In some ways, pirates are similar to vampires in video games, but just like vampires, few games do them justice. The challenges are related to expectations, particularly those of gamers.

Any gamer would consider the perfect pirate game to be one that combines battle on the high seas and trade in the harbour with thrilling duels on stormy decks and spectacular fights on ships during intense storms.

Read also: Can Mortal Kombat 1 satisfy both new and veteran players?

Rogue Waters offers something different but equally as fascinating.

This run-based roguelite is not just focused on mischief. Every raid in Rogue Waters occurs on a branching map familiar to players of Slay the Spire. Whether you attack an enemy ship or halt at locations like armoury stations is entirely up to you. 

But either way, the player must return to base to refuel their ship and crew and arm their newly unlocked sea monsters for the next mission.

Ship battles and the fights on the board

The game is simple, including two stages of fighting, namely readiness and an engagement segment. First, there’s a three-round bombardment, during which you try to blow up the opponent’s cannons or upgrade spots, such as rum barrels that restore health.d portside economic strategy, with thrilling duels on stormy decks. Rogue Waters offers something different but no less intriguing.

This run-based roguelite doesn’t just focus on mischief. In Rogue Waters, each raid happens on a map that resembles Slay the Spire in terms of unfolding and branching. You will have freedom of choice in many aspects of the game, deciding what direction to take your ship and engaging in combat with enemy ships or halting at strategic points, such as armouries, and so on. In any case, you return to the base to improve a ship, characters, and sea monsters, which can be opened during the previous journey.

Tactical ship battles and board fights

The game is straightforward and comprises two fighting phases: preparedness and an engagement phase. 

First, there’s a three-round cannon exchange where you aim to destroy the enemy’s artillery or upgrade points, like rum barrels that regenerate health. After this, you travel to their ship to fight turn by turn in strategic gameplay. 

Positioning plays a vital role. Almost any attack has a counterattack, which causes increased damage if it pushes an enemy into an object or another enemy. For example, it is most enjoyable when the opponent falls over the life raft.

Extra squares between the squares require ropes to allow the pirates to fly across or just wait for a command from the captain to cross many squares at once. It is a very active interaction of stabs and shoves, the key actions performed by the project head.

Read also: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is set to launch Xbox Cloud Gaming on October 25

Sailing through the ocean and recalling ancient fabulous creatures

Legendary sea creatures, such as the Kraken, can also be summoned with tentacles that can crush multiple enemies at once. 

The magical power summons these creatures, and with more profound levels, other monsters can be summoned.

Pirate classes and abilities are part of utilising the show’s concept.

Your crew consists of standard or starting pirates and classes with specific skills and movements. For example, the spearmaiden can fight one target and attack another, whereas the musketeer has a long-range weapon with reloading time but eliminates the target.

But Rogue Waters makes up for it with brilliant tactics applied in battles and approaches, even though it lacks the typical pirate’s game elements like trading and mapping your crew members.