Review by Jon Donnis
From Fika Productions and Team 17 comes Ship of Fools, a two-player couch co-op and online multiplayer roguelite game.
First the story.
"The Great Lighthouse that once protected the Archipelago is broken and a storm of malice and corruption is coming.
Together, you and your ship mates will jump aboard The Stormstrider and make your voyage across the sea. Man the cannons, ready your sails and protect your ship from sea monsters over multiple runs. It's up to you to defend your home from the almighty Aquapocalypse."
After your ship crashes, you find yourself washed up on a beach, after a quick look around, meet the locals, learn the story of the island, and what you are now tasked to do, you will find yourself going on journeys on your boat, each run in unique, and you will have to defend your boat with cannons, as you explore each area. In one player mode you will get an auto cannon on one side of the boat and a manual cannon on the other side, you can pick up and move the cannons around the boat, and you have to manually load them with ammo before using them.
You will also need wood to fix the boat when it is damaged. Enemies will appear on both sides of the boat, so you need to have your wits about you, this is where two player mode really is needed, as it can be tricky keeping up with everything in solo mode, even with the auto cannon.
You will make your way across a map, each block being its own area to beat. You can find lost treasures, collect important artifacts needed to upgrade your boat, stop at islands, and build up your strength. But be careful if your boat sinks, you will wash up at the shore, and you will have lost almost everything you had collected.
There are storms to avoid, or even perhaps head towards. Weird sea creatures to fight, and even fight off creatures who manage to get on your boat, just whack them with a paddle, seems to do the job. Fetch resources using a harpoon, and even rescue people and you are well on your way to saving the world.
The game is designed with replayability in mind, every run is different. You can upgrade yourself and your crew, unlock various items, and add new crewmates to your boat.
You do not need to worry about actually steering the boat, you just move from one area to the next. Maps are randomized each time you play.
Don't forget to visit Halga on the island either, you can give her things you have collected, and she can make magic soup, which in turn will help you on your next run. Basically, will give you a bonus, or upgrade your ship.
The Good
Cute little game, with a high replayability factor, each run is unique and fun, and once you get the hang of things, it quickly becomes addictive. The graphics are of a decent quality, and there is a nice level of humour throughout the game.
The Bad
As a single player game this will struggle to keep you interested. This is a multiplayer game; it just works better in every way with two people playing. Controls can be a bit tricky at first.
Overall
A fun game, that needs two players for you to get the most out of it.
I score Ship of Fools a solid 8/10, a really good little multiplayer couch co-op type game.
Out now on Nintendo Switch at
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