The world may be over, but protagonist Nikos hears about a rocket heading to potential salvation on Mars and resolves to sneak aboard. Players traverse the region of War Zone, gaining new allies en route to Alphaville. There’s a road trip feel as players collect items and tune into the radio to learn more about the world’s state.

Nikos and crew still face plenty of danger and enter into turn-based combat to fight off insurgents, Alphavillians and other threats (like bears). Alongside commanding party members, you can also interact with the environment, pushing shopping carts into enemies and taking cover.

For more details on Highwater, check out our interview with creative director and Demagog Studio CEO Igor Simic.

"This is a story of friendship, a road trip, a fictional immigrant tale, a sci-fi dystopia, and a kind of situation comedy."

Highwater has been available on mobile devices for nearly a year. Was it always the plan to eventually bring the game to more platforms, or was it something that came about following its initial release?

Originally, the game was made for PC primarily. When we were past the demo phase, the Netflix offer happened. We hoped to release Highwater simultaneously on Netflix, PC and consoles, but that didn’t happen for various reasons.

Highwater boasts a very unique and distinctive art style. How did you land on this aesthetic for the game?

The vivid bluish color palette, the fog, and melancholy atmosphere were already introduced in our other games that are set in the aftermath of this fictional ecological catastrophe. The low-poly characters were both an aesthetic and practical solution to the general scope of missions, number of friends in the crew and NPCs in a relatively short development period. Kentucky Route Zero was partly the inspiration behind this look that has a bit of minimalist, moody, theater feel.

Highwater’s dystopian post-apocalyptic setting is one of its most intriguing elements. Can you tell us more about what kind of a story the game tells within that setting and the themes it tackles?

A week before the elites of Alphaville depart for Mars, a group of friends living in a flood zone decide to go on a precarious journey in hopes of sneaking onto the Mars-bound rocket. This is a story of friendship, a road trip, a fictional immigrant tale, a sci-fi dystopia, and a kind of situation comedy. The goal was to make a bittersweet comedy about the apocalypse, to turn the general trope of mainstream apocalyptic entertainment on its head. The setting combines two main influences: Central European modernism (most notably brutalism in Former Yugoslavia) and Silicon Valley singularity-meets-space utopianism exemplified in a mix of Apple HQ architecture, SpaceX, NASA, Buckminster Fuller, and Metropolis. These cityscapes are either steeped in or surrounded by water, which is a cross between the stark images of recent floods globally and Lake Geneva.

"The exploration serves several goals: narrative, finding loot or collectables, and listening to the in-game radio."

How much emphasis does the game place on exploration? How does the experience on that front differ when players are in their boat as opposed to when they’re on land?

The exploration serves several goals: narrative, finding loot or collectables, and listening to the in-game radio. This part of the game connects the “islands” where combat and key story moments take place and has a predominantly chill vibe. Conversely, situations on land mostly lead to conflict with Alphavillians, Insurgents, or other civilians trying to get by in the flood.

Hightower’s turn-based tactical combat is another one of its eye-catching elements, in particular thanks to how it focuses on environmental interaction. Can you talk more about that, and how it sets apart the game’s combat from other turn-based tactics titles?

Our idea was to start with combat that is a bit like a slapstick puzzle: the player pushes or throws found items, breaks tiles with a falling light pole, pushes shopping carts, stuns enemies with a flashlight. We hope this is a fresh take on the turn-based genre. Gradually, as we get closer to Alphaville, enemies grow in number and the combats become more serious, including range weapons, hacking, potions, etc.

With Highwater making the jump from mobile devices to PC and consoles, what sort of changes or enhancements should players expect from the game, whether in terms of visuals, controls, or the content?

Since the game was always envisioned primarily for PC and consoles, it will actually look and perform as it’s supposed to. A lot of elements were polished and two large DLCs will be available at launch.

"Since the game was always envisioned primarily for PC and consoles, it will actually look and perform as it’s supposed to. A lot of elements were polished and two large DLCs will be available at launch."

Roughly how long is an average playthrough of Highwater?

The main story probably takes an experienced player around six hours, and the two additional DLCs add up to a total of eight hours.

Highwater revolves around protagonist Nikos, who kicks off his journey as the world around him becomes more inhospitable to humans, and rumours of the potential of humanity escaping to Mars are swirling around. Throughout his journey to Hightower, Nikos will make new friends, fight insurgents, and ultimately aim to sneak into the rocket before it launches.

