Ship of Fools

Ship of Fools is a truly exciting co-op roguelike, with frantic action. plenty of upgrades to enjoy and a banging soundtrack

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Ship of Fools is a cooperative roguelike game where players control a crew of misfits on a perilous voyage. Navigate through treacherous waters, battle monstrous sea creatures, and manage your ship's resources to survive. With procedurally generated levels and a variety of character classes, each playthrough offers a new and exciting adventure. Work together to reach the end of the world and uncover its secrets.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,585 reviews

gameplay112 positive mentions

grinding20 negative mentions

Ship of Fools offers a chaotic and fun co-op experience that requires teamwork and coordination.
The game features charming graphics and a delightful soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
The variety of characters, ships, weapons, and items provides a surprising amount of replayability.

The game is relatively short, with many players completing it in just a few hours, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
There are significant issues with online connectivity, including disconnections that result in lost progress.
The game can feel repetitive due to limited enemy and boss variety, with only a few unique encounters available.

gameplay
211 mentions
53 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is widely praised for its fun, chaotic, and cooperative mechanics, reminiscent of games like Overcooked, making it particularly enjoyable with friends. Players appreciate the variety in character abilities and the engaging core loop, though some express concerns about repetitive content and a lack of progression after completing the main run. Overall, the game offers a solid mix of humor, strategy, and accessibility, appealing to both casual and more dedicated gamers, despite some technical issues and a desire for more content.
- “The gameplay is just so much fun, especially with friends.”
- “Experimenting with different builds and unlocking new gear always adds excitement to the gameplay loop.”
- “The core gameplay loop is simple - keep your ship alive while fighting through stages of enemy waves and slowly upgrading your ammunition, HP, abilities, etc.”
- “It is max a couple of hours of gameplay, and although afterwards you can go endless modes with increasing difficulty, it's always going to be the same three maps with the same bosses, etc. there's no real progression once you've gone through the whole run once, which is a huge shame.”
- “The mechanics work poorly and the game gets boring very quickly.”
- “Every run feels the same; artifacts and trinkets being different isn't enough, because as I said earlier, they don't really matter if you understand the core mechanics.”
graphics
104 mentions
62 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their whimsical and charming art style, characterized by cute and playful visuals that enhance the overall experience. While some players noted performance issues, such as frame rate drops and lack of graphics options, the unique character designs and fluid animations were highlighted as standout features. Overall, the vibrant and engaging graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it visually delightful despite some technical shortcomings.
- “The graphics are super cute, and the character designs are awesome.”
- “The art style is amazing and the gameplay has a surprising amount of depth.”
- “Visually, Ship of Fools is a delight, with colorful graphics that bring its quirky characters and zany situations to life.”
- “When the screen scrolls, it's an extremely jittery mess and gave me eye strain. I could not find a way to fix it, and there are no graphics options in the game.”
- “Worse, there are no graphics settings.”
- “35fps on a game that uses vector graphics, lmao.”
replayability
74 mentions
30 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its fun mechanics, character variety, and co-op experience, which contribute to a high replay value. However, some users express disappointment over a lack of content and repetitive gameplay, leading to diminished motivation to replay. Recent updates have improved replayability for some, but overall, opinions vary widely on its long-term appeal.
- “The game is super fun and the different characters, ships, weapons, items, and modifiers provide a surprising amount of replayability.”
- “A fantastic game with a lot of replayability, since every run is randomized.”
- “The mechanics are simple, the levels and monsters are creative, there's a bunch of variety and combination, the replayability is great, and it's overall just a great game.”
- “The campaign is very short and the replayability is fairly low in its current state.”
- “There is barely any content, and there is no replayability whatsoever.”
- “It offers absolutely no replayability - no 'run-variance' - no new game+ or even any difficulty settings...”
music
74 mentions
73 % positive mentions
23 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as "phenomenal," "amazing," and "a banger." It enhances the overall experience, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment, particularly during boss fights. While some noted occasional repetitiveness, the majority agree that the diverse and engaging music elevates the gameplay, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The music is perfect and one of the best soundtracks in any game I have ever played.”
- “Philippe did an outstanding job on creating the music and it goes hand in hand with the simple but intense gameplay.”
- “The soundtrack is a banger and you can put seagulls in a cannon.”
- “Probably a fun game, but cannot get past the repetitive music and jarring sound effects.”
- “I will say there are some bugs which are quite annoying - the reflected projectile outline staying on the ship after the round has ended, dead enemies still appearing on your co-op partner's screen, the bomb artifacts not working for your partner, the battle music continuing even after the enemy has been defeated.”
- “The music.”
humor
54 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting its chaotic and hilarious gameplay, quirky characters, and witty dialogue that elicits genuine laughter. Many reviews note that the game is particularly enjoyable in co-op mode, where the comedic moments are amplified through interactions between players. While some frustrations arise from gameplay mechanics, the overall consensus is that the humor adds a delightful layer to the experience, making it a memorable and engaging adventure.
- “My buddy and I love to experiment with this game with a mix of hilarious, marvelous, and, it must be said, often disastrous results.”
- “There's a bit of witty humor, and some one-liners that made me and my friend laugh out loud.”
- “Despite its flaws, Ship of Fools is a hilarious and engaging experience that's perfect for anyone who enjoys a good laugh and a bit of swashbuckling adventure.”
story
34 mentions
