Lost Sea is an action roguelike about a character stranded in the Bermuda Triangle after a crash. The only way to get back is by moving through four archipelagos, each with a different theme. Each archipelago is a linear chain of islands. There are eight characters to choose from. To move between islands a ship is used and to travel a tablet needs to be found, which acts as a map to navigate the waters between the islands. Each island forms a separate level explored on foot with an environment randomized for the item layout, level design and enemies. At the end of the island chain a boss needs to be defeated to move on to the next setting.
The character can freely move in any direction and there is full rotation for the camera. An island’s tablet is usually hidden behind a barrier or a raised platform. Barriers are opened by finding and using a key, while broken bridges can be repaired by a carpenter. The character can recruit crew members found on the islands. They can be carried over across islands and be dismissed at any moment. Each character has different abilities, such as repairing bridges, opening chests or digging up treasure. They can also be asked to carry the tablet and follow the player’s character automatically. An island is completed when a tablet is carried back to the docks, a location present on every island. There, a workbench can be accessed with upgrades for the player skills and the ship, based on two currencies.
Player skills include the ability to sprint (with a stamina bar), opening item slots for additional crew members, improving statistics, a breadcrumb option to find the way, and new types of attacks. Each tablet has a random number that determines how far the ship can travel for the next island. The overall chances can be improved with the ship upgrades, revealing islands with treasure, revealing tablets on the map, reviving crew members or restoring their health … The character starts with a basic machete attack, the others need to be bought. Enemies include a wide variety of fantasy monsters, each with their own attack patterns. New settings introduce a new environments with variations of the enemy types. Many items in the environment are destructible, sometimes providing currencies and health.
Save from a single-use ability of a certain crew member, the game has permadeath. Eventually up to four item slots can be unlocked, for instance to carry health packs. All upgrades are tied to a single session and nothing is carried over. Optionally unique treasure can be collected, stored in a separate screen. The game has a day-and-night cycle with different weather conditions.
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