Saltsea Chronicles

About

In Saltsea Chronicles, a story-driven adventure game, players join Captain Maja and her crew on a rescue mission in a post-flood world. Explore diverse island communities, each with unique pre-flood ruins, and uncover a deep conspiracy while choosing investigation paths. Experience a rich narrative with twists and turns in this immersive, award-winning indie title.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 152 reviews

story38 positive mentions

The game features a beautifully crafted world with engaging writing and a colorful cast of characters, making it a joy to explore.
Players appreciate the strong character development and the emotional depth of the story, which resonates with themes of community and connection.
The art style is widely praised for its uniqueness and charm, enhancing the overall immersive experience of the game.

Many players found the game to be overly text-heavy and lacking in interactive gameplay elements, making it feel more like a visual novel than an adventure game.
The abrupt ending left some players feeling unsatisfied, with a desire for more closure or a sequel to continue the story.
Some users reported that the initial overwhelming amount of slang and fast-paced exposition made it difficult to engage with the narrative.

story
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
63%
3%
The story in "Saltsea Chronicles" is widely praised for its depth, character development, and immersive world-building, offering a hopeful narrative about community and connection amidst a backdrop of fantastical elements. Players appreciate the engaging writing and the emotional weight of choices, although some note that the pacing can feel slow at times. Overall, the game is recognized for its beautiful storytelling, art, and music, making it a standout in the story-driven genre.
- “Saltsea Chronicles is a consoling story full of hope - a game about the things that unite us, even though we are all different and unique.”
- “The story is captivating, the worldbuilding is great, the places you visit are diverse, and the playable characters are deep and believable.”
- “Art, sound, and storytelling all come together for an amazingly compelling storytelling experience.”
- “Not very much happens in Mutazione, and you get this slow plot dripped out over very long walks across an island.”
- “Lousy story.”
- “The path you go does affect what other companions will join you on your journey, but does not materially affect the mainline story; you are still forced into chokepoint story beats, despite which islands you choose to visit.”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
31%
8%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique and beautiful art style that enhances the narrative experience. While some players find the visuals charming and expressive, others feel that certain character designs can be off-putting or grotesque. Overall, the art is described as a significant strength, contributing to the game's atmosphere and storytelling.
- “The graphics are beautiful - the game has such a unique, expressive style that invites the eye - each location and character is a pleasure to look at.”
- “A narrative game wrapped in charming visuals and striking colors!”
- “However, this game is also a total aesthetic treat!”
- “I am not actually a fan of the art style used to display the characters, which in some cases can be, to my eye, grotesque; but as a player of Mutazione (from the same developer -- which I also liked but didn't love), I expected that going in.”
- “The beginning is an overwhelming amount of phrases and slang that I couldn't understand; the art style was not to my tastes.”
- “It's similar to Mutazione in art style and characterization/storytelling, but otherwise that's it.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall presentation and experience. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, with some considering it one of their favorites of the year, while a few express that the sound design could be improved. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's charm, making it enjoyable both in and out of gameplay.
- “The art is phenomenal, the soundtrack is one of my favorites from this year, and this game is going very high on my Game of the Year list.”
- “Beautiful and strange places lovingly animated and accompanied by gorgeous music.”
- “A very pretty game with a fantastic soundtrack; it plays like a wonderful storybook full of clever concepts and language.”
- “Sadly, I think it lacks in sound design and music.”
- “Great game, I'd strongly recommend, but I feel like the music could have been a little better.”
- “No musical gardening (sadly).”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
63%
19%
The gameplay is characterized by a narrative-heavy experience with minimal traditional mechanics, focusing on exploration and character interactions rather than puzzles or action. Players appreciate the relaxing nature of the gameplay, the beautiful art style, and the depth of the characters, while also noting the game's accessibility and replayability through meaningful choices. However, some aspects may slow down the experience, yet the overall creativity and heart of the game shine through.
- “I love the relaxing gameplay of just getting to explore, the beautiful art style, and the fact that you get to really play as the crew as a whole and not just one character.”
- “I'm fascinated by the very practical anti-capitalist mechanics in this charming, well-illustrated, story-driven game.”
- “The characters are wonderful and deep, the progression mechanics are great, and there's obviously a lot of room for replayability.”
- “First, players should be aware that this is a narrative-heavy game with minimal gameplay; some choice of where to go next, but nothing in the form of puzzle-solving or action sequences.”
- “But then there is the gameplay.”
- “Aspects of the gameplay somewhat often slowed the experience down, but unmistakable in the game was an abundance of creativity and heart.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its deeply emotional narrative, with players reporting multiple instances of crying due to its heartwarming yet bittersweet plot. The combination of a lovely art style, relatable characters with personal stories, and subtle text animations enhances the emotional experience, making it feel like a shared adventure. Overall, it is described as a beautiful journey that resonates on a personal level.
- “Omitting numerical metrics and replacing them with emotional ties and personal experiences, it really feels like going on an adventure together.”
- “Lovely art style, likable cast with individual stories and issues, heartwarming but also bittersweet plot.”
- “A beautiful and unusual adventure game about exploring strange places, learning about them, and guiding your crew through an emotional and sweet story.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game boasts significant replayability due to its forking decision paths and replayable chapters, encouraging players to explore different routes and uncover new experiences. Many users noted that even after a single playthrough, there are still collectibles and alternative choices to pursue, enhancing the overall value of replaying. The depth of characters and solid progression mechanics further contribute to the game's replayability appeal.
- “Loved the forking decision paths and replayable chapters, which lets you change your mind and experience the totality this game has to offer.”
- “Heck, the game offers so much replayability value it'd be a shame to not try different routes each time and see what you uncover.”
- “I have only played through once so far, but there definitely seems to be replayability - I have things still to collect and there were other choices I could have made.”
- “The characters are wonderful and deep, the progression mechanics are great, and there's obviously a lot of room for replayability.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The game excels in character design, showcasing a diverse and evocative representation of human visual diversity that stands out from typical templates. Additionally, there are hints of deeper character development and hidden elements that players can uncover through their choices, adding layers to the overall experience.
- “The character designs in particular are my favorite, in part because though they can seem abstract in style, they do a better and more meaningful job capturing the beauty and breadth of human visual diversity than every other game, movie, TV show, or comic that stacks itself with template mannequin models.”
- “The character designs are great, and the landscapes for each location are very beautiful and evocatively drawn.”
- “As a side note, there are characters and locations that I believe are hidden between choices, as well as character development.”
- “The character designs in particular are my favorite, in part because though they can seem abstract in style, they do a better and more meaningful job capturing the beauty and breadth of human visual diversity than every other game, movie, TV show, comic that stacks itself with template mannequin models.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its beautiful graphic style and an immersive soundtrack that enhances the experience. Players appreciate the creativity of the islands and the rewarding exploration of lore and animations scattered throughout the maps. Overall, the atmosphere is considered well-crafted and engaging.
- “The graphic style of art is beautiful and the soundtrack added the perfect atmosphere.”
- “Generally, the atmosphere of all the islands you explore is really well done and creative.”
- “I also found it rewarding to explore all the bits of lore and atmosphere around the maps, and to move my cursor over everything to discover all the little animations.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively blends humor with emotional depth, creating relatable and well-rounded characters that resonate with a diverse audience. Players appreciate the authentic portrayal of various identities, which adds layers to the humor and overall narrative experience.
- “There was humor, there were legitimate tears, there was mystery... hallmarks of a great tale.”
- “Even if you aren't autistic or nonbinary or anxious, I think there's so much to relate to for many people in the characters in this game, especially historically underrepresented people. The characters are funny, sweet, sometimes irritable, and always feel real.”