easy/too hard missions that you can't auto-resolve to skip).”
    • “(2) Don't expect this to be a sandbox where you can bash ships together and create grand battles with your favorite ships - because the game is here to tell a very different story, where one of the main messages is to critique quasi-Mahanian grand fleet strategies of the early 20th century, and to show limitations even of the more modern air/sub/missile warfare that came to replace it.”
    • “X and provide more contextual tool tips in some areas like the ship builder, and some graphically interesting ways to relay major events like a capital ship getting hit or sinking, it'd better tell the story that you are creating with your choices, and be more accessible to a broader audience.”
  • optimization
    34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is criticized for its lack of clarity regarding the impact of crew ratings, captain traits, and ship upgrades on performance, leaving players uncertain about their effectiveness. The auto design feature is particularly problematic, often generating designs that are impractical or outdated. While the game runs smoothly on various systems, it fails to provide meaningful performance data, diminishing the overall experience.

    • “The auto design feature is in serious need of optimization.”
    • “It will often spit out designs that are impossible to build for your current tech level, illegal to build due to current treaties, or extremely outdated/unoptimized for your current tech level.”
    • “Although the actual art design of any given ship has zero impact on performance, the new ship designer and generator allow for a much greater level of detail.”
    • “There is no mechanic to check on the performance of the crew.”
    • “The auto design feature is in serious need of optimization. It will often spit out designs that are impossible to build for your current tech level, illegal to build due to current treaties, or extremely outdated/unoptimized for your current tech level.”
    • “When I played RTW2, I found it very frustrating that the game collects data on the performance of all your ships in battle but failed to display it in any kind of usable form.”
  • replayability
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers exceptional replayability, with players appreciating the depth of customization and strategic design that encourages experimentation and learning. Despite its lackluster graphics, the rich content and engaging mechanics foster a strong attachment to player-created ships, making each playthrough feel unique and rewarding. Overall, the game is described as an open sandbox of possibilities, ensuring that replayability remains a key highlight.

    • “Add to this an XCOM-style level of attachment to the ships you've painstakingly designed, named, and upgraded (and are now exploding into a thousand bits because you skimped on the turret-top armor), and you've got a game that is both educational, fun, lends itself to experimentation, and is endlessly replayable.”
    • “It's not the prettiest game out there, but it makes up for that with astonishing detail and endless replayability with a passionate and helpful community and dev team.”
    • “Thus in the end, you've sailed from 'tedium to apathy and back again' only to discover that the game has almost no replay value.”
    • “It's an addictive problem to solve, and one that has no real solution - meaning endless replayability.”
    • “This game is not pretty, but it is extremely deep in its content, and replayability.”
  • stability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant bugs and glitches that affect gameplay, particularly during ship design. While some players acknowledge minor issues, others express frustration with the frequency and severity of these problems, leading to an overall perception of the game as unstable.

    • “Let me begin by saying this game is 100% bug free.”
    • “First off, the game is very, very buggy!”
    • “Tl;dr: buggy as all heck.”
    • “There are, inevitably, still some glitches, bugs, and rough edges in the game.”
  • grinding
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and laborious, particularly when building up a navy, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the combat system. Many battles feel repetitive and can drag on unnecessarily, leading to frustration, especially when faced with missions that are either too easy or too difficult to auto-resolve. While the game offers a variety of activities, the grinding experience is often seen as a significant drawback.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “As it stands, the mildly interesting combat system is not worth the frustrating, laborious, tedious process of building up a navy... which is ironic, because in games like Ultimate Admirals, From the Depths, and similar games, building the navy is often the best part.”
    • “Only real complaint is that battles can get tedious, both in terms of a single battle pointlessly dragging for various reasons (e.g. a chase that won't end), and multiple battles playing out very similarly and getting boring (the game will give you a lot of too easy/too hard missions that you can't auto-resolve to skip).”
    • “Think more tabletop wargaming from the 1980s, but with all the tedious bookkeeping automated for you.”
  • humor
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the humor in the game through the absurdity of naval technology and the comical failures of their creations, such as ships equipped with impractical weaponry or dodging the same torpedo multiple times. The exaggerated fleet sizes and the inability to build certain ships in earlier game starts add to the hilarity, creating a lighthearted experience despite some frustrations with game mechanics. Overall, the humor stems from the game's quirky and often unrealistic naval scenarios.

    • “It is hilarious and fun to see your goofy creations fail spectacularly.”
    • “The lack of an option for historical budgets also tends to lead to hilariously inflated AI fleet sizes from navies that could never afford navies half the size they get in the game.”
    • “I don't know a lot about early naval technology, but I have learned that 24 2-inch guns on a 19th-century corvette is super funny.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players describe the emotional experience of the game as a roller-coaster, marked by moments of frustration due to persistent bugs, particularly during fleet exercise scenarios. This combination of highs and lows creates a compelling yet often aggravating emotional journey, leading some to abandon long-term gameplay due to technical issues.

    • “An emotional roller-coaster.”
  • music
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features no music whatsoever, resulting in a silent experience that some players find lacking, as it feels more like reading a quiet white sheet of paper than engaging with a dynamic audio environment.

    • “There's no music in any form either, it's simply a quiet white sheet of paper with small text.”

Buy Rule the Waves 3

11h Median play time
13h Average play time
6-24h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs

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