Games Like They Breathe

Dive into a surreal ocean abyss in an atmospheric puzzle-adventure. Explore dangerous waters, possess sea creatures and solve environmental puzzles to discover what lies deep below the surface…

Why similar: Underwater 28.4% ★, Hand-drawn 19.6%, Dark 19%, Horror 7.4%, Atmospheric 7%

Why You'll Like It: This game shares a striking hand-drawn, monochromatic aesthetic and a focus on navigating mysterious, dark underwater environments.

A short horror game where you pilot a tiny submarine through an ocean of blood on an alien moon.

Why similar: Underwater 39.4% ★, Psychological Horror 14.8%, Dark 11.8%, Horror 10.8%, Atmospheric 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: It perfectly captures the claustrophobic, short-form underwater horror experience where oxygen and environmental pressure are your primary enemies.

Survival, horror at the sunless depths of the Pacific Ocean: Stranded on the seafloor with low light and few tools, an industrial diver takes desperate steps to surface before his oxygen — and sanity — give out.

Why similar: Underwater 34.5% ★, Survival Horror 27.5%, Psychological Horror 11.3%, Horror 8.9%, Adventure 6.8%

Why You'll Like It: A first-person survival horror game that emphasizes the terrifying isolation and oxygen-management mechanics of deep-sea exploration.

From the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent comes SOMA, a sci-fi horror game set below the waves of the Atlantic ocean. Struggle to survive a hostile world that will make you question your very existence.

Why similar: Survival Horror 23.1%, Lovecraftian 14.9%, Dark 14.5%, Psychological Horror 10.1%, Story Rich 8.5%

Why You'll Like It: While more narrative-heavy, it is the gold standard for deep-sea psychological horror and existential dread in an underwater facility.

Explore the ruins of the human race and discover the thriving wildlife that blossomed after our extinction in this underwater action/adventure. Encounter monstrous creatures and let curiosity guide you through an inevitable voyage of extinction.

Why similar: Underwater 59.2% ★, Adventure 12.4%, Indie 10.5%, Action 9.6%, 2D 4.1%

Why You'll Like It: A 2D underwater exploration game that blends survival mechanics with a haunting, post-apocalyptic atmosphere.

Take on the role of Six, a lone child lost in a massive metal vessel known as the Maw, surrounded by dangerous, distorted versions of adults. You’ll need to do your best to escape in one piece or your fate will be worse than you ever dared dream.

Why similar: Dark 23.5%, Survival Horror 15.6%, Horror 13.8%, Atmospheric 10.5%, Story Rich 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: It matches the dark, stylized, and oppressive atmosphere of They Breathe, focusing on small-scale survival in a hostile, surreal world.

A mysterious signal. A missing crew. And the one man trying to piece it all together. As Abe Douglas, dive deep into a fully underwater metroidvania to explore massive oceanic biomes, battle monstrous bosses, and piece together a mystery that threatens not only your crew, but your own sanity.

Why similar: Underwater 29.8% ★, Lovecraftian 17.9%, Dark 10.7%, Psychological Horror 8.2%, Story Rich 8.2%

Why You'll Like It: A metroidvania that leans heavily into Lovecraftian underwater horror and the feeling of being small in a vast, dangerous ocean.

Anoxemia is a story-driven exploration game that puts you in control of the scientist Dr. Bailey and his operations drone, ATMA. Search the ocean floor as you discover and extract samples from the bowels of the underwater caves. Danger lurks in each passageway.

Why similar: Underwater 25.9% ★, Dark 23.8%, Story Rich 8.4%, Atmospheric 8.1%, Adventure 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: A 2D puzzle-platformer set in the deep ocean that focuses on oxygen management and navigating dangerous, dark underwater caverns.

Hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project. INSIDE is a dark, narrative-driven platformer combining intense action with challenging puzzles. It has been critically acclaimed for its moody art style, ambient soundtrack and unsettling atmosphere.

Why similar: Dark 31.1%, Story Rich 17.6%, Horror 11.5%, Atmospheric 11.2%, Adventure 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: This game excels at wordless, atmospheric storytelling within a dark, 2D-plane environment that feels deeply unsettling.

Dive into a world of despair in the world of Underwater. Take the role of an unknown inmate entering the a deep sea prison where mutants roam and barely any traces of human life remain. You will have to use all your ingenuity to escape and avoid becoming the meal of the hideous denizens.

