Tidehook

Small Tug. Stubborn heart.

The sea has a few things to return. Take the helm of M/V Mallow, a weathered little tug with a big job: recover lost cargo and bring a quiet island harbour back to life.

Tidehook is free to play in your browser. No installation or payment is required. Play with keyboard and mouse or the new touch helm.

Every tow has weight

A supply crate follows easily. A heavy generator needs a wider turn and a little more engine. Hook one find at a time, feel the pull of the towline, steer around the rocks, and slow down inside the harbour ring. The old dock crane takes it from there: hook, lift, swing, and set down.

• Three short voyages across a richly illustrated coastal world.
• Weight-driven towing, engine boost, wakes, and exhaust that respond to the work.
• A working harbour crane with moving machinery and unloading sounds.
• Brief passing fog during the final timed voyage. Recover the lighthouse lens and bring the light home.
• Salvage-funded upgrades and repairs. Light bumps are forgiving; harder collisions have a cost.
• Original music and sea sounds, adjustable volume, gentler motion, and automatic pause when you switch away.

The skipper's controls

WASD / arrow keys: steer. You can also click open water to sail there.
E: hook a nearby find.
X: release your tow.
Space: engine boost.
R: repair at the harbour using salvage coins.
Esc: pause, adjust sound, or call a harbour tow.

Completed voyages, coins, upgrades, and hull condition save in this browser. Finish a voyage before closing the page: an unfinished trip does not resume after a reload.

Touch sailing

Drag the compass helm to steer; a small movement gives gentle thrust for docking. Use Hook find and Release to manage your tow, and hold boost with your other thumb. A repair button appears at the harbour when the hull needs care. Touch controls have an Automatic / Always on / Always off setting. Landscape gives you more room. Physical iPad Safari testing is still ongoing; desktop play remains recommended.

A little support goes a long way

All three current voyages are completely free. If you enjoyed your time with Mallow, an optional $1 donation is a lovely way to support development. Interest and support may help inspire future voyages; additional content is not promised.

Say hello

Created by Emile du Toit / Mafuta Games. Leave a comment or send feedback to dutoit.emile@gmail.com. For bugs, please include your browser, voyage, and what happened.

Curious about how it was made? I teach and use advanced AI and prompt engineering techniques every day, and I love helping people apply them. The same approach we used to build Tidehook can help with real business workflows, including marketing and advertising. See examples at MuseRig.com, or get in touch about your own idea.

Made with AI assistance for artwork, code, writing, and original code-composed music and sound effects. Promotional cover art is illustrated key art; gameplay screenshots and the trailer show the game's renderer.