Secrets of the Waves
A downloadable game for Windows and macOS
Secrets of the Waves
Navigate the ocean and pick up the trail of messages that could lead you to a forgotten treasure!
Controls
Control the boat with ARROW KEYS / Xbox 360 Controller (left stick).
Control the camera with W A S D / Xbox 360 Controller (right stick).
Music by Secret Exploration Society, an ambient album created by Murray Lorden and Jim Batt.
This project was started at the Global Game Jam 2017, and I plan to release a few updates over time, extending the experience!
Things I'd love to add in the future...
- A new boat model which sits in the water better.
- A cloth sail, and perhaps more of an actual sailing simulation (catching the wind in your sail to move).
- Adding detail to the islands and locations.
- Add wildlife in the air and sea.
- I might try a VR / first person camera!
Download
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Comments
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A great game with a great sense of atmosphere. I really enjoyed just bobbing across the sea, immersing myself in the sound of the waves and the area music and then being excited by the sight of something on the horizon. The storm, especially the transitions in to and out of it, was absolutely fantastic as well.
One little thing I'd like to add is that if you're still tweaking the game, it might be helpful to add something which indicates if you're going in completely the wrong direction. Sometimes it's difficult to tell whether you've headed the wrong way or need to go on just a bit further (I wasn't able to find the "carcasses" on my first go, though I'm going to try again).
Other than that, thank you for the lovely experience!
Thanks!
Yeah, it might be nice to have something to help know if you're way off track.
I made it for a game jam, and it does just rely on your going in the right direction, often for several minutes at a time!
I did like the idea, however, that if you get lost at sea, you feel hopelessly lost! As it would feel super stranded out in the ocean.
But the fact is, it's not necessarily that fun in a game if you've been playing for 20 minutes and you maybe drifted off course in the last section!
I'd really like to come back to this game concept some time, and make something a bit more contextual, with a few islands to go to, and perhaps a rough paper map you can pull out, and you go between the islands, trading, or something.
I like the idea of procedurally generated islands, and you go around, mapping them onto your map, and then perhaps trading stuff between the towns, maybe growing things, or buildings things! I dunno yet, really. :)
Rock Paper Shotgun's Philippa Warr wrote a nice little piece on this game! ACE!
"Secrets of the Waves now has a delicious storm"
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/01/27/secrets-of-the-waves/
Hopefully not a spoiler, but i got to the place with faces that was WSW, but flipped the boat on the rocks and now I can only go due South - was I anywhere close to the end?
Thoughts: I liked the storm - maybe some sheet lightning wouldn't go amiss; some wind/rain noise too, though not at the expense of the music; a sun/moon would be a nice touch too; maybe make the compass smaller and dimmer; a boat reset/flip button; shark fins/flotsam/jetsam (I saw your wildlife comment); press to go faster rather than hold to go forwards
Great points, and great ideas there.
I've never cap-sized the boat! Gulp. I wish I could see a video of you doing it! I should try it myself. As you say, perhaps just a button to reset the boat would be the easiest solution.
You were very close to the end. :D
I want to add everything you mentioned! I played through with my friend Jim yesterday (the other half of Secret Exploration Society who made the music), and many of these same suggestions came up... flotsam and jetsam, a sun and moon that rise and set... I'll try to come back and add things like that!
Feel free to drop any comments with your feedback, thoughts & suggestions! Keen to hear it. :D
I've just released Version 2.0, which is much more polished, and features a big stormy section!