Games Like Under The Waves

Beyond Blue is a single-player narrative adventure that takes you deep into our planet’s beating blue heart. Explore the awesome wonder and unbounded mystery that exists within the world’s ocean.

Why similar: Underwater 72.4% ★, Exploration 9.9%, Adventure 7.3%, Story Rich 3.5%, Indie 2.9%

Why You'll Like It: This game offers a similar focus on professional underwater exploration and marine life observation with a strong narrative core.

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 63.3% ★, Exploration 10.8%, Atmospheric 10.1%, Adventure 6%, Third Person 2.6%

Why You'll Like It: It captures the serene, majestic beauty of the ocean through a relaxing and highly atmospheric exploration experience.

Uncover the mystery of Thalassa, a first-person psychological drama set under the sea. Ill-fate has fallen on your former crew and friends and it’s up to you to find answers onboard the wreckage. Experience the melancholic underwater journey of human stories facing life and loss.

Why similar: Underwater 40.7% ★, Adventure 16.8%, Atmospheric 11.3%, Exploration 9.9%, Story Rich 9.9%

Why You'll Like It: This narrative-driven adventure focuses on underwater archaeology and emotional storytelling in a confined, atmospheric setting.

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: Exploration 20.2%, Story Rich 19.3%, Sci-fi 19.1%, Atmospheric 17.2%, Adventure 13.4%

Why You'll Like It: Set in a decaying underwater research facility, this game shares the deep-sea sci-fi setting while delivering a profound, philosophical narrative.

Play as an Artificial Intelligence guiding a stranded xenobiologist through a beautiful and mysterious alien ocean. A non-violent sci-fi story, enter a world of wonder, fear and vulnerability, unraveling the history and ecology of an impossible planet. What will you discover together?

Why similar: Underwater 47.1% ★, Adventure 12%, Exploration 11.2%, Story Rich 8.9%, Atmospheric 7.9%

Why You'll Like It: A unique, minimalist approach to underwater exploration that relies on scientific discovery and a deeply engaging narrative.

The Moon has gone dark, cutting off Earth’s last source of energy. As a lone astronaut, you’ll explore abandoned lunar bases, solve intricate puzzles, and navigate stunning zero-gravity environments. Operate advanced vehicles, uncover hidden truths, and survive in this gripping sci-fi thriller.

Why similar: Adventure 29.1%, Sci-fi 17.9%, Story Rich 12.8%, Atmospheric 12.2%, Indie 10.8%

Why You'll Like It: This sci-fi adventure captures the feeling of solitary exploration and high-stakes narrative progression in a hostile, isolated environment.

Boat, climb, interact and explore in the beautiful ruins of a sunken world.

Why similar: Exploration 33.3%, Atmospheric 20.5%, Adventure 15%, 3D 10.3%, Third Person 8.8%

Why You'll Like It: This relaxing, third-person exploration game focuses on uncovering a story within a flooded, post-apocalyptic world.

Firewatch is a single-player first-person mystery set in the Wyoming wilderness, where your only emotional lifeline is the person on the other end of a handheld radio.

Why similar: Story Rich 25%, Atmospheric 21.5%, Adventure 20.1%, Exploration 19.4%, Singleplayer 5.2%

Why You'll Like It: While set in a forest, it perfectly mirrors the themes of isolation, professional duty, and processing personal trauma through a radio-based narrative.

When humans get too lonely, they turn into monsters… Set sail across a beautiful and evolving world of darkness and light, and discover what it means to be human.

Why similar: Adventure 52.6%, Atmospheric 34.4%, Singleplayer 13%

Why You'll Like It: It uses a metaphorical, atmospheric world to explore the protagonist's internal emotional struggles and loneliness.

Deliver Us Mars is an atmospheric sci-fi adventure taking you on a suspense-fuelled, high-stakes mission to recover the ARK colony ships stolen by the mysterious Outward.

Why similar: Cinematic 23.8%, Story Rich 19.4%, Sci-fi 19.4%, Third Person 18%, Atmospheric 14.1%

Why You'll Like It: A direct thematic successor to its predecessor, it emphasizes emotional storytelling and environmental exploration in a sci-fi setting.

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 65.3% ★, Exploration 11.3%, Sci-fi 6%, Adventure 5.5%, Atmospheric 4.3%

Why You'll Like It: While more survival-oriented, it remains the definitive underwater exploration game for those who enjoy the mystery of the deep.

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 53.1% ★, Cinematic 10.7%, Atmospheric 9.3%, Exploration 8.6%, Adventure 8.6%

Why You'll Like It: This underwater puzzle-adventure uses a striking, dark art style to create an atmospheric and mysterious experience.

