- A survival horror adventure where you fish and explore by day and battle monstrous creatures by night.
- A gloomy sea where black comedy and survival horror coexist, emerging as a highly anticipated wishlist title.
“Trawler’s Wake,” a survival fishing horror adventure currently under development by the small global indie team Icebound Labs, is raising anticipation for its release by completely revamping its Steam wishlist page along with a new gameplay trailer.
Trolls Wake features a unique day-night dual structure where players enjoy fishing, exploration, and equipment upgrades during the day, and survive amidst the threat of monstrous creatures at night. It also stands out for pursuing a distinct kind of fun compared to existing fishing games by adding a B-grade horror vibe reminiscent of the movie ‘Evil Dead’ and black comedy.
I was expecting a resort, but… what awaited me was a ruined harbor town
The protagonist left for a resort dreaming of romance, but the place he arrived at was Greywharf, an abandoned port town teeming with mutants and strange phenomena.
In this place filled with submerged villages, abandoned research facilities, and bizarre creatures, the player must survive relying solely on a dilapidated trawler. The story centers on earning a living through fishing and acquiring equipment while uncovering the village’s hidden secrets one by one.
A survival game where you fish by day and get hunted by night.
The core of Trollers Wake is gameplay that changes completely depending on the time of day. During the day, you can enjoy fishing in a relatively safe environment, explore new waters, and sell the fish you catch to repair your ship or purchase new equipment.
However, not only ordinary fish appear. Some fish exhibit extraordinary behaviors, such as exploding, talking, startling nearby fish to flee, or making requests of the player.
When the sun sets, the atmosphere changes completely. At night, you can catch rare and valuable fish, but monstrous creatures target the player regardless of whether they are in the sea, on land, or in the sky. You can move stealthily to avoid threats, or prepare weapons and ammunition to fight back. Whichever choice you make, the night sea is never safe.
An old troll that is everything to survival
The Troller is not merely a means of transportation, but the player’s home and a key base for survival. In addition to managing fuel and repairing the engine, you must continuously upgrade the ship by collecting parts from abandoned islands.
As the game progresses, you will acquire fuel tanks and equipment to sail further out to sea, deep-sea exploration facilities, and weapons to deal with threats at night, and the initial old ship will gradually grow into a powerful troller.
Deciding what equipment to load before setting sail is also an important strategic element. Depending on how you utilize the limited cargo space—such as fishing rods, transport crates, fuel cans, weapons, and ammunition—your exploration style and survival strategy will vary.
A unique atmosphere where a gloomy sea meets B-grade horror
Trolls Wake is played from a first-person perspective and realistically portrays the dark and eerie sea.
The atmosphere created by submerged ruins, rusty hulls, and thick night fog is heightened by sudden horror sequences and bizarre marine creature designs. The Steam content description also states that it includes a dark atmosphere, jump scares, and depictions of unsettling marine creatures.
However, the game does not emphasize only horror. The black humor characteristic of B-grade horror is woven throughout. Dialogue and direction that elicit laughter even amidst bizarre situations blend exquisitely with the horror, completing a unique atmosphere.
Environmental sounds and sound effects also change according to the time of day, effectively conveying a tranquil sea during the day and a sense of tension at night where one never knows what might happen.
3-person international team Icebound Labs… A dream project created in leisure time
Icebound Labs is an international indie team consisting of three developers. They are currently developing Trolls Wake in their spare time outside of their main jobs and are preparing for a self-published Steam release without a publisher.
The development team recently shared the news of achieving major milestones on their wishlist through the Steam community, expressing their gratitude by stating, “When we started development, we never imagined we would receive this level of interest before launch.” They also added that the players’ support is the biggest driving force behind continuing the project.
Although no media outlet has yet released an official review of the game, community interest is steadily rising. Overseas gaming media have described ‘Trollers Wake’ as “a reinterpretation of ‘Dredge’ from a first-person perspective,” noting its gloomy atmosphere and unique concept.
On Steam, it is tagged with ‘Atmospheric’, ‘Dark Comedy’, ‘Survival Horror’, and ‘Surreal’, and is garnering anticipation from fans of B-grade horror as well as users who enjoyed ‘The Dread’ by highlighting its unique gameplay that combines fishing, survival, and horror. Gameplay videos are also spreading rapidly through short-form platforms such as YouTube Shorts, building word-of-mouth buzz even before its release.
Information regarding ‘Trawler’s Wake’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Icebound Labs (3-person international indie team, self-published) |
| Genre | Survival Horror / Fishing Simulation / Open World Adventure |
| Release platform | PC (Steam) |
| Release Schedule | Undetermined (TBA) |
| background | Greywharf — A deserted port town teeming with mutants and anomalies |
| core system | Day/Night Dual Structure, Collecting Rare Fish, Troll Maintenance & Upgrades, Equipment Selection |
| Official Channel | X (Twitter) @TrawlersWake |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
