Chris InglisFluffy Sailors is an action roguelite adventure on the high seas, developed by Skaldery Games and is aiming for a March 2025 release on Steam. I love me a good pirate game and this looked great from the game’s trailer. I have been hoisting my sails over the weekend into the Steam Next Fest demo and I’m already hooked. This charming adventure delivers a surprisingly deep and engaging experience, wrapped in a visually stunning package.
Right off the bat, the visuals grabbed me. The water detail is genuinely impressive, with waves that ripple and reflect light realistically. When you sink a ship, you can sail over to its last location and see it lying on the bottom of the ocean. The overall aesthetic is vibrant and inviting, creating a world that begs to be played in despite the small playing area we sail in for each level. Immediately, I got a strong vibe of a delightful blend between the strategic naval combat of Windward and the swashbuckling pirate action of King of Seas.
The roguelite nature of Fluffy Sailors is where the real meat of the game lies. Each run presents a new challenge, and while dying and starting from scratch can be frustrating at times, the sense of progression is tangible. You earn skill points with each attempt, allowing you to specialise in different areas, whether it’s ship handling, combat damage, or crew management. This means that even if you fail, you’re learning and growing, making subsequent runs significantly more successful.
One of the most unique and intriguing mechanics is the way your crew members function as ammunition. Each broadside consumes crew members, adding a layer of strategic depth to combat. I quickly learned that blindly firing away would leave me defenseless. There were a few moments of panic when my firing arcs turned red, and I couldn’t understand why – only to realise I had depleted my crew! This clever system forces you to manage your resources carefully and be mindful of your crew count.
In addition, at various points through the levels you will be able to obtain enemy ships to add to your fleet. In this instance, if your first ship is blown up, you can respawn as another ship in your ranks and continue the fight using your enemy’s tactics against them. Some areas also have a location that you can buy upgrades for your ship, but you need to consider how many seashells (coins) you can spare versus how many you need to repair your ship or replenish your crew.
Having awareness of the repair and crew refresh stations on the map is critical. These havens become lifelines, ensuring you can keep your ship afloat, and your crew replenished. Learning the map layout and planning your route to these stations is a vital part of survival, and you will also see some flotsam or sailors floating in the play area that can give you a quick boost of crew or coins to get back into the fight.
There are two more areas to unlock through gameplay progression – Cat Belly Bay and Hedgehog Passage. Fluffy Sailors already feels incredibly polished and fun. The blend of stunning visuals, strategic naval combat, and roguelite progression creates a captivating experience. The unique crew-as-ammo mechanic adds a fresh twist to the genre, and I’m eager to see how the game evolves in the lead-up to its full release. If you’re a fan of isometric pirate games, ship-to-ship combat, roguelites, or just beautiful games in general, Fluffy Sailors is definitely worth checking out.
This review utilised a key provided by the developers and Fluffy Sailors is available to wishlist on Steam.
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Daniel Agius
