Rogue Waters: Tactical Pirate Combat and Epic Adventures

At PAX West 2024, I had the opportunity to meet the passionate team behind Rogue Waters—an exciting tactical, turn-based rogue-lite that merges pirate adventure with strategic naval combat. The developers were eager to showcase the love and detail poured into their game, and I was able to dive into it firsthand. The result? A thrilling journey of revenge, loyalty, and swashbuckling action, complete with procedurally generated challenges and epic sea creature summons. I also got the chance to test out the combat mechanics with the team, which stood out as one of the most unique and engaging aspects of the game.

Setting Sail as Captain Cutter

In Rogue Waters, players step into the boots of Captain Cutter, a pirate captain locked in a deadly struggle for power and vengeance. The game’s story, though predictable at times, is more of a backdrop to its primary strength: rich gameplay mechanics. You’re tasked with navigating dangerous waters, recruiting and upgrading your crew, and unlocking new abilities while chasing down the immortal pirate, Captain Blackbone.

What makes Rogue Waters unique is the seamless blend of naval and ground combat. Each run in the game presents new encounters through procedurally generated scenarios, ensuring that no two sessions are the same. Whether you’re outwitting rival pirate factions or summoning mythical creatures from the deep, the game constantly shifts and surprises.

Tactical Naval Combat with a Twist

One of the standout features of Rogue Waters is its multi-layered combat system. Naval battles begin with cannon volleys and strategic positioning, where you target key modules on enemy ships to gain the upper hand before boarding them. From there, the game shifts into a different phase, where you engage in hand-to-hand combat with your crew on the enemy’s deck.

During my demo at PAX, I was impressed by the depth of the combat mechanics. What could have been a typical turn-based slugfest was made dynamic by clever environmental interactions. For example, players can use their crew’s unique abilities to push enemies into environmental hazards or swing into position using ropes for powerful attacks. The ability to summon mythical sea creatures—like the Kraken, Mermaid, and Giant Snail—further adds to the complexity, offering devastating special moves that can change the tide of battle.

Building Your Pirate Crew

Recruiting and upgrading your crew plays a significant role in Rogue Waters. You can choose from six distinct classes, each with its own abilities that dramatically influence how you approach each encounter. The damage to your crew persists across runs, meaning you’ll need to swap out or rest them between battles, adding a layer of resource management to the game.

The crew progression system also feels rewarding. As you complete runs, you’ll unlock permanent upgrades for your ship and crew members, gradually becoming more powerful and tactical in your approach to combat.

Rogue-Lite Elements and Replayability

True to its rogue-lite nature, Rogue Waters resets much of your progress after each run. Ship upgrades, equipment, and items are lost, but Captain Cutter and the crew retain permanent enhancements. This system allows players to gradually get stronger without sacrificing the replayability that rogue-lites thrive on.

Each run takes about 20-40 minutes, depending on your choices and how you tackle the procedurally generated encounters. While the game offers a decent challenge, even on higher difficulties, seasoned players may find themselves completing the game within 15 hours or so. Although this might feel short, the addictive nature of its mechanics makes every run engaging and worthwhile.

Visually Striking and Thematically Cohesive

Visually, Rogue Waters hits all the right notes. The pirate theme is executed perfectly, with vibrant, hand-drawn graphics that bring to life the rough seas, dangerous islands, and mythical creatures you’ll encounter. The game’s aesthetic enhances the feeling of being in a swashbuckling adventure, and the dynamic lighting and weather effects give each run a fresh look.

During my time playing the demo, I noticed a few small UI details that could benefit from polish—nothing game-breaking, but slight improvements to navigation and item management would enhance the overall experience. Additionally, while the story is enjoyable, it remains a bit thin, serving more as a background to the gameplay rather than a deeply engrossing narrative.

Areas for Growth

Despite the fun and engaging core gameplay, Rogue Waters does have some areas for improvement. The variety of content is somewhat limited—after a few runs, players may notice a lack of new challenges or ship upgrades to pursue. I found myself running out of things to spend my resources on relatively quickly, and the available ship customization options felt sparse. Additionally, while the difficulty ramps up in later runs, veteran players may find the challenge plateauing too soon.

That said, these concerns could easily be addressed in future updates or expansions. The game’s foundation is strong, and the passion of the development team is evident, so it’s likely we’ll see more content introduced over time.

The Balance of Treasure and Plunder

High Seas Adventures (Pros)

• Tactical Combat: Dynamic turn-based combat with naval and hand-to-hand elements that require thought and strategy.
• Rogue-lite Replayability: Procedurally generated encounters ensure no two runs are the same, offering strong replay value.
• Vibrant Pirate Theme: The visuals and pirate aesthetics are excellently crafted, pulling players into the game’s atmosphere.
• Mythical Creature Summons: Unique mechanics that allow players to summon powerful sea creatures for an edge in combat.
• Short, Engaging Runs: Runs last around 20-40 minutes, making it easy to jump in and out of the game.

Shallow Waters (Cons)

• Limited Content: The lack of variety in ship upgrades and crew options becomes apparent after a few runs.
• Predictable Story: The narrative doesn’t stand out and feels secondary to the gameplay.
• Price vs. Playtime: With a completion time of around 15 hours, some players might feel the price point should be lower.