Nightwater

Nightwater places the player on a lone island floating on a sea of liquid void and starlight, enclosed by mountains that cannot be crossed. The overall aim is to reach the Lighthouse and learn what lies behind it. Players start with basic materials such as sticks and stones and gradually build up to an industrial factory, advancing their technology from primitive tools to modern machines and further. The island can be enlarged by bringing new biomes into existence, each offering its own resources and secrets.

Each of the game’s resources has its own progression track with milestone goals. Resources can be gathered by hand or collected automatically by machines, and reaching milestones unlocks new buildings, crafts and buffs. In total there are more than 20 resources and over 100 buildings, crafts and buffs to find. More than 60 buildings are available for construction, including farmers, assemblers and storage units, which can be connected with pipes to automate production chains. There is no cap on the number of machines, and they can be moved or taken down at any point without any loss of items. Later in the game, additional buildings become available that increase the speed, efficiency and scale of a factory.

While machines are running, players can take part in five optional minigames, each with its own gameplay loop, items, upgrades and progression. Rewards earned in these minigames include buildings, crafts and buffs that can be used in the main game. Nightwater also contains an optional story that is not presented directly but pieced together from hidden secrets and clues. The end of the game can be reached without following the story, although finding all four endings and the secret areas requires investigating it. At the time of writing, the game holds a Very Positive rating on Steam from more than 100 user reviews.