Demon Tides is a platforming adventure set across the vast open oceans of Ragnar's Rock. Players follow Beebz and her crew on a journey of self-discovery, sailing between distant structures scattered across seamless waters and platforming through dozens of locales while uncovering the kingdom's dark secrets.
The platforming is built around what the developer calls an expressive moveset: one designed so that every solution is the right one. Rather than prescribing a single path through each challenge, the game offers a highly customisable set of abilities with what Fabraz describes as nearly unlimited combinational depth. The further players progress and the more comfortable they become with the movement, the more unique their gameplay becomes. Talismans collected from beaten challenges and hidden chests modify this moveset further, adding paragliders, hookshots, bubbles and more. Players can even place their own checkpoints wherever they want, returning to them after any untimely demise.
Ragnar's Rock is explored at blazing speeds across its open sea, each distant structure hiding nooks and crannies to uncover. A mobile hub serves as a place to chill with the crew and buy new items of interest. Discoverable outfits, headgear and hair dyes let players change up their appearance throughout the journey. The game also threads in asynchronous multiplayer through ghost racing, where players compete for the best speedrunning times, and a graffiti system that lets them tag walls with messages that appear in other players' worlds.
Developed by Fabraz, the studio behind the 3D platformer Demon Turf and the 2D platformer Slime-san, Demon Tides is designed so newcomers can jump in without having played its predecessor. Existing fans will find easter eggs, but the narrative stands on its own.