I would have already called this game one of my favourites of all time, but then the devs somehow went and improved it tenfold by adding 3D water mechanics. It’s as if they peeked into my wish-list of features and decided to implement them all with a single update.

I love building structures, finding ways to play with water, and making things visually interesting. I enjoy managing factories and power to achieve that “sweet spot” of producing enough for what I need without going overboard.

The game looks great visually, with an interesting aesthetic somewhere between oil-painted textures and realism.

I like the multiple factions, though I will admit I have a soft spot for playing as Folktails over the Iron Teeth.

The in-game map builder is great, and the ability to share maps via Steam now makes it even more worthwhile.

One minor issue I have with the game is the randomness of bad tides early in the game. Even a well-versed player can have their settlement wiped out by an early bad tide. It can be frustrating to invest effort into starting a new game, only to be set back by an unfortunate random event. I will note, however, that I tend to only play on hard mode, so I’m unsure if this issue affects other difficulties.