24 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered underwhelming, with many players noting its brevity and lack of depth, often feeling more like a backdrop to gameplay rather than a central focus. While some appreciate the humor and character design, others express disappointment over the limited narrative progression and desire for more content and lore. Overall, the story is seen as a minor aspect of the experience, with many players wishing for a more substantial narrative.
- “The world of the archipelago has enough bits of lore sprinkled about to tell a story, but enough holes to perhaps fill in your own.”
- “The point is that the game is beautiful, the music is very cool, the gameplay is good, the plot is enticing; I really want to continue, I also really liked the bosses!”
- “After 5 hours of playing this game (plus beta), I can safely say this game is really good at what it offers: roguelike combat, fun and replayable gameplay, very interesting mechanics, and enjoyable story/dialogues.”
- “This game sadly lacks some content after you beat it. You have a heat system similar to Hades, but there seems to be no real story progression or new regions.”
- “I was left confused when I saw the credits, not believing how short it was and wishing there was a new game+ or any sort of variance in enemy or gameplay to make up for the short story.”
- “The game is over so quickly; it would be amazing to get more content, especially as it was left open-ended with the story.”
grinding
25 mentions
12 % positive mentions
8 % neutral mentions
80 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with some players enjoying the grind as part of the experience, while others find it tedious and repetitive, especially in the post-game. Many reviews highlight that the grind can feel excessive, particularly when aiming for achievements or upgrades, and some players express frustration over the lack of content and progression options. Overall, the game may appeal to those who appreciate grind-heavy gameplay, but it risks becoming monotonous for others.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “After defeating the first boss and moving onto the next area, the grind quickly starts to feel tedious.”
- “Fun game, but grindy and there's no end game.”
- “The theme, art style, co-op, and gameplay are all good, but progression is dull and slow, ending up being tedious after just an hour or two of playing.”
stability
14 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized due to various bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in co-op mode, where issues like freezing and unresponsive controls are common. While many players find the game enjoyable and addictive, the presence of these technical problems, including lag and inconsistent hit detection, detracts from the overall experience. A patch to address these stability issues is highly anticipated by the community.
- “Has potential, but the glitches and the game saving mechanic of you not being able to go to the 'lighthouse' after every big level has finished really holds it back.”
- “You will lose runs because of glitches; I will update if they ever fix them.”
- “The game itself is especially fun when played with a friend, but please release a patch where you fix important bugs. The game is buggy, co-op not working, and crashing at a black screen. Some visual bugs and even the bosses are bugged where despite the HP bar being at 0, the spirit of the boss remains and the run cannot be continued.”
optimization
9 mentions
22 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
44 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting poor performance across various platforms, including low frame rates on the Steam Deck and issues even on high-end PCs like those with an RTX 3060. While some aspects of the design are appreciated, the overall optimization is deemed lacking, particularly in terms of AI performance and loading times. Many users hope for future updates to address these issues.
- “Good overall design and optimization.”
- “Some loading optimization would be cool too, but once the map is loaded there isn't much loading to speak of.”
- “Not to mention that it is poorly optimized, with bullets, like corn, that almost explode my PC.”
- “Great game, I’m enjoying it so far; however, there is terrible performance on the Steam Deck, hitting as low as 20 frames on the OLED. Hopefully, they can fix this soon!”
- “Also, the game is very poorly optimized even when I have a good machine with an RTX 3060.”
character development
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
-20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is highly praised for its charming and appealing designs, with players appreciating the cute graphics and unique character concepts. Overall, the character aesthetics contribute significantly to the game's enjoyable gameplay experience.
- “My sister loves the character design as well as the gameplay and the replayability.”
- “Excellent gameplay, art style, music, and character design.”
- “The character designs and overall look of the game are really nice and lovely; who wouldn't like to play as a foolish little sea creature?”
- “The character designs and overall look of the game are really nice and lovely, but the character development feels shallow and uninspired.”
- “While the art and graphics are impressive, the lack of depth in character development makes it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “The game has great visuals, but the character development is lacking, leaving players feeling detached from the story.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a rainy setting and a sense of adventure on the seas, enhanced by a perfect soundtrack that elevates the overall experience.
- “The rainy atmosphere while sailing the seas is truly immersive!”
- “The soundtrack is perfect and elevates the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real sense of immersion.”
- “Despite the potential for a rich environment, the atmosphere is dull and lifeless.”
- “The game fails to create a compelling atmosphere, leaving players feeling disconnected from the world.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is generally viewed positively, as players can achieve 100% completion without feeling pressured by aggressive cash grabs. However, there are concerns about balance issues, particularly regarding overpowered mechanics that can disrupt gameplay.
- “That way if you want to 100% the game, you can do it without getting hit with this snarky cash grab.”
- “Then again, there are some issues. I think it still needs balance. The cannon that fires all shots with the trinket that crits on the last shot is disgustingly overpowered (and you can further that with the character that does splash on crit). It makes even the eye cry away before he can even summon ads.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by moments of heartbreak that leave a lasting impact, despite their rarity. Players appreciate the overall wholesome nature of the game and express a desire for more content to deepen the emotional experience.
- “Very heartbreaking every time it happens, albeit not often.”
- “Very nice and wholesome game; I wish there would be more content in the future!”