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Survival-Crafting Colony Sim Oceaneers Plans For 2026

Oceaneers is coming to Early Access in early 2026, but not before the game gets a free demo and a public playtest this year

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Article Summary

  • Oceaneers is a survival-crafting colony sim set on floating islands in a flooded, post-apocalyptic world.
  • Players manage customizable survivors, build rafts, and face ocean dangers like sharks and harsh weather.
  • Early Access is planned for 2026, with a free demo and public playtest coming soon for eager players.
  • Research, crafting, expeditions, and uncovering mysteries are key to expanding and surviving in Oceaneers.

Indie game developer and publisher Barrel Smash Studios have revealed some new plans for their upcoming survival-crafting colony sim, Oceaneers. The team confirmed the game will be headed to Early Access, but the game won't arrive until early 2026. They also confirmed there will be a free demo on the way shortly (we're guessing for Steam Next Fest in October) as well as a public playtest. The news came with an all-new trailer showing off the current build of the game, which we have for you here.

Oceaneers
Credit: Barrel Smash Studios

Oceaneers

Oceaneers is a survival-management game with raft crafting and sinking islands. Inspired by games like Sheltered, you get to control a whole group of characters and manage them as they try to survive in a flooded post-apocalyptic world. Your "shelter" is a collection of islands precariously floating on the ocean that can grow and improve with a range of wonderfully primitive contraptions that can be researched.

  • Raft Crafting – Craft rafts that you can send on expeditions, and progress to craft even bigger rafts!
  • Island Buoyancy – Find more islands to bring back to your colony, build contraptions to increase their surface time and establish a colony that stays above water… most of the time.
  • Survivor Needs – Keep your survivors needs in check or they will lose resolve and leave our group. Food, drinkable water and keeping dry are just some of the challenges you will face.
  • Survival Mechanics – Explore, harvest, craft and research your way to more efficient production stations
  • Ocean Dangers – Snappy sharks, angry crabs and food stealing seagulls. Maybe we can turn these threats to our advantage…
  • Explore – Uncover mysteries behind the old Float-Tech Corporation that produced the floating islands. Send out scout boats and full expeditions to key locations.
  • Character Creation – Customize the look and traits of your survivors, then put them to work gaining survival skills.
  • Day/Night and Weather – Ocean critters aren't the only threat, storms and cold weather will challenge your colony.

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Gavin SheehanAbout Gavin Sheehan

Gavin is the current Games Editor for Bleeding Cool. He has been a lifelong geek who can chat with you about comics, television, video games, and even pro wrestling. Follow @TheGavinSheehan on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, Bluesky, Threads, and Hive, for random pictures and musings.
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