Far: Changing Tides
A side-scrolling adventure in a flooded post-apocalyptic world.
Far: Changing Tides (stylized as FAR: Changing Tides) is a 2022 adventure puzzle game from Swiss developer Okomotive, published by Frontier Foundry. It follows 2018’s Far: Lone Sails and launched in March 2022 on Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S.
In this side-scrolling title, players control an unnamed driver of a large boat exploring a flooded, post-apocalyptic world. There is no combat; instead, the player must steer the vessel, manage its sail, solve environmental puzzles, and collect resources. The ship can be upgraded with a steam engine, which requires fuel to run and must be cooled with water to prevent overheating. Later, the ship transforms into a submarine, opening new routes. The game has no fail state, but player choices can damage the ship or slow it down. Players may need to repair the vessel with found resources and occasionally leave it to solve simple puzzles that clear obstacles.
Development was led by a team of about ten people, including director Don Schmocker and composer Joel Schoch. Okomotive called Changing Tides a “companion title” to Lone Sails, meaning no prior knowledge is needed to follow its story. While the first game took place in a dried-up ocean, this one is set in a world where cities and civilizations are submerged. The team focused heavily on environmental storytelling, using the side-scrolling perspective to tightly control the narrative. The game contains minimal text, expecting players to solve puzzles with little guidance. Schmocker said this approach helps players bond with their ship. Designing the environment was more challenging this time due to a wider variety of landscapes—lakes, rivers, and oceans—each needing to be visually distinct and more colorful than in Lone Sails. With no text, the story and world background are conveyed through the design of environmental assets.
Okomotive and Frontier Foundry announced the game at E3 2021. It was originally slated for late 2021 but was delayed, releasing on March 1, 2022, across all platforms.
According to review aggregator Metacritic, Far: Changing Tides received “generally favorable” reviews for most platforms, though the PC version scored “mixed or average.” OpenCritic reported strong approval, with 83% of critics recommending it. Adventure Gamers’ Brian Hobbs praised the environments, set pieces, s
- developer
- Okomotive
- publisher
- Frontier Foundry
- release_date
- March 1, 2022
- platforms
- Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S
- genre
- Adventure puzzle
- director
- Don Schmocker
- composer
- Joel Schoch
Lore & Background
Far: Changing Tides was developed by Swiss developer Okomotive, a team of around ten people. Director Don Schmocker and composer Joel Schoch both returned from the predecessor, Far: Lone Sails. Okomotive described Changing Tides as a 'companion title' to Lone Sails, meaning players do not need to play the earlier game to understand the story. Unlike Lone Sails, which is set in a world where oceans have dried up, Changing Tides takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where cities and civilizations have been flooded.
Reader's Guide
Far: Changing Tides is a side-scrolling adventure puzzle game in which the player controls an unnamed driver of a large boat, exploring a post-apocalyptic flooded world. The game features no combat; instead, the player must drive the boat, manage its sail, solve environmental puzzles, and gather resources. The ship can be upgraded to include a steam engine, and the player must keep it powered by burning fuel and prevent overheating by spraying water. Eventually, the ship turns into a submarine, opening new paths. The game has no fail state, though some decisions may damage the ship or cause it to lose momentum. Players may need to repair the ship using discovered resources and occasionally leave the ship to solve puzzles removing obstacles. The game received 'generally favorable' reviews on most platforms according to Metacritic, with the PC version receiving 'mixed or average' reviews. OpenCritic assessed strong approval, recommended by 83% of critics. Critics praised the environments, soundtrack, and ship mechanics, while some noted finicky controls, slow pacing, and unchallenging puzzles.
Did You Know?
- Far: Changing Tides was announced during E3 2021.
- The game was originally set for late 2021 but was delayed to March 1, 2022.
- The game's world is flooded, unlike the dried-up oceans of its predecessor Far: Lone Sails.
- The game has a minimum amount of text, with story communicated through environmental asset designs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Far: Changing Tides?
Far: Changing Tides is a 2022 side-scrolling adventure puzzle game crafted by Swiss studio Okomotive and brought to market by Frontier Foundry. It acts as the spiritual successor to Far: Lone Sails (2018) and arrived on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox One/Series X|S on March 1, 2022.
What are Far: Changing Tides's powers/role?
The player pilots an unnamed driver aboard a large sailboat, navigating a drowned post-apocalyptic landscape without any combat. Core tasks include steering the vessel, adjusting its sail to catch wind, solving environmental puzzles, and harvesting resources to install upgrades on the ship.
How does Far: Changing Tides's story end?
The narrative wraps up with the driver arriving at the far reaches of the flooded world after crossing several distinct biomes. Rather than a dramatic confrontation, the conclusion leans into a quiet, reflective tone that mirrors the series' meditative pacing.
Why is Far: Changing Tides important?
It proved that the slow, contemplative 'walking simulator' design of Far: Lone Sails could scale up into a richer, multi-biome experience while staying true to its combat-free identity. Its multi-platform launch also helped bring the niche slow-pace adventure genre to a much wider console audience.
Is Far: Changing Tides a sequel or a standalone title?
It is a direct follow-up to Far: Lone Sails, sharing the same developer (Okomotive), the same boat-piloting premise, and a similar visual language. However, it introduces a larger world, new puzzle mechanics, and additional ship customization, making it a meaningful evolution rather than a simple rehash.
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