Seasteader

About

"Seasteader is a city-building and management strategy game set on the ocean. Develop a thriving seastead, a floating community, by managing production, manufacturing, and trade while ensuring the happiness of your seasteaders. With 15 campaign scenarios, the game allows you to micromanage or let it run its course, offering a variety of ways to play."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

52%

Audience ScoreBased on 27 reviews

humor2 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game has a unique city-builder concept set on the open ocean, allowing for creative building layouts.
It features a decent campaign mode with various objectives and a sandbox mode for free building.
The game offers a rich micro-management experience, focusing on economic aspects and resource management.

The game feels unpolished and unfinished, with many players noting it lacks depth and variety in gameplay.
Performance issues and a poorly designed AI disrupt immersion and can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Many players feel the game is overpriced for its current state, especially given its abandonment by the developers.

gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The gameplay in "Seasteader" offers a solid simulation experience with a focus on micro-management and planning, though it can feel repetitive due to similar starting strategies across levels. While the game is easy to pick up, it suffers from a lack of depth and variety, with some mechanics proving challenging to master. Overall, players appreciate the calming nature of the gameplay, but many desire more innovation and complexity to enhance the experience.
- “But eventually the gameplay itself grew on me, and I like that it has a decent campaign with many scenarios. Once you get the hang of starting off a level with a stable economy, you usually just do the same thing for every level, although some vary.”
- “Rich in micro-management, and with surprising depth, Seasteader is a solid simulation game that fans of the genre will love, despite a few mechanical issues.”
- “Despite a few rather glaring mechanical issues, I found the process of planning and constructing a seastead both incredibly calming and stimulating, where the serene environment combined with some intense number crunching and micro-management.”
- “Gameplay is very slow and there is nothing to do while waiting.”
- “Gameplay has to be played on fastest speed to get anything done, and money needs to be made faster so the players can feel like we are building something.”
- “Despite the unique setting, Seasteader doesn’t offer enough gameplay variety or innovation to make it stand out.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The graphics of the game are generally considered simplistic and unremarkable, lacking in depth and artistic innovation. While they may not impress, they effectively align with the game's simulation and management focus, prioritizing functionality over visual flair. Overall, the visuals serve their purpose but do not elevate the gaming experience.
- “Visually, Seasteader doesn’t push any artistic boundaries, but matches the aesthetic it is aiming for perfectly.”
- “All of the buildings, people, and environments are depicted in a style that reminds me of an architectural program, which fits with the general aesthetic of this kind of simulation and management game fantastically.”
- “The graphics can be very off-putting.”
- “Yes, someone is right, this is a cheap Tropico clone, with simpler graphics, music, and UI.”
- “As you can see from the graphics, the game focuses less on being pretty with lots of animations and stuff, and primarily on the economic aspects.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The story in the game revolves around completing a series of missions that focus on achieving specific goals related to population and profit, with occasional unique tasks like building structures or responding to market events. Players start with a central hub and must manage various aspects of their settlement to progress through approximately 15 campaign missions, which become easier as they grasp the game mechanics. Overall, the narrative is driven by mission objectives that encourage strategic growth and resource management.
- “Occasionally, you'll get a mission, like 'build an oil refinery', or an event will occur, like a price collapse in a given good.”
- “You begin with a 'hub', and are required to balance the various aspects of your 'stead as you grow it towards passing the mission goals (or just making a humongous seaborne metropolis).”
- “Each story mission gives you a set of goals, mainly to reach a certain population and profit, to meet in order to be considered a viable investment.”
- “There are random missions that pop up occasionally, but they involve simply producing a set amount of a specific good.”
- “I think there are only about 15 campaign missions, and I've finished the first three, which are relatively easy once you understand the game mechanics.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The music in the game has received positive feedback, with players praising its peaceful soundtrack that features a distinct sea shanty vibe, which enhances the overall experience. However, some reviews note that the music quality is not as high as in other games, comparing it to a cheaper clone.
- “+ good soundtrack”
- “Yes, someone is right; this is a cheap Tropico clone, with simpler graphics, music, and UI.”
- “One thing that particularly surprised me was the quality of Seasteader’s music.”
- “It’s an incredibly peaceful soundtrack, with a distinct sea shanty vibe I absolutely fell in love with.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that while the game currently lacks humor and depth, there is potential for it to develop into a funny experience as it progresses. Players remain hopeful that future updates will enhance the comedic elements alongside the core gameplay.
- “I've purchased a number of early access games in the past, and I'm pretty confident that this could become something funny to play.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
While the game offers enjoyable gameplay, players report significant performance issues that worsen over time. Additionally, the need for tightly packed structures to fend off attacks limits creative building options.
- “The game is enjoyable, but performance tends to decline over time. I would have preferred more freedom in building rather than being forced to create tightly packed settlements to prevent investor attacks.”
- “Optimization is key in this game; finding the right balance between resource management and expansion can lead to a much smoother experience.”
- “I love how the game encourages players to optimize their strategies, making every decision impactful and rewarding.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, particularly for its immersive experience of being "banished on the water." Players appreciate the ongoing development and updates that enhance this unique setting.
- “I love the atmosphere and the potential of being 'banished on the water.' I was very happy to see evidence of it still being worked on with the release of the new update adding a little content.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players express uncertainty about the game's replayability after completing all scenarios and achievements, suggesting that while there is initial content to explore, long-term engagement may be limited.
- “The game offers a variety of scenarios that keep me coming back for more, and I can't wait to explore all the achievements.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the different choices and paths available, making it highly replayable.”
- “With multiple endings and unlockable content, there's always a reason to dive back in and experience something new.”
- “Obviously, I've not finished all the scenarios yet and there are still achievements to get, but I'm not sure about the replayability once those are done.”
- “After completing the main story, I found little incentive to replay the game. The lack of varied outcomes makes it feel repetitive.”
- “While the game offers multiple paths, the differences are minimal, leading to a lack of motivation to replay.”