If you’re a fan of classic crew management roguelikes, including the great FTL Faster Than Light, then there’s a good chance that you’re going to be interested in today’s announcement of Scallywags.
Developed by Allen Goode and the scurvy seadogs over at FloWHOA, we were privileged to get an early look at Scallywags this week ahead of the game’s big announcement today, and the grand unveiling of this shiny new Steam page.
There’s no Scallywags release date at the moment, and Windows PC is the only confirmed platform.
That said, we do know some choice tidbits, including how the focus of the game is going to be on managing your crew of scallywags, engaging in ship-to-ship battles, and, of course, plenty of resource management.
As you’ve noticed already, there are a couple of screenshots attached, and there’s a new trailer embedded below that shows the game in action.
Not only that, but we also had a chance to ask a couple of questions. So, once you’ve watched the following announcement trailer, you’ll find Allen’s answers below deck!
RogueLiker: What is Scallywags all about, then?
Allen Goode: Scallywags is a chaotic, tactical pirate roguelike where every run is a story about barely holding your ship together while your crew of misfits pulls off miracles.
The player commands a pirate ship powered by a magical Bow Spirit, directing the crew, gathering plunder, and chasing the dream of becoming a Pirate Legend. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to be a Pirate Legend?
RL: Me, I do!
AG: The excitement comes from the fact that you’re not the only one with this ambition. Nine other Pirate Aces are competing for the same title, and the only way to prove you’re worthy is to accept their bounties and challenge them head‑on.
RL: What inspired you to make it?
AG: We are huge fans of strategy games like Faster Than Light and Bomber Crew. However, as much as we love them, there just aren’t many games that “scratch that same itch”, so we decided to build one. A pirate-inspired crew management game seemed interesting, but at the same time, traditional pirate‑fantasy tropes didn’t interest us.
The explosive rise of One Piece really energized us. It proved there’s a big audience for pirate stories that break the mould. We also wanted whatever we created to stand on its own, something familiar enough to love, but different enough to feel fresh. We figured maybe other people would enjoy that combination too!
I love a synergistic approach to this sort of game – what cool things can you do aboard your ship?
AG: The player gets to boss their Scallywags around and decide which ship stations they should crew. Each station, when crewed, provides unique advantages. If you want to boost your ship’s evasion, put someone on the helm. If you need more speed, you’d better assign a Scallywag to the sails.
The real excitement comes from the magical powers granted by your Bow Spirit. You can launch a meteor at an enemy ship, dive underwater to avoid incoming fire, or whip the enemy’s crew into a cyclone. Every power has crew prerequisites to charge and activate. To build up that Meteor power, for example, you’ll need someone playing a Sea Chanty. However, while they’re busy strumming away to charge the power, your Scallywag won’t be firing cannons, putting out fires or bailing the water rapidly filling your hull!
If that sounds like your jam, head over to Steam and get wishlisting!