Why similar: Survival Horror 28.7%, Lovecraftian 13.5%, Dark 12.2%, Story Rich 11%, Psychological Horror 10.5%

Why You'll Like It: A direct thematic match that focuses on the tension and horror of being trapped in an underwater environment.

Uncertain of his sister's fate, a boy enters LIMBO

Why similar: Dark 41%, Indie 14.2%, Atmospheric 13.5%, Horror 10.3%, Adventure 9.3%

Why You'll Like It: Its minimalist, dark, and silhouette-based art style provides a similar sense of dread and mystery to They Breathe.

Descend into the depths of an alien underwater world filled with wonder and peril. Craft equipment, pilot submarines and out-smart wildlife to explore lush coral reefs, volcanoes, cave systems, and more - all while trying to survive.

Why similar: Underwater 33.5% ★, Survival 26.5%, Survival Horror 14.1%, Horror 7.6%, Exploration 5.1%

Why You'll Like It: The quintessential underwater survival game, offering a deep sense of isolation and the terror of the unknown depths.

From the art director of Journey®, ABZÛ is a beautiful underwater adventure that evokes the dream of diving. Immerse yourself in a vibrant hidden world bursting with color and life as you descend into the heart of the ocean. But beware as you swim deeper as dangers lurk in the depths.

Why similar: Underwater 58.5% ★, Atmospheric 13.3%, Exploration 8.7%, Adventure 7.8%, Indie 4.7%

Why You'll Like It: While less focused on horror, it captures the beauty and fluid movement of underwater exploration that serves as the foundation for the seed game.

In Aphotic Descent, you play as a diver whose submarine crashed at the bottom of the ocean. With no other option for survival, you must make your way to a nearby underwater research facility facing terrifying creatures, all while descending deeper and deeper...

Why similar: Underwater 33.7% ★, Survival Horror 25.5%, Nature 12.2%, Horror 6.6%, Adventure 6.3%

Why You'll Like It: An underwater action-horror game that emphasizes the dark, oppressive nature of the deep ocean floor.

LOSE YOUR MIND. EAT YOUR CREW. DIE. Take the helm of your steamship and set sail for the unknown! Sunless Sea is a game of discovery, loneliness and frequent death, set in the award-winning Victorian Gothic universe of Fallen London.

Why similar: Lovecraftian 23.3%, Survival 22.5%, Dark 16%, Story Rich 10.6%, Exploration 7.2%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, atmospheric exploration game set in a subterranean ocean where survival is difficult and the environment is inherently hostile.

A classic survival horror experience set in a dystopian future where humanity has uncovered a dark secret. Unravel a cosmic mystery, escape terrifying creatures, and scavenge an off-world government facility as Elster, a technician Replika searching for her lost dreams.

Why similar: Survival Horror 38.8%, Lovecraftian 17.3%, Dark 15.1%, Psychological Horror 13.9%, Atmospheric 6.7%

Why You'll Like It: A masterclass in atmospheric, dark survival horror that uses stylized visuals to convey a sense of profound unease.

A Japanese survival horror game full of tension, drama, and violence. If you like psychological horror games with exploration, puzzles, and limited resources, you'll enjoy an intense experience where every decision can mean the difference between finding Sayuri or getting lost in the forest forever.

Why similar: Survival Horror 25.2%, Survival 15.2%, Dark 13.2%, Psychological Horror 9.7%, Story Rich 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: This game shares the forest-meets-water theme and focuses on psychological horror within a dark, atmospheric setting.

THE SHORE is a first person story driven game with an atmospheric environment and narrations, You will encounter mysterious creatures and unravel the secrets behind them. Strong elements of horror, struggle to survive an unknown world that will make you question your own sanity.

Why similar: Lovecraftian 29.8%, Underwater 26.7% ★, Psychological Horror 11.5%, Horror 9.2%, Story Rich 8.7%

Why You'll Like It: A first-person exploration game that leans into the Lovecraftian horror elements often associated with the deep sea.

Mundaun is a lovingly hand-penciled horror tale set in a dark, secluded valley of The Alps. Explore various areas full of secrets to discover, survive hostile encounters, drive vehicles, fill your inventory, and solve a variety of handcrafted puzzles.

Why similar: Hand-drawn 18.7%, Nature 14.6%, Dark 14.4%, Stylized 12.4%, Psychological Horror 10.2%

Why You'll Like It: Its hand-penciled art style and focus on folk-horror atmosphere mirror the stylized, unsettling nature of They Breathe.

The Sirena Expedition is a short PSX-style horror-platformer in which you explore a mysterious underwater facility.

