Highwater
Preview

Highwater is an adventure game where you battle to survive the effects of global warming. While the elites of society make plans to leave the planet you explore a submerged and dilapidated world with your gathered crew of survivors. It stands out for being set in the same narrative world as the developers other games, and its provision of architecture and artefacts to help you win the turn-based encounters.

Play involves this extended exploration which leads you into turn-based combat encounters. You need to find food and resources to stay alive and that means solving puzzles and winning the fights. Do this not only by choosing the right movement and attacks, but also relying heavily on interacting with the environment.

As you progress rumours surface of an escape to Mars and you set out on a perilous journey to find the rocket, picking up friends along the way. You can freely drive your boat to different islands in this flooded world to encounter danger, interact with fellow citizens, and experience beautiful scenery.

The result is a game with an eerie post-civilisation feel that offers a fresh take on turn-based combat. Drawing on the developers previous games like Golf Club Wasteland, it adds in a dependance on using the landscape and artefacts around you to come out on top.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Highwater 18 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 15 months ago.