I really like this idea, a man-versus-nature city builder. Makes me think of Frostpunk except in the opposite climate. I liked the ability to place my buildings anywhere and how you slowly figure out the correct orientation for things, like building pumps with walls in front of them and repair behind them in order to weather the large waves. I do wish there was a tutorial rather than a quick text explanations, being able to play through quick scenarios to explain what each building does would have helped. It took me a while to grasp that water was the reason my buildings were dying. It was also really easy to just build a bunch of mines to get basically unlimited funds. But with some re-balancing and polish I think this could be a really fun challenge, especially with different maps, buildings, hazards, and objectives.
I liked the aesthetics of it, although the UI got in the way sometimes, I only realized later I could zoom out. I wish there was some more ambient music to it, especially wave effects for the right ambiance. It would also help reinforce the warning of oncoming waves.
Despite my critique, I really liked the idea, I'd love to see it explored more in-depth!