Why similar: Underwater 46.2% ★, Lovecraftian 22.3%, Horror 10.2%, Atmospheric 9%, Adventure 7.1%

Why You'll Like It: A platformer that blends underwater exploration with supernatural horror elements in a dark, atmospheric setting.

Fran Bow is a creepy adventure game that tells the story of Fran, a young girl struggling with a mental disorder and an unfair destiny.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 23.6%, Dark 18.8%, Story Rich 16.4%, Hand-drawn 10.2%, Horror 9.2%

Why You'll Like It: This game shares a unique, hand-drawn, and surreal art style that masks a deeply disturbing and dark narrative.

Experience the quiet terror of this 1-bit love letter to Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft. Navigate a hellish roguelite reality with turn-based combat and unforgiving choices. Experiment with your deck of event cards to discover new forms of cosmic horror in every playthrough. The inevitable awaits...

Why similar: Survival Horror 30.1%, Lovecraftian 20.8%, Survival 15.6%, Psychological Horror 11.7%, Horror 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: A highly stylized, 1-bit horror game that focuses on cosmic dread and short, impactful narrative encounters.

Dap: Prologue is a short dive into the eerie world of Dap, the upcoming horror-action-adventure about protecting a pack of fragile creatures against the creeping corruption tainting the woods and its inhabitants. Lead, scavenge, and fight, in a race for survival against otherwordly horrors.

Why similar: Dark 32.3%, Horror 13.6%, Atmospheric 11.8%, Action 9.8%, Adventure 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: A dark, atmospheric, and surreal horror game that features a unique art style and intense survival mechanics.

Don’t Starve is an uncompromising wilderness survival game full of science and magic. Enter a strange and unexplored world full of strange creatures, dangers, and surprises. Gather resources to craft items and structures that match your survival style.

Why similar: Survival 64.5%, Survival Horror 9.8%, Adventure 8.3%, Indie 7.2%, Exploration 4.2%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the core loop of survival in a hostile, stylized world where resources are scarce and danger is constant.

Gris is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience in her life. Her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants new abilities to better navigate her faded reality.

Why similar: Hand-drawn 32.8%, Atmospheric 20.7%, Story Rich 13.1%, Indie 12.5%, Adventure 9.7%

Why You'll Like It: A short, visually stunning experience that uses its art style to convey a deep, emotional, and atmospheric journey.

What if someone knew your mind better than you did? The Swapper is an award-winning, narrative driven puzzle game set in the furthest reaches of space.

Why similar: Atmospheric 27.2%, Indie 18.9%, Psychological Horror 15.5%, Adventure 11.9%, Story Rich 8.4%

Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric puzzle game that uses a dark, sci-fi setting to explore themes of identity and isolation.

Deep Sorrow is a horror/adventure game which leads you to a bunker and makes you feel desperate to get out.

Why similar: Survival Horror 21.5%, Survival 17.3%, Dark 14.5%, Adventure 13.2%, Indie 11.1%

Why You'll Like It: A short, indie-developed horror experience that focuses on the feeling of isolation in a dark, underwater-adjacent environment.

You are a lowly egg cell on a journey through a swollen sea of strange and humanoid fish. Prey on smaller life and growing larger and stronger to perhaps someday be born.

Why similar: Survival 17.2%, Underwater 14.9% ★, Dark 13.2%, Lovecraftian 11.7%, Nature 10.3%

A lovecraftian roguelike. Dive into procedurally generated undersea caves. Collect gold, upgrade your equipment, and Feed the Deep.

Why similar: Underwater 22% ★, Lovecraftian 16.1%, Dark 12.5%, Survival 10.3%, Stylized 8.6%

Extend your roots, imbibe fresh blood, and expand without end. Roots Devour is a strategic exploration game centered around a card-connecting mechanism. Drive your frenzied roots through swamps and over frozen mountains, invading human cities until the darkness... descends.

Why similar: Survival Horror 18.5%, Lovecraftian 16.7%, Dark 14.3%, Stylized 9.6%, Psychological Horror 8.6%

Project Abyss is a deep sea adventure game where you explore as a diver, forced to survive a destiny that goes deeper than anyone imagined.

Why similar: Survival 39.1%, Adventure 22.9%, Indie 19%, Action 18.9%

Why You'll Like It: A survival-focused underwater game that emphasizes the dangers of the ocean and the need to manage resources to stay alive.

