Tidebound key art · Sample image (generated)
Tidebound
A deckbuilding roguelite about reading the tide.
Fictional sample record used to demonstrate the layout — not a real game.
- Developer
- Saltglass · Solo
- Release date
- Price
- $14.99Playable now
- Languages
- EnglishEnglish, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Japanese, Korean
- Gameplay
- DeckbuildingRoguelike
- Development method
- Vibe-Coded · Solo Developer
- AI coding tools
- Claude Code
Links go to the official store or developer page. Last verified Oct 28, 2026.
Where to play
Every platform this game is on. Links are checked against official sources; we never host or mirror games.
- View on SteamSteamReleased$14.99
Download through the Steam app. A free Steam account is required.
Desktop · Steam
About Tidebound
A single-player deckbuilder where every card is affected by a rising and falling tide meter. Runs are short, and the tide mechanic forces planning two turns ahead. The solo developer published a detailed cost breakdown, including model API spend, asset purchases and store fees.
How it was built
VerifiedCard effect engine, run generation and balance-testing scripts.
Spec-driven: a written card-rules document was the source of truth; the agent implemented and wrote simulation tests for balance.
- Engine / framework
- Godot 4
- Languages
- GDScript, Python (tooling)
- Team size
- 1 (solo)Developer ReportedSaltglass devlog
- Development time
- 6 monthsDeveloper ReportedSaltglass devlog
- Development cost
- $2,400Developer ReportedSaltglass devlog
- AI-written code
- ~85% of shipped codeDeveloper ReportedSaltglass devlog
“Simulation tests written by the agent caught most balance problems before players did.”Verification notes: Sales and revenue from developer postmortem; Steam figures observed.
Game performance
IllustrativeEach figure measures something different — concurrent players, owners, downloads and sales are never interchangeable and are never added together. Labels show where each number comes from.
Steam
Gross, before platform fee, refunds and taxes.
Not publicly available: Concurrent players.
Reviews & rankings
The strongest commercial case study in the database, with an unusually transparent postmortem.
Editorial team · Jan 10, 2026 · How we score
Prototype: your vote is kept only in this browser and is not counted anywhere.
No player reviews yet.
Prototype: reviews are stored in your browser only and are not published or sent to a server. Reviews are shown in the language they were written in.
Sources
| Source | Type | Published | Accessed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tidebound — Steam store page Steam | Store page | Not confirmed | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Tidebound postmortem: six months, one agent Saltglass devlog | Devlog | Not confirmed | Oct 28, 2026 |
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