The game’s combat system is one of its key features, with the developer emphasizing its tactical and puzzle-centric approach to fights. Players will have the ability to interact with the world around them in a fight. For example, players can push shopping carts into enemies, or knock down a tree on them.

Highwater is slated for release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Set in the same universe as Golf Club: Wasteland, Highwater focuses on Nikos, who learns about the super-wealthy taking a spaceship and abandoning the planet for Mars. He decides to venture to Alphaville and sneak aboard the ship to survive.

The world is flooded due to The Great Climate Catastrophe, and players must venture to various islands by boat. Different characters can join and help in grid-based battles.

Highwater will launch for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. with pre-orders now available. It’s available to pre-order now. Stay tuned for more details, gameplay and a concrete release date in the coming days.

Set after the Great Ecological Catastrophe, the story centers on a child who’s somehow immune to the post-apocalyptic Earth. Several decades later, the humans from Mars return to Earth for recon and upon spotting The Cub, attempt to capture them. Along with dodging projectiles and surviving against dangerous plants and wildlife, players must also solve environmental puzzles.

Throughout the game, Radio Nostalgia From Mars will provide music along with stories from those living on Mars. The Cub is in development for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. No release date has been announced so stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

There are two dry regions though – the War Zone and Alphaville, the latter being a haven for the super-rich. After hearing rumors about being able to escape to Mars, Nikos sets forth and will try to sneak aboard the escaping rocket. As you navigate by boat to different islands, you’ll recruit allies to your cause and hopefully survive the trip.

Combat is turn-based with a grid-based system and environmental interaction for besting foes. Along the way, players can tune into Highwater Pirate Radio for commentary and music. Stay tuned for more details on the title in the coming months.

"From a 2.5D golf game, which was an entry point for our company, a natural next step was a 2.5D platformer. And thankfully after a lot of people who played Golf Club: Wasteland told us that they wished there was more because of the stories it told, we got the reassurance we needed that we might be on the right track."

With The Cub, you’re returning to the post-apocalyptic setting you created in Golf Club: Wasteland, but looking at it from a completely different perspective, telling a new story, in a game in a new genre. With the two experiences being so different from one another, what prompted the decision to stick with the same setting?

To be honest, the grand goal or vision we’ve had for quite some time was to create many games, a lot of music and eventually an animated series set in this world, assuming it takes off. From a 2.5D golf game, which was an entry point for our company, a natural next step was a 2.5D platformer. And thankfully after a lot of people who played Golf Club: Wasteland told us that they wished there was more because of the stories it told, we got the reassurance we needed that we might be on the right track.

How much of an emphasis does The Cub place on story and storytelling?

A lot. Equally, if not even just a little bit more than Golf Club: Wasteland. We do this because we know that a big part of the appeal to this world we made is the story and people seeing the connection between what is happening or could happen in real life and how we are riffing on those things. On top of that, we wanted to give the kid i.e The Cub a proper story arc as in GCW his story is a little bit more cryptic. And of course, this gives us the chance to also have a bit of continuation or explainer on what happened to Charlie after the events of GCW.

You’ve said that even though The Cub isn’t a direct sequel to Golf Club: Wasteland, its story will still intersect with that game. Can you give us an idea as to the extent to which that will happen? Has someone who’s never played Golf Club: Wasteland going to be able to fully follow The Cub’s story and its nuances?

Yes, The Cub and Golf Club: Wasteland are connected in such a way that the stories will literally intersect. In GCW you played as Charlie and saw that a mutant child was following you throughout. In The Cub, you are that kid and you will now see his story prior to meeting Charlie and also where their mutual story continues which was the spot that GCW concluded.

We’re very aware that not everyone who plays The Cub will know Golf Club: Wasteland. And that’s fine. Every game we do is self-contained. People who play all of our games just get a fuller picture of the world and narrative strands.

"We’re very aware that not everyone who plays The Cub will know Golf Club: Wasteland. And that’s fine. Every game we do is self-contained. People who play all of our games just get a fuller picture of the world and narrative strands."

The Cub is promising to use its post-apocalyptic setting in fascinating ways, and this seems like a story that’s rife for not only plenty of mystery, but also some interesting commentary and thematic storytelling. What’s your approach been to the game’s story on that front?

Our approach to story and commentary has been to kind of mirror what we see happening in the real world but just add an extra layer of satire to highlight how ridiculous the whole notion is. And we kind of have to because overall, we are also dealing with what can be seen as serious topics- wealth inequality, climate disaster, war, and the overall fall of humankind. So in order to make sure this isn’t just one giant downer for the player, we do what we can to make it a little more tongue-in-cheek. All while still making sure these topics aren’t being dismissed in any way. Rather, we’re making fun of how we as a species are reacting to these topics, not the topics themselves.

