Rogue Waters

I have a chronically overriding feeling that there is a missing game out there that I know would be a Game of the Year 2024 candidate. A pirate game, one with endless potential. Why I, and many gamers with me, have got it into our collective consciousness that this is what we're missing I do not know. Is the feeling of plunging into the seas to rob and do stupid things a human need? Is the idea of swinging over to another ship and stabbing the enemy in the back downright titillating? Or is it simply the concept of some kind of 17th century GTA with supernatural beings at sea that attracts? It all feels a bit like my Roman empire and when I grabbed Rogue Waters, those dreams of a great pirate game were brought back to life. Could this be a game that, at least temporarily, satisfied that inner, almost animal, longing for outright devilry on the high seas?

Rogue Waters is a tactical, turn-based roguelite set in a pirate world. You play as Captain Cutter, a man who has risen from the dead many years after his former captain Blackbone both figuratively and literally stabbed him in the back after a fight over (most unsurprisingly) treasure. And that's pretty much where the story runs aground. Recruiting pirates who all look more or less the same, and upgrading your ship with its cannons, you slowly but surely grow stronger, ready to get your revenge and plunder the seas. You'll bring your motley recruits to make the waterways unsafe in raids, ruthlessly boarding enemy ships in search of coin, jewels and fancy upgrades. Either you reach the fear end and have managed to destroy all enemy ships or you die on the way there, and are resurrected in your harbour again as the immortal captain you are.

Once you've cast off and chosen one of the three paths offered to you at sea, it's time to do battle with unsuspecting scum. Each battle begins with your boat sailing alongside the enemy boat and guns blazing. The duel is viewed from above and I find myself liking the way the game has designed its battles, and I dearly wish they were longer and more elaborately animated. Three-masted ships armed with cannons side by side, what more is needed in this life, I wonder?

After doing their best to take out enemy guns and any buffs, it's time to board the enemy ship. I've carefully selected my heroes to dramatically dash across to the enemy deck and take up the isometric fight against the crew, and it's here that Rogue Waters really impresses. Strategic placement of your pirates is vital in order to best capitalise on their various strengths. For example, Sally Brisk is a backstabber of sorts, so I try to place her behind enemy lines so that my other fighters can push opponents into her dagger. It's a game of life and death chess that unfolds before your eyes.

At this point, it strikes me that the graphics are still something I find a little disappointing, which is paradoxical because in many respects it is reminiscent in appearance of Dredge, which was released last year and which I absolutely love in every way. I suspect that it's the story that can't quite make up for the lack of aesthetics. The number of loading scenes is also numerous, throwing me out of my immersion every so often, and it's surprising how often they occur given how little the game actually seems to require in terms of performance.

Once the raid is over, I return, either as a resurrected victor or simply back from the dead, to my underground harbour. There I can upgrade my boat, rest my crew or recruit new morally dubious individuals from the local tavern. Having a base like this creates a certain calm between raids that I appreciate, where you can replace crewmates and ships can be modified to make the next raid even a little sharper.

Despite the relatively flat graphics, I quickly notice how easy it is to get stuck in the game's loop. My quick hour before bedtime becomes almost three hours in some kind of masochistic rush where I die and die, getting more tired with each new run. Five hours until I have to get up with the youngest. Sorry, four. Rogue Water's isometric view, combined with the game board's grid, creates an immensely satisfying feeling when carefully planned attacks finally pay off. For those of you stuck in games like Hades, I'd like to raise a warning flag, because although Rogue Waters is turn-based, there are a lot of similarities and I find myself sinking into it in the same way I constantly did with Hades. The fact that it also takes place in a world full of pirates just makes me feel even closer to my old childhood idol Captain Haddock.

I do wonder if a roguelite pirate game scratches the same itch I wrote about in the beginning. I guess the answer is almost. Rogue Waters is first and foremost a roguelite, and I feel that the other parts come second. For example, the sea battles could have been given a more prominent role, both graphically but also in their importance to the success of a raid. It's almost like a mini-game in the game with high entertainment value and I would have liked more cannons and stormy waters. The game's story also lacks a lot of weight and the lack of variety between the characters and overall rather bland graphics leaves a lot to be desired. Getting deeper into the characters and the story could have helped to push away the feeling that it's really just a deckbuilder in a nice environment, and probably could have increased the joy of replaying the game to a greater extent, which I suspect would quickly feel like repetition.

At the same time, not every game is a Rockstar-sized colossus with a Hans Zimmer soundtrack. Rogue Waters has enough originality to be engaging throughout the story, and the more games that dare to dive headfirst into the pirate genre, the happier I and every other pirate fan out there will be. The combat mechanics are crafted well enough to be just the right amount of addictive, and as day turns to night, I'm looking forward to running a few more raids, to get a little stronger and go a little further. Plus, the game is cosy, and with some form of self-control, it is perfect to pull out for an hour or five to run a raid or ten before it's time to crawl into bed.

In short: If you like turn-based rougelites, I recommend you check out Rogue Waters. If you're also a pirate fan like me, go for it. Ultimately, games should make you relax, have some fun and let go of reality for a while. It's a need that Rogue Waters more than fulfils. The fact that it takes place in an environment filled with sea monsters, treasure chests and three days of stubble is just a bonus.