SeaOrama: World of Shipping from Hidden Tower Studios is an aptly titled game where you control a company running shipping vessels and try to make a profit. You gain reputation and money by taking contracts, hiring crew, and managing your ships. Although the game sounds simple, let me explain why it’s worth a second look.
The Numbers, Mason! What Do They Mean?! Pretty Much Everything
It immediately becomes apparent that the game is played through a series of menus after you have built your first ship. Using menus, you’ll hire a crew, send your ships out, accept contracts, and address ship-related issues. The world of shipping isn’t difficult to navigate, and even a simpleton like me was able to find his way around.
Even though menus sound like a chore, they’re actually quite enjoyable. The simplicity and ease of access make it easy for you to spend hours picking what to do next and what routes will make you the most money. There is no limit to where you can send your ships, so it isn’t as overwhelming as it sounds.
Despite my preference for action and RPGs, I was drowning in money in no time. That doesn’t mean it was easy, as my cheap behavior regarding crew cost me a considerable amount, but I still managed to make up for it. Every situation is communicated to you, so you’ll have to make many choices that always affect your cash balance.
For example, my cheap crew ended up causing a lot of damage to the ship. Luckily, I knew when to delay fixes and hold off on contracts for repairs, so I rarely lost a lot of money. The game never felt unfair, and there are plenty of times when the weather will cause you to make more choices just to make money.
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There’s Never Too Many Ships—Until There Is
Ships are divided into three categories: Container, Tanker, and Bulk Carrier. You can customize them before they go to your ports. You’ll need to use your own money or take a bank loan to buy them. Early on, you’ll take out loans just to buy more ships to increase profit, but those interest rates will be pretty high. Your income will eventually allow you to buy your own ships or take out loans at much lower interest rates.
After you receive the ship, you will need to make sure you send it to ports that have contracts in its type. The game doesn’t seem to limit how many ships you can have, but it can get annoying once you get a certain amount. It is not possible to make a schedule or automate the acceptance and pursuit of contracts. The default is for the game to pause when a ship is idle, and at a certain point, it feels like the ships are idle a lot. If they could just take the smartest contracts and go immediately, it’d minimize all the micro-management.
As silly as it sounds, it would be nice if there were other ways to earn money besides shipping. I just feel like the more ships you have, the more micromanagement you have to do. When you reach a certain point, it seems smarter not to buy more ships and to just save your money so you won’t have to accept more contracts and manually send the ships out.
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It Could Really Use A Makeover
There is a major problem with the quality of the models and user interface in SeaOrama: World of Shipping. While everything runs smoothly, it feels like money was spent on smoothing out menus rather than making the game look good. In my opinion, the models for the ships look incredibly dated, and I haven’t seen graphics like this in a game in at least a decade.
The ships look blocky, and adding paint makes them lose most of their curvature. The water looks stale and like something you’d see in an early Grand Theft Auto games. Then there’s the main screen that you’ll be looking at most of the time. It reminds me of Plague Inc. because it has an almost similar feel. The ships don’t even get a special icon; they’re represented by something resembling an arrow. It’s not at all appealing to the eyes.
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Absolutely No Performance Issues
While I have issues with its looks, the game plays very smoothly. I experienced no problems while playing and had it at the max settings. It was optimized very well, and it never showed bugs. I had no problems in my entire 16 hours of playing. This is both for the solo mode and against the PC. Even with multiple PC enemies, it played just fine, and I never felt like it was giving itself an unfair advantage.
It could be attributed to the game’s simplicity. To be fair, the game shouldn’t run slowly anyway because not much is happening on the screen. In other words, it’s not going to be asking very much of your PC since it’s all menus and a basic UI. Still, it’s a victory when the game has no problems (in the time I played it).
Verdict – Worth A Try
There is a specific audience for SeaOrama: World of Shipping, and it should appeal to them greatly. It is an easy game to pick up and play, but as you gain ships and money, it becomes a slog. In general, it’s an addictive game that can leave you wanting “just one more turn,” so it’s highly recommended for anyone interested in finance, simulation, or management games.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Runs very smoothly with no problems at the highest settings | The game’s models and UI look really dated |
| The game is easy to learn, and the menus are easy to navigate | You have to start micro-managing quickly |
| The game lets you play alone or against AI opponents |
Rating: 7.5/10
GamesHorizon received a Review Copy for Steam.
