Read over Hyper Seas as well as the Hyper 5 system and it feels like a more defined and less chaotic version of Roll for Shoes which is one of my favorite chaos session games. I like the use of a Water World-esque post apocalyptic setting mixed with some paranormal. It’s a combo I think doesn’t get enough love. The only question I had about the Hyper 5 system in general is the healing of ALL wounds with a token seems like players would sit and tank damage until their max is low and then spend a token, and the timing of the ability to use that at any moment seems a little odd. (unless I’m reading it wrong) Also the weapon damage in Hyper Seas for thrown weapon I think should be old tech guns, because as written picking up a rock and throwing it being the equivalent of a harpoon canon seems silly.
I also love the idea of tokens needing to be spent on micro skills, and three micro skills being needed for a larger skill as a way to make the world feel low on resources. The idea of being known as the guy who’s good at fixing bikes, and repairing sails leveling up with being good at fixing motors is now the ‘repair guy’ feels very post apocalyptic to me for some reason.
Over all seems like a really fun sit down and play system, and a setting with some real bones to build on. I think with the whole island hopping idea I’d love to see some sort of mechanic for wind direction and strength. I could see the game being done as a hex crawl and as players take to the sea have wind direction and strength determined by a mix of the results of nearby hexes and proximity to land to create trade winds and paths that the players use to navigate between the islands, as the gain knowledge of the currents and weather.