Indie developer FireVolt has officially unveiled Kingfish, a new cooperative roguelite city-building game that combines real-time strategy, survival mechanics and action combat in a fantasy world dominated by oceans and sea monsters.
Announced on May 12, the game is scheduled to launch in 2027 for PC via Steam, with console versions also planned. Kingfish places two players in dramatically different roles as they work together to build and defend a civilization living on the back of an ancient leviathan.
Kingfish Blends City-Building and Co-Op Survival Gameplay
Set in a world almost entirely covered by water, Kingfish centers around a mobile kingdom built atop a colossal sea creature traveling through dangerous waters filled with hostile threats.
The game’s core mechanic revolves around asymmetric cooperative gameplay, meaning each player experiences the world from a completely different perspective.
One player controls the King, operating directly on the leviathan’s back in third-person action gameplay. The other controls the Fish itself, overseeing the kingdom from above through a strategy-focused perspective.
The concept reflects the growing popularity of co-op games built around communication and role specialization, similar to titles that emphasize teamwork over competitive multiplayer gameplay.
Two Roles, Two Perspectives
In Kingfish, survival depends on coordination between both players.
Playing as the King
The King focuses on daily life within the floating kingdom, including gathering resources, defending villagers and engaging in real-time combat against invading enemies.
Players managing the King must also maintain morale among villagers by paying attention to their individual needs and preferences. Strong morale helps prepare the settlement for larger battles and external threats.
Combat takes place directly on the back of the leviathan, turning the living creature itself into both a battlefield and a growing city.
Playing as the Fish
The Fish player oversees the broader strategic side of the kingdom.
From a top-down perspective, players monitor dangers in the surrounding ocean, organize city layouts, manage production systems and assign workers to essential tasks.
The Fish can also assist during combat by warning the King about incoming threats and casting powerful support spells during battles.
According to FireVolt, the game’s design intentionally limits the information available to each role, encouraging constant communication between players.
“The King and Fish both have incomplete information, and it creates this great dynamic of working together despite having completely different perspectives on the same situation,” the studio said in a statement.
Roguelite Elements Add Replayability
Like many modern roguelite games, Kingfish will feature procedurally generated runs that change with each playthrough.
Every session introduces:
- New city layouts
- Different buildings and upgrades
- Unique artifacts
- Fresh characters and villagers
- Randomized challenges and threats
Some villagers will return across multiple runs, offering long-term progression bonuses and special perks that improve gameplay for both the King and the Fish.
The roguelite structure is designed to encourage experimentation and replayability, a formula that has become increasingly popular among indie developers in recent years.
FireVolt Aims to Deliver a Fresh Take on Strategy Games
FireVolt, previously known for developing WheelMates, says Kingfish was created to blend multiple genres into a single cooperative experience.
The studio describes the game as a mix of:
- Roguelite progression
- Real-time strategy systems
- Third-person action combat
- Cooperative survival gameplay
- City-building management
That hybrid approach reflects a broader trend in the gaming industry, where indie studios increasingly experiment with genre combinations to stand out in a crowded market dominated by major franchises.
The game’s visual concept — a civilization surviving atop a massive wandering sea creature — also taps into the fantasy and world-building elements that continue to resonate strongly with players on platforms like Steam.
Kingfish Scheduled for 2027 Release
Kingfish is currently scheduled to launch in 2027 on PC through Steam, with console versions also planned.
While FireVolt has not yet announced an exact release date or supported console platforms, the game has already begun attracting attention for its unusual cooperative design and blend of strategy and action gameplay.
As cooperative games continue gaining popularity among players looking for shared experiences outside traditional competitive shooters, Kingfish could emerge as one of the more distinctive indie releases on the horizon.
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