← Back to blog

Tideways beginner guide: how to play the ocean strategy game

 ·  Tideways Beginner guide

Tideways reef fish swimming through a bright coral garden

Quick answer: Tideways is a browser strategy game about building an ocean ecosystem. Play fish into the Coast, Reef, and Open Ocean, use their powers, and score Reef Points across four seasons. You can play against computer opponents or pass one device around with up to three other people.

Start a new match

Open the Tideways browser game, scroll past Saved Matches and Daily Voyage to New Match, and choose the seats. For a solo game, choose two players; the second seat starts as Easy AI. You can also mix people and computer opponents, or set up a local game for two to four people.

Choose Classic for a full match or Quick for a shorter one, then select Start New Match. Classic runs through Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, with 20 turns per player across the four seasons. Quick mode shortens the match to 12 turns.

Know what each habitat does

On your turn, take one action: play a fish, or activate one of your three habitats. The habitats give you different ways to grow your ocean and build your next move.

  • Coast: Nurture lays eggs on fish with open egg spaces. You may also be able to move a fish between habitats.
  • Reef: Forage lets you choose food dice from the shared Tide Pool. Food helps pay the cost of playing more fish.
  • Open Ocean: Draw Cards lets you choose from visible fish or take the top card of the deck.
  • Play Fish: Choose a fish from your hand, pay its food and egg costs, and place it in a habitat listed on its card.

Each of the 22 fish species has its own habitat requirements and power. Read a card before playing it: its cost, where it can live, and when its power triggers help you decide whether it fits your current plan.

Plan for the season you are in

Every season has its own objective, worth 3 Reef Points. Open the season details whenever you need a reminder. A move that scores well in one season may not help with the next objective, so check the goal before spending a turn on a new fish or habitat action.

Classic gives you six turns in Spring, five in Summer, five in Autumn, and four in Winter. Turns get scarcer as the match continues. Keep an eye on the remaining-turn counter and leave yourself enough time to complete a useful seasonal setup.

Three first-match tips

  1. Read before you play. Check a fish's habitat and costs before committing it to your hand's next move.
  2. Use the habitats together. Forage can help pay for fish, Nurture can add eggs, and Open Ocean can refresh your fish choices.
  3. Check the goal and the clock. Aim for the current season's objective while tracking the turns left before scoring happens.

For more detailed planning, read our Tideways strategy tips. If you are choosing how to play, see the guide to solo, AI, and local multiplayer modes.