Highwater has just been announced with a trailer at Summer Game Fest 2022. It comes from publisher Rogue Games (behind such indie titles as Arcanium: Rise of Akhan and Monomals) and developer Demagog Studio. Highwater will be released on PC later this year, and the debut trailer can be seen below.
Highwater is an isometric survival game that is driven by a strong focus on narrative. An apocalypse has caused the polar ice caps to melt, resulting in the oceans drowning much of mankind. The CEO of Rogue, Matt Casamassina, describes Highwater as a game that will thrust players “into a stunning vision of a climate change apocalypse and then challenges them to survive the aftermath.” He continues, saying: “Players will explore half-sunk cities via boat. Scavenge for supplies on foot. Team up with allies. Fight foes. And it all comes together with a surprisingly warm storyline.”
Story typically isn’t a strong focus for the survival genre, so this could be just the thing to draw in new players; a fresh combination of genres could be a hit.
A fresh combination of genres
As players try to survive the flooded landscapes, they’ll be working towards the goal of reaching Hightower. Between two dry regions, Hightower is a safe zone, and it’s just one part of a longer narrative journey to escape from Earth with your allies.
Along the way, players will get to explore flooded environments and survive by scavenging for supplies, food, and weapons. There will be plenty of puzzles to solve, allies to befriend, and enemies to fight. Combat will make use of turn-based strategy mechanics that will reward players for utilizing their environment. Meanwhile, exploration will allow you to use a boat to navigate through flooded urban cities. Various islands will be home to dangerous encounters, unknown characters, and beautiful scenery.
Demagog will be revealing more about how the game balances turn-based combat and boat-focused exploration in the coming months. Highwater is combining mechanics from different genres in a way we haven’t seen before, and we hope that it lives up to the potential shown in this initial trailer.
