Aquamarine
A turn-based survival game set in an alien ocean.
Aquamarine is a turn-based survival game from the American developer Moebial Studios. It launched in January 2022 on Linux, macOS, and Windows. The setting is a vast alien ocean, and the player character explores this world to uncover its secrets.
In the game, the player controls a space explorer who has crash-landed on a small island on an alien planet. Underwater dives are conducted using a pod to gather resources. These resources can be used to upgrade the pod or improve the island. During dives, the player may also find items or food. The game operates on a turn-based system: each move reduces the player's energy bar. If the bar empties, the pod breaks and the player is returned to the island.
Development was inspired by the work of French artist Jean Giraud. Work began in 2017. Moebial launched a Kickstarter campaign with a demo on October 3, 2018, but it failed, raising only $9,590 of its $25,000 goal. A second Kickstarter in January 2020, with a reduced goal of $12,500, succeeded. The release was pushed from late 2020 to Q2 2021, then delayed again until January 2022.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Aquamarine
- Developer
- Moebial Studios
- Publisher
- Hitcents
- Director
- Patric Fallon
- Artist
- Leonardo D'Almeida
- Composer
- Thomas Hoey
- Genre
- Adventure
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Linux, macOS, Windows
- Released
- January 20, 2022
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Aquamarine places the player in the role of a space explorer who has crash landed on a small island on an alien planet. The core gameplay involves undertaking underwater dives using a pod to find resources. These resources can be used to upgrade the pod or invest in the island, and the player may also find items or food to eat during dives. The game is turn-based: each move the player makes reduces an energy bar, and if the bar reaches zero, the pod breaks and sends the player back to the island.
The game's development was inspired by the work of French artist Jean Giraud. Development began in 2017. Moebial Studios launched a Kickstarter campaign for the game alongside a demo on October 3, 2018, but it was unsuccessful, reaching only $9,590 of its $25,000 goal. A second Kickstarter campaign launched in January 2020 with a reduced funding goal of $12,500, which was successful. The release date was postponed from late 2020 to Q2 2021, and then delayed again, with the game eventually launching in January 2022.
Reader's Guide
Aquamarine represents a niche entry in the survival game genre, notable for its turn-based structure and alien ocean setting. The game's development history reflects the challenges of independent game funding: an initial Kickstarter campaign failed to reach its goal, but a second, more modest campaign succeeded. The game's turn-based mechanics, where each action depletes an energy bar and failure sends the player back to their island base, create a strategic, risk-reward loop distinct from real-time survival games. The influence of French artist Jean Giraud on the game's visual style is acknowledged by the developer. Aquamarine's release on multiple desktop platforms and its focus on underwater exploration and resource management contribute to its identity as a thoughtful, methodical survival experience.
Did You Know?
- The first Kickstarter campaign for Aquamarine launched on October 3, 2018, and failed to reach its $25,000 goal.
- A second Kickstarter campaign in January 2020 with a $12,500 goal was successful.
- The game was delayed from late 2020 to Q2 2021, and then again to its final January 2022 release.
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