Terraria meets FTL in this open-world pirate game from a solo developer - and its early access reviews are glowing

Seablip has been on my radar for a while thanks to its Next Fest demos because who can resist the allure of a game that plays like Terraria, remixes FTL's lovely ship management, and has a boatload of pirates? Thankfully, the game's proper early access release has enjoyed smooth sailing and glowing reviews.

Seablip is a side-scrolling, gorgeous pixel art game that has you captain a pirate ship across an open world map full of islands to explore and treasure to plunder. You can also make stop-offs to randomly fight enemy ships and claim your title as the most feared pirate on the high seas. 

What reminds me of roguelike FTL is the ship management, however, which consists of unlocking the 48 different upgrades, bolstering hulls, adding magic shields or fire damage, and recruiting various sailors, each with their own unique attributes and skills. Micromanaging little guys to work is always a pleasure in games - for me, not for the poor things getting bossed around. 

When you're not being distracted by other hidden discoveries, secret treasures, and various mini-games, Seablip's early access tasks you with taking on seven different bosses (bounties), with more to come via updates. 

Steam user reviews so far have gushed about the breezy vibes, satisfying progression, and the way the game chucks a bunch of inspirations into an ocean-sized melting pot. There are also, apparently, developer notes left in some unfinished sections, which I think more early access games should feel comfortable including. 

"The goal is not to rush out of Early Access but to sustain constant and valuable updates over time, aiming to reach the full release next year (if possible)," the game's Steamblip description reveals. Seablip is normally available for £12.70/$13.50, though there’s a nice introductory offer going right now. 

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