What Remains of Edith Finch is a collection of strange tales about a family in Washington state. As Edith, you’ll explore the colossal Finch house, searching for stories as she explores her family history and tries to figure out why she's the last one in her family left alive.

Why similar: Story Rich 31.7%, Atmospheric 19.3%, Exploration 16.8%, Narration 14%, Adventure 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: Though not underwater, it is the gold standard for emotional, narrative-driven exploration and uncovering the past.

Join Norah, a woman plagued by a mysterious illness, in her search for her missing husband in this adventure puzzle game set on a lush island paradise. Immerse yourself in stunning visuals and unlock forbidden secrets in a moving tale of mystery and love.

Why similar: Story Rich 20.5%, Adventure 18.7%, Narration 17.7%, Exploration 16%, Atmospheric 13.8%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a beautiful, narrative-heavy exploration experience centered on uncovering a mystery in an isolated, exotic location.

Rethink human’s dominion in The Invincible: a story-driven adventure set in a hard sci-fi world by Stanisław Lem. Discover planet Regis III as scientist Yasna, use atompunk tools looking for a missing crew and face unforeseen threats. Make choices in a philosophical story that’s driven by science.

Why similar: Sci-fi 25.6%, Narration 25.2%, Adventure 23.2%, Story Rich 20.4%, Singleplayer 5.6%

Why You'll Like It: This sci-fi narrative game focuses on atmospheric exploration and the psychological toll of being stranded on a desolate planet.

Diluvion is a 3D deep sea, Jules Verne inspired, exploration game with RPG elements and thrilling submarine combat. As the Captain of your own vessel, you must grow and manage your crew as you search for the secrets of the past in a hauntingly beautiful flooded world.

Why similar: Underwater 68.8% ★, Submarine 18.5% ★, Adventure 8.1%, Indie 3.2%, Singleplayer 0.7%

Why You'll Like It: This game features submarine exploration in a flooded world, blending adventure with a focus on discovery.

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 43% ★, Submarine 33.3% ★, Exploration 7.3%, Story Rich 6%, Adventure 4.5%

Why You'll Like It: A narrative-heavy underwater adventure that focuses on exploration and the psychological impact of the deep sea.

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 76.2% ★, Adventure 10.6%, Atmospheric 9%, Indie 4.2%

Why You'll Like It: A survival-horror game that emphasizes the psychological pressure and isolation of being trapped in a deep-sea diving suit.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a first-person story-driven mystery. Purchase this game to get both the original and the Unreal Engine 4 remaster called The Vanishing of Ethan Carter Redux.

Why similar: Atmospheric 27.3%, Exploration 25.8%, Story Rich 18.1%, Adventure 15.9%, Singleplayer 5%

Why You'll Like It: This game excels at atmospheric, investigative exploration that prioritizes environmental storytelling over combat.

Named Game of the Year 2019 by Giant Bomb, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian, Outer Wilds is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.

Why similar: Exploration 27%, Story Rich 18.8%, Atmospheric 13.6%, Adventure 13.2%, Sci-fi 12.1%

Why You'll Like It: It provides an unparalleled sense of discovery and mystery, encouraging players to explore a vast, atmospheric world at their own pace.

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 77.8% ★, Adventure 11.6%, Indie 5%, Exploration 4.4%, Singleplayer 1.2%

Why You'll Like It: It combines underwater exploration with a melancholy, narrative-driven look at a dying world.

Observation is a sci-fi thriller uncovering what happened to Dr. Emma Fisher, and the crew of her mission, through the lens of the station’s artificial intelligence S.A.M.

Why similar: Adventure 37.8%, Sci-fi 20.2%, Indie 17.4%, Story Rich 11.8%, Atmospheric 10.3%

Why You'll Like It: You play as an AI on a space station, offering a unique perspective on isolation and narrative-driven mystery in a sci-fi setting.

Tacoma is a sci-fi narrative adventure from the creators of Gone Home. Set aboard a high-tech space station in the year 2088, explore every detail of how the station’s crew lived and worked, finding the clues that add up to a gripping story of trust, fear, and resolve in the face of disaster.

Why similar: Story Rich 20.8%, Sci-fi 20.6%, Exploration 16.4%, Adventure 16.1%, Atmospheric 10.6%

Why You'll Like It: A sci-fi narrative game that focuses on piecing together the lives of people in an isolated, high-tech environment.

Pilot a remotely operated submarine and explore the oceans! Defy the darkness and crushing pressure of the deeps as you chart unknown regions and study new species of ocean life.

