So, my first ever Steam Review. 10.1hrs on record at time of writing - but it maybe should be 30-60mins less as I kinda missed a milestone I'd already hit.
I played this game mostly in one sitting, with small breaks in between, whilst doing other things(watching TV/footballs) and whilst i was something I'd considered purchasing for a while - the shortness of the game from other reviews and HLTB made me wonder if it would be worth my dime.
It was. I got in on sale, and I've been getting back into idlers/incrementals again recently and I cannot deny most of what all other reviews have been saying. It's chill, it's idle, it's incremental - but it's active too. You don't get much time on each dive(though this changes over time, but still has its limits) and it has a whole skills tree and a hierarchy of resources to slowly get through as you progress to keep you going forwards rather than just grinding backwards all the time.
The concept is simple, the skill tree maybe necessarily isn't, but the choices don't hurt you too much - as given the short length you can just grind out a little more with your new found unlocks and find a new path each time you choose something new.
Like all good incrementals it ramps exponentially, and by the end you end up ramped so hard that you basically become a destruction/collection machine. Small upgrades to home base advance how you process and progress - leaving an interesting but satisfying divide between the sea and the shore. Progressing to end game, over the relative short life of the game, feels satisfying that you still hold the memories of the struggles of the early-ons compared to the late stage menacing you become.
In my noted playtime(and as said it could have been less) I hit all 100% of achievements. There's a special final piece to kinda rag you on to keep going, and it's got its own apt name and style considering the journey you've been through.
I cannot recall what this was on at full price, or even indeed what I paid for it discounted, because the game kinda washed it all away. It's a beautiful, cute, cosy little game - with the repetitive incremental loop that such games have, but done in a way you're almost always just on the edge of being frustrated enough to give up but also frustrated enough to 'dive just one more time'. The models and graphics are fun and cute, the music is enough to vibe to, and the only criticism I could maybe make its the limited nature of the variety of areas(each has 3 different 'stages' to it) but it's almost more than made up for and negated by the excellent progression and skill tree unlocks that stops it being TOO hefty a grind.
I went in blind, didn't aim for any max-min, and really - I just had a lovely time. It's been rare or a long time since I have struggled to put a game down for a whole day/10 hours almost straight.
All in all - the other reviews all say it too - but it's a beautiful little game that's great to waste a day or two on - especially on a SteamDeck. More content and differences in unlock stages/progression could be nicer - though that's a small criticism within the scope of a much larger and fantastic game. It would have been nice to potentially have some extra content or post game surprises after basic completion - and it offers very little replayability in theory(haven't tried yet) once completed once - but tbh if you see this on sale, I'd say give it a crack and play it on a nice lazy Sunday afternoon or so. You'll feel happy once you have.
(Great on SteamDeck)