Explore a dense, interconnected labyrinth, and unravel its many secrets. Collect items to manipulate your environment in surprising and meaningful ways. Encounter beautiful and unsettling creatures, as you attempt to survive what lurks in the dark. There is more than what you see.

Why similar: Exploration 17.2%, Horror 17%, Atmospheric 14.5%, Adventure 11.9%, Indie 9.7%

Operate an oil-drilling submarine while taking instructions from a mysterious voice. Fail your quota, and they’ll cut your oxygen. This is deep-sea horror. Obey or drown.

Why similar: Underwater 27.2% ★, Survival Horror 23.5%, Dark 17.3%, Psychological Horror 12.2%, Atmospheric 6.5%

There is only you and the Forest. In "Rooten" there are no compulsory tasks, time just goes by, and days pass by independently of you. You can explore the Forest, try to get out, or even do nothing at all. The forest has always been here, and always will be. You won't change it no matter what.

Why similar: Survival Horror 20.4%, Dark 14.7%, Lovecraftian 14.2%, Nature 12.9%, Story Rich 7.1%

Dive The Depths is an action-roguelike set beneath the ocean's surface. As a humble diver, you must navigate the world filled with bizarre sea creatures, submerged ruins, and forgotten histories. Can you conquer the depths and unravel the secrets that hidden beneath the waves?

Why similar: Underwater 58% ★, Adventure 9.1%, Horror 8.7%, Action 7.1%, 2D 6.6%

Unpredictable horrors lurk around every corner, forcing you to find the missing people while desperately clinging to survival. In this experience even your own mind can become your enemy. Stay vigilant and keep your voice hushed, or risk becoming another victim of the forest's darkness

Why similar: Dark 33.8%, Psychological Horror 26.6%, Horror 18.9%, Exploration 8.5%, Adventure 4.9%

Walking simulator. Explore, admire and listen. Uncanny. Relaxing. Unnerving. Eerie. Immersive. No monsters chasing you or jumping at your screen, but can feel oppressive at times by invoking fears of getting lost, the dark, tight spaces and liminal space architecture. Inspired by backrooms.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 28.4%, Underwater 21.4% ★, Atmospheric 14.2%, Dark 11.8%, Exploration 9.7%

Linear underwater horror game about a search dive that quickly turns into fight for survival after an encounter with hellish creature.

Why similar: Underwater 39.2% ★, Dark 19.6%, Psychological Horror 12.7%, Horror 8%, Atmospheric 6%

Explore abandoned biospheres at the bottom of the ocean, alone or with up to 4 friends.

Why similar: Underwater 32% ★, Survival Horror 20.8%, Stylized 11.4%, Horror 8.3%, Psychological Horror 8.2%

As captain of the Pandora sub, you must explore the Trench and retrieve data from the Neptune wreckage. But beware - the trench is home to unimaginable horrors that will test your courage. Can you survive the terrors of the deep and complete your mission, or will you become the next victim?

Why similar: Underwater 30% ★, Survival Horror 26.5%, Lovecraftian 17.5%, Horror 6.6%, Dark 6.1%

You are the Warden. Enter the dense cornfields and gather the resources your village desperately needs. But beware: you are not alone. Build a deck of abilities and choose your weapons to face the growing dangers of the night. With a relentless monster after you, will you make it out alive?

Why similar: Survival Horror 24.6%, Lovecraftian 16.4%, Survival 14.6%, Dark 13.2%, Story Rich 7.6%

The Land of Pain is a Lovecraftian horror adventure. After something strange appears in the woods, you'll have to learn how to survive as you fend off a dark and disturbing evil. Flee from an unrelenting enemy, solve puzzles, and unravel the ancient mystery that's befallen this land.

Why similar: Survival Horror 22.3%, Lovecraftian 16.2%, Survival 15.4%, Dark 11.1%, Psychological Horror 8.5%

CRUSH DEPTH is first-person sci-fi horror game set at the bottom of the ocean. A salvage operation that would set you up for life goes sideways when you realize you're not alone down there. You'll solve puzzles and run from danger as you uncover the mysterious fate of Eclipse Station.

Why similar: Underwater 52.8% ★, Story Rich 12.7%, Horror 10.5%, Exploration 7.5%, Atmospheric 5.7%

A short horror game where you dig through the flesh of a giant whale

Why similar: Psychological Horror 23%, Dark 18.6%, Stylized 14%, Adventure 13.6%, Horror 12.2%

Beneath is a Lovecraft-inspired survival FPS. Scarce ammo, merciless enemies and a sense of the unknown combine in a 10+ hour, story-driven single player campaign, built for both veteran gamers and those seeking a challenging old school experience.

Why similar: Survival Horror 27%, Survival 19.8%, Lovecraftian 18.4%, Psychological Horror 11%, Horror 6.4%

Darkwood - a new perspective on survival horror. Scavenge and explore a rich, ever-changing free-roam world by day, then hunker down in your hideout and pray for the morning light.

Why similar: Survival Horror 24.3%, Survival 17.4%, Dark 14.7%, Psychological Horror 9.4%, Story Rich 8.3%

Dive into a hostile world that challenges your very existence, in this survival horror game with RPG elements. Unravel a thousand-year-old mystery, risk your sanity and face the Outer Gods with your skills. Every bullet and every decision counts now, are you up to the task?

Why similar: Survival Horror 24%, Lovecraftian 16.2%, Survival 15.5%, Dark 13.7%, Psychological Horror 8.9%

1975. Disaster strikes the Beira D oil rig off the coast of Scotland. Navigate the collapsing rig to save your crew from an otherworldly horror on the edge of all logic and reality in this 3x BAFTA Games Award-winning narrative horror experience.

Why similar: Underwater 20.9% ★, Lovecraftian 18.7%, Dark 15.7%, Psychological Horror 11.4%, Story Rich 8.7%

Dodge and carve your way through swarms of terrifying sea creatures controlled by Death, a vicious giant mind-controlling Kraken that haunts your every move. Scavenge for hidden treasure to unlock weapons, and upgrades to help you in your fight for survival. Every dive reveals a new nightmare.

Why similar: Underwater 33.5% ★, Survival Horror 32.5%, Survival 19.7%, Atmospheric 6.5%, Horror 4.5%

A story about escapism.

Why similar: Psychological Horror 29.8%, Adventure 27.9%, Indie 27.4%, Horror 14.9%

Hell Dive is a first-person horror game where you are a Maritime Operative alone aboard a submarine. Sent on a mission to revive an abandoned deep-sea colony, you uncover dark secrets as terrifying and deadly horrors await in its depths

Why similar: Lovecraftian 27.6%, Psychological Horror 16.4%, Dark 15.6%, Story Rich 10.6%, Horror 9.2%

Conversation is a dangerous game. Manipulate a fractured band of renegade divers to reach the depths of this short narrative puzzle. Uncover alliances and expose betrayals — before something horrific from the dark abyss silences you all. Don’t let the conversation get too deep.

Why similar: Lovecraftian 26.6%, Survival 24.1%, Story Rich 14.3%, Dark 11.3%, Atmospheric 9.4%

In the facility, each step, each shot, each mistake costs precious energy. Rendered entirely in black and white, this mystery can be unravelled. The puzzle can be solved. Don't ask who tried to solve it before. Do the job. Find oxygen and sleep. Go deeper. And don't ask about Aaron.

Why similar: Dark 31.7%, Psychological Horror 19.2%, Horror 13.2%, Adventure 9.5%, Exploration 8.1%

Solitude Underwater is a short horror adventure game. Two treasure-hunting brothers are searching for sunken riches off the coast of South Africa, only to find themselves immersed in catastrophe after one of them gets trapped in a cage, deep inside shark-infested waters.

Why similar: Underwater 35.2% ★, Dark 15.8%, Adventure 14.1%, Horror 13.5%, Action 10.4%

You wake up buried alive. You are running out of oxygen and you can't remember how you got here. There must be a way out, can you figure it out in time?

Why similar: Psychological Horror 30.5%, Horror 19.5%, Dark 19.5%, Exploration 16.9%, Adventure 7.8%

Doorways is an immersive horror adventure, featuring a complex story and deep atmosphere.

Why similar: Survival Horror 24.7%, Horror 13.6%, Survival 12.9%, Dark 12.3%, Adventure 7.7%

Creepy quest with the atmosphere of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Go through a dangerous adventure filled with puzzles and challenges! Perhaps it is you who will be able to solve all the secrets of forest and save the peaceful creatures?

Why similar: Hand-drawn 32.6%, Dark 27.5%, Adventure 10.6%, Atmospheric 9.2%, Horror 6.8%

Cast into an ancient crypt, survive the horrors that dwell below, and ascend from despair with your unexpected companion in this short 2D puzzle platformer. Take risks to evade the petrifying gaze from beyond the dark.

Why similar: Adventure 31.6%, Atmospheric 19.4%, Horror 17.9%, Indie 13.1%, 2D 13%