We frame the story as Jungle Book set in a tech post-apocalypse. Also, while we all might call this setting a “post-apocalypse.”, that’s only our perspective. For the little mutant kid/cub, this is just home. It’s a notion that I feel the future generations are going to experience too in some way. Not as a lack of tech, but more from a lack of certain things that we currently all

The Cub is taking inspiration from old-school challenging Sega platformers of the 90s. That’s showing quite clearly in its art style, but on the gameplay front, can you elaborate on what that will mean for things such as the game’s level design, movement mechanics, and more?

Jumping and running mechanics are a callback to 90s platformers, such as The Jungle Book or Aladdin. Some segments are challenging in a 90s way, but the general vibe of exploring, interacting, storytelling and in-game cutscenes is partly inspired by cinematic games of Eric Chahi, such as Heart of Darkness.

So we’re essentially taking those 90s games’ mechanics and level of difficulty and giving it a more modern sheen in terms of newer, more recent game design thinking.

What kind of a balance will The Cub look to strike between different areas like exploration, platforming, puzzles, and more? Should players expect a varied gameplay experience?

We could say that platforming, especially parkour chase sequences cover the bulk of the gameplay. Exploration is also a big part since the world has different paths, secret rooms and varied environments, full of optional items or more story lore. Plus each level is peppered with puzzles. But there are a few other mechanics that players won’t expect.

"Our approach to story and commentary has been to kind of mirror what we see happening in the real world but just add an extra layer of satire to highlight how ridiculous the whole notion is. And we kind of have to because overall, we are also dealing with what can be seen as serious topics- wealth inequality, climate disaster, war, and the overall fall of humankind."

What should players expect from The Cub in terms of its optional content and replay value?

I think at this point we can reveal that just like with Golf Club: Wasteland we’ll have the full soundtrack, which is the in-game radio program entitled Radio Nostalgia from Mars. This OST will also be available for download. As for replay value, we’re making a few secrets that players can discover if they break off the main path and can solve a few little puzzles. We’re also looking into the idea of how to change the difficulty settings in an interesting way that makes it a tougher challenge but works within the design of the game itself.

Do you have any plans to add co-op or multiplayer options, or is The Cub a purely single player experience?

As it stands, we see The Cub as a single-player-only game. There isn’t really a way to add multiplayer or even co-op in a meaningful way that won’t just derail the whole narrative we have in place.

Roughly how long will an average playthrough of The Cub be?

We are still coming up with and testing a lot of the levels for the game so it is really hard to say at this point, but players will be quite surprised by the amount of playtime and the variety of the world-building.

"We could say that platforming, especially parkour chase sequences cover the bulk of the gameplay. Exploration is also a big part since the world has different paths, secret rooms and varied environments, full of optional items or more story lore. Plus each level is peppered with puzzles. But there are a few other mechanics that players won’t expect."

What are your thoughts on the Steam Deck? Do you have plans for any specific optimizations for the device?

As a player, it seems like an awesome bit of tech. Now that the reviews are out and a few people have got their hands on it, the overall consensus seems that it’s great and not a gimmick.

It’s on our list of “good to have”. We’re still learning about the platform and what it entails. The Cub in general is a game that will be a lot easier to get running and optimized for Steam Deck since it’s not a mouse keyboard-heavy game. As you’ve likely seen, a lot of games that work fine on consoles already work well on the Steam Deck, so for us, it’ll likely be a matter of checking what else might need to be done so it’s done well on our end.

According to the publisher, “the rich fled to Mars but venture back to a desolate Earth for a round of golf. Each hole in the wasteland offers its own little story and possible puzzle to sink the perfect shot. Play through destroyed brutalist monuments, crumbling shopping malls, and abandoned museums as neon signs and poignant graffiti take swings at current events, Silicon Valley culture and humanity.”

As they play, players will discover what happened to humanity and learn the story behind the lone golfer, “who’s come back to Earth for one last game. The Radio Nostalgia From Mars broadcast that gives a glimpse into the lives of those who escaped. And the narration of a “secret spectator” watching from a distance…”

Players will be able to choose between Story, Challenge, and Iron Mode, and each copy of the digital Golf Club: Wasteland Official Soundtrack and a Graphic Novel Art Book “that further expands the back story of the lone golfer Charley in a stunning visual format.”

You can watch a trailer for the game below, courtesy of IGN: