Install Tideward.
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Join our Discord, report bugs, and get the full game free at launch.
Send one bug report or suggestion during the beta and you get a code for the full unlock on launch day. New builds land in the Discord first, and you can talk to me there.
One code per person. Codes work in every country where Tideward is on the App Store. Claim yours on Discord by May 12, 2027, and redeem it before the expiry date shown with it. Android testers get a Google Play code when the Android version launches, on that launch's own dates. A code never depends on a rating or review.
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While you wait: which device will you play on first?
Get TestFlight from the App Store now. It is Apple's free beta app, and with it installed your invite opens on the first tap.
Nothing to set up. The link in your email opens Tideward on Google Play: tap Install.
Rather not join a newsletter?
Tell me where to send your invite and I'll send it by hand: message me on Discord, email support@manugames.com, or DM @tidewardgame. Say whether you play on Apple or Android. Already subscribed? Your links are in your welcome email from The Assembly Line.
Rather wait for the finished game? Pre-order Tideward free on the App Store →
Be one of the first. Become a Founding Tester.
Tideward isn't out yet. The people who get in now help shape it. Enter one email and all of this is yours, free:
- Free beta access: TestFlight on every Apple device, or the open beta on Google Play for Android
- The Founder's Mark, a profile icon given only to players who test on TestFlight before launch
- First crack at every new build, before the public wave
- A real say in 1.0, vote on the roadmap and help name what gets built
- One bug report or suggestion gets you a code for the full unlock at launch, and, with your OK, your name goes on The Crew page once two of your reports lead to a change in the game. One code per person. Codes work in every country where Tideward is on the App Store. Claim yours by replying on your report's Discord thread or messaging us on Discord by May 12, 2027, and redeem it before the expiry date shown with it. Android testers get a Google Play code when the Android version launches, on that launch's own dates. A code never depends on a rating or review.
- All three starter guides and the newsletter, free, the moment you join
Founding status locks in for everyone who joins before launch, and never opens again.
Become a Founding TesterTideward is in TestFlight beta, free, native on every Apple device. Below: how to get it onto your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro, or Apple Watch in about five minutes. One TestFlight invite covers all of them.
Tideward for Android is in open beta on Google Play, for phones and tablets running Android 10 or newer. It is free, every trade is open while you test, and nothing in it can be bought.
Limited to the first 1,000 testers. The Tideward beta runs with 1,000 active TestFlight spots. Once it fills, the public link closes, the Discord is where seat-count gets called out and where new spots get handed out as they free up.
TestFlight purchases are test purchases and don't carry over to the App Store version. Send one bug report or suggestion during the beta and you'll get a code for the full unlock at launch. One code per person. Codes work in every country where Tideward is on the App Store. Claim yours by replying on your report's Discord thread or messaging us on Discord by May 12, 2027, and redeem it before the expiry date shown with it. A code never depends on a rating or review.
On Android? Join the free open beta on Google Play →
Rather wait for 1.0? Tideward is on the App Store for pre-order now, it downloads to your device automatically on launch day, February 11, 2027. Pre-order on the App Store →
What it costs, and when
Nobody pays anything before launch day. The order of events, in full:
- Pre-order Free
Nothing is charged when you pre-order, and nothing is charged on launch day. The game downloads itself to your devices.
- TestFlight beta Free
Unlocking the full game costs nothing while you test. The purchase screen shows a price, but a beta purchase is an Apple test purchase: no money is taken, and it does not carry over to the App Store version.
- Android open beta Free
The whole game is open while you test, and nothing in it can be bought, so no money can be taken. When the Android version launches, the paid part of the game locks again until you unlock it.
- Launch day, February 11, 2027 Free to try, then $9.99 once
The download is free. One $9.99 purchase inside the app unlocks the rest of the game. You pay it once, only if and when you choose to.
Step 1, Install TestFlight (if you don't have it)
TestFlight is Apple's free beta-distribution app. It's how Apple lets developers ship pre-release builds to invited testers without going through the public App Store yet.
TestFlight is a separate app, and you install it once per device. It is not pre-installed on anything, so you'll need to grab it from the App Store on every iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro you want to test Tideward on. The invite link can't open until TestFlight is already on that device.
- iPhone, iPad: open the App Store, search "TestFlight" by Apple, tap Get. Free.
- Mac: open the Mac App Store, search "TestFlight" by Apple, install. Same Apple ID as iPhone/iPad.
- Apple TV: open the App Store on the Apple TV, search "TestFlight" by Apple, install (needs tvOS 18 or later).
- Apple Vision Pro: open the App Store in visionOS, search "TestFlight" by Apple, install.
- Apple Watch: no separate install, put TestFlight on the paired iPhone and the Watch build comes through it.
If you already have TestFlight on that device from a previous beta, skip to step 2. Tapping the invite on a device that doesn't have TestFlight yet just gives an "address is invalid" error, the same dead-end you'd hit on a Mac without it, so install the app first.
Step 2, Open the Tideward TestFlight invite
Enter your email in the form at the top of this page and confirm your address. Your TestFlight invite arrives by email: open that email on the Apple device you want Tideward on and tap the invite.
Enter your email at the top of this page. Your TestFlight invite arrives by email.
