Master raft crafting and build contraptions to keep islands afloat as you manage a group trying to survive in a flooded world.
September 25, 2024
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
Barrel Smash Studios :
MELBOURNE – September 24, 2024 – Barrel Smash Studios have announced their next title, Oceaneers, an ocean-themed crafting survival management game where unstable islands could sink at any time. CRAFT your island community from the ground up, keep your survivors a-FLOAT using research and new technologies, and SURVIVE the dangers from land and sea. With a gameplay loop of base building, survival management and expeditions, faithful Oceaneers also progress through a story plot in this new title planned for PC.
Oceaneers puts players in control of a small group of survivors struggling to survive in the middle of a completely flooded ocean, on tiny, engineered islands. The islands contain tech to keep them floating… well, kind of... Unfortunately, islands tend to sink (along with your buildings). Luckily islands resurface, and you can upgrade and build floating contraptions to improve the buoyancy of islands, but you will need to keep survivor’s needs in-check while you make that happen.
At its core, Oceaneers is a survival crafting game with character management that feels like a shelter survival game. However, the unique mechanic of sinking islands adds additional challenges and very interesting layers of depth to the gameplay.
Players gather scarce resources through raft and scouting expeditions to different land biomes, expand their island colony to build necessary production workstations, satisfy survivor’s needs and happiness, and research and re-discover pre-flood technology to prevent islands from sinking. Submerged islands aren’t the only dangers, as players also need to take measures against harsh weather conditions and living threats on land and sea.
As players manage the core survival crafting game loop expected of the genre, they also progress the story plot involving the mysterious pre-flood corporation that developed the floating island tech and must deal with challenges as sinister plot points are uncovered.
Key Features
Control multiple characters in a single player experience.
Design and craft rafts to go on expeditions.
Haul new islands back to your main colony.
Set up production chains, manage food and secure drinkable water.
Research new technologies for advanced crafting and production.
Send out rafts and scout boats on expedition missions to find islands and gather resources.
Manage survivor needs such as hunger, thirst, energy; and take advantage of each survivor’s skills and traits for the best chance of survival.
Fend off threats above and below water, including food-stealing seagulls, raft-destroying sharks and damaging storms.
Whimsical 2.5D art style that won’t make you sea-sick.
Oceaneers is available to wishlist now on Steam. Players can join the discord and subscribe for information on planned playtesting. Learn more about the game at the official website and our Discord server.
About Barrel Smash Studios
Based out of Melbourne, Barrel Smash is a two-person studio founded by James and Louisa Thomas. With a shared love for smashing barrels in games, the couple focuses on creating entertaining gaming experiences and supporting games beyond release.
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