When you live along the coast, you keep a careful eye on what the sea is doing. When your land is actually sitting below sea level, you take extra time to make sure things are alright along the coast. In Lowlands, players take on the role of farmers along the North Sea. In this preview, we get a look at the turn sequence in the game, and see how high and low tide have an effect on your actions.
From the post:
The waves crash against the dike, splashing up over the sides where the dike isn’t tall enough. The tide continues to rise, threatening to spill over and flood the farmland. The citizens rush to the dike, quickly adding more protection to keep the water at bay.
In Lowlands, the three stages of gameplay consist of six phases resolved in the following order: Turn of the Tide, Work, Upkeep, Work, Upkeep, High Tide. After the three stages, the storm surges, possibly wiping away some of your flock from your farmland if the dike doesn’t hold.