The link opens TestFlight automatically. If your browser asks "Open in TestFlight?", yes, that's the right behavior.
Step 3, Accept and install
Inside TestFlight, you'll see Tideward's listing with a brief description. Tap Accept to join the beta, then Install to download the current build.
The download is about 400-700 MB on iPhone and iPad, depending on the model. Same as a normal App Store install, just from TestFlight.
Once installed, the Tideward icon appears on your Home Screen (or the equivalent on your platform). TestFlight will notify you when new builds ship, about weekly during the beta. You can opt into automatic build updates inside TestFlight settings.
Step 4, Sign in (you don't) and start playing
Open Tideward. There is no account creation, no email signup, no password to remember. CloudKit handles your character data through your existing Apple ID. The first launch creates your character; from then on, it syncs to every Apple device you install Tideward on.
Pick a starting trade, Mining, Woodcutting, and Combat are all good first choices, and you're in. The first hour is designed to walk you through the core loops without a tutorial gate. The deeper game opens up as you level more skills and take on tougher combat.
On Android: the Google Play open beta
Tideward for Android is in open beta on Google Play, for phones and tablets running Android 10 or newer. It is free, every trade is open while you test, and nothing in it can be bought.
- Enter your email in the form at the top of this page and confirm your address. Your Google Play link arrives by email, in the same message as the TestFlight invite.
- On the Google Play page, tap Install. Use the Google account that is signed in to Google Play on that device.
- Open Tideward. There is no account to create. Your save lives on your device, and if backup is turned on in your device settings, Android copies it to your Google account and offers it back on a new device.
Google Play shows the beta only in the countries where Tideward is offered there. One bug report or suggestion during the beta earns a code for the full unlock when the Android version launches. One code per person. A code never depends on a rating or review.
Want it on multiple devices?
Open the same TestFlight link on each device. Each install is per-device, but your character carries over, CloudKit syncs the save file between iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro, and Apple Watch automatically once Tideward is installed on each.
For deeper detail on what each platform looks like, see:
How Tideward compares
If you're trying to decide whether Tideward is the right fit for you, the comparison pages below put it next to the other idle RPGs in the genre. Each is an honest opinionated list with a disclosure on our own game, plus the cleanest alternatives if Tideward isn't your match:
- Best idle RPGs for iPhone, ranked by overall recommendation strength for iPhone players.
- Best idle games for iPhone, every style from tycoons to story games, with the ads and loot boxes each App Store page lists.
- Games like Melvor Idle, ranked by closeness to Melvor's RuneScape-idle lineage.
- Idle games like RuneScape, including Old School RuneScape itself and the dedicated idle-MMO cluster.
FAQ, installing the beta
I heard the beta is capped at 1,000 testers, what happens if it fills?
The Tideward beta runs with 1,000 active TestFlight spots on its public invite link. Once it hits that, the public invite link on this page closes automatically. After that, new tester spots open up as existing testers leave or are rotated, those are filled from the Discord, where the seat-count gets called out and the link gets re-shared the moment a slot opens. If you want to be in regardless of when 1,000 fills, joining the Discord now is the safest path.
Is TestFlight a one-time install or do I need to update each build?
TestFlight installs the app once, then auto-prompts you when a new build is available. New Tideward beta builds ship roughly weekly. You can opt into automatic updates inside TestFlight settings.
Do I need to install Tideward separately on each Apple device?
Yes, TestFlight installations are per-device. Open the TestFlight link on each device you want Tideward on (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro, Apple Watch). Your character syncs across all of them via CloudKit automatically once installed.
Will Tideward stay free after launch?
No. The TestFlight beta is free for testers because you're helping me ship. When Tideward launches on the App Store on February 11, 2027, it will be a free download with a single $9.99 IAP unlock, no subscriptions and no ads. You will also be able to buy cosmetics if you want them, a few profile icons and a card background, and nothing you can buy will ever make your character stronger. Send one bug report or suggestion during the beta (Settings > Report a Bug or Request a Feature in the app, or #bug-reports on Discord) and you'll get a code for the full unlock at launch. One code per person. Codes work in every country where Tideward is on the App Store. Claim yours by replying on your report's Discord thread or messaging us on Discord by May 12, 2027, and redeem it before the expiry date shown with it. A code never depends on a rating or review.
What if I uninstall and reinstall, do I lose my character?
No. Your character lives in your private CloudKit container, not in the app binary. Reinstall, sign in with the same Apple ID, and your character is right there. The same applies if you switch to a new iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Does Tideward need an internet connection?
Only for CloudKit sync between devices. The game itself is fully offline-playable, set a trade, close the app, your offline-progression simulator runs on-device when you reopen. CloudKit sync resumes silently when a network is available.
How big is the download?
About 400-700 MB on iPhone and iPad, depending on the model, about 450 MB on Mac and Apple TV 4K, about 350 MB on Apple Vision Pro, and 13 MB on Apple Watch. Those are the sizes of the current beta build.
Is the Android version the same game?
Yes. It is a native Android app with the same 28 trades, the same fights, and the same 24 hours of offline progress. Apple and Android are separate stores, so a save does not move between them and a purchase on one does not unlock the other.
Ready?
The Discord is the fastest path to feedback, questions, and the live invite link the moment it's available.