Why similar: Underwater 46.3% ★, Submarine 32.7% ★, Exploration 7.8%, Atmospheric 5.9%, Third Person 3.3%

Why You'll Like It: This simulation-focused game offers a realistic look at deep-sea exploration and the technical challenges of the ocean floor.

Get ready for a thrilling underwater adventure with classic point-and-click gameplay. Explore with three characters simultaneously. Featuring atmospheric isometric graphics, rendered video, and a soundtrack by Mark Morgan, BONE TOTEM takes you on a journey to hidden places deep below the waves...

Why similar: Submarine 43.6% ★, Cinematic 10%, Exploration 10%, Story Rich 9.7%, Sci-fi 9.6%

Why You'll Like It: An isometric, sci-fi horror adventure that features a compelling narrative set within an abandoned underwater facility.

Moons of Madness is a first-person, story-driven cosmic horror game where the scientific exploration of Mars meets the supernatural dread of Lovecraft.

Why similar: Adventure 33%, Sci-fi 26%, Exploration 19.7%, Atmospheric 13.1%, Singleplayer 4.6%

Why You'll Like It: A sci-fi narrative game that leans into the isolation of space while building an intense, atmospheric story.

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 42.6% ★, Cinematic 9.2%, Story Rich 8.9%, Narrative 8% ★, Exploration 8%

Plunge into VR on a capsizing research ship, the Triton, where survival means outmaneuvering the water's lethal surge. Freedive through a sinking ship, overcome underwater chaos, and unlock your path to the surface, all while protecting your most precious resource: the breath in your lungs.

Why similar: Underwater 52.7% ★, Cinematic 9.5%, Exploration 9.1%, Narration 8.7%, Story Rich 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the physical tension and claustrophobia of underwater survival and exploration.

Biolum is a 30min VR sci-fi narrative experience. Dive to uncharted depths of the ocean and discover a beautiful world of bioluminescent creatures. But all is not what it seems. What lies beneath the surface?

Why similar: Underwater 35.1% ★, Submarine 25.4% ★, Narration 9.5%, Exploration 7%, Sci-fi 6.9%

Why You'll Like It: This narrative-focused experience explores the beauty and danger of the deep sea through a sci-fi lens.

Dive into a freezing underwater adventure on an alien planet. Below Zero is set two years after the original Subnautica. Return to Planet 4546B to uncover the truth behind a deadly cover-up. Survive by building habitats, crafting tools, & diving deeper into the world of Subnautica.

Why similar: Underwater 61% ★, Exploration 9.4%, Adventure 5.8%, Sci-fi 5.6%, Story Rich 5.2%

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 43.5% ★, Submarine 30% ★, Exploration 7%, Sci-fi 6.8%, Story Rich 5.3%

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: Underwater 56.4% ★, Exploration 14.9%, Narration 12.8%, Story Rich 9.2%, Atmospheric 6.6%

Why You'll Like It: It offers a Lovecraftian, narrative-driven exploration experience set in a mysterious, coastal environment.

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 41.6% ★, Submarine 34.5% ★, Narration 8.4%, Atmospheric 5.2%, Sci-fi 4.4%

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 42.2% ★, Submarine 40.8% ★, Atmospheric 7.1%, Exploration 4.7%, 3D 2.1%

You're a Stardiver on a mission. Descend into the depths of an underwater world filled with wonder, mysteries, and peril. Discover the story behind the abandoned base. Explore this submerged planet and learn its history.

Why similar: Underwater 47.1% ★, Narration 10.3%, Sci-fi 8.3%, Story Rich 7.4%, Exploration 7.2%

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

Why similar: Underwater 49.3% ★, Submarine 18.8% ★, Narration 9.3%, Atmospheric 6.7%, Exploration 5.3%

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 54.5% ★, Adventure 15.4%, Cinematic 14.9%, Atmospheric 5.6%, 3D 5.1%

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 70.7% ★, Adventure 9.4%, Exploration 9%, Atmospheric 8.7%, Singleplayer 2.2%

A short first-person horror game. An accident cripples your submarine while trying to find the wreck of the Titanic. In the darkness, you must restore life-support systems through tense puzzles, only to discover that you are not alone.

Why similar: Underwater 39.6% ★, Submarine 35.8% ★, Atmospheric 7.9%, Story Rich 5.4%, Exploration 4.5%

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

Why similar: Underwater 42% ★, Submarine 35.3% ★, Atmospheric 6.3%, Sci-fi 4.5%, Exploration 4.1%

As Jack Argyle, you are tasked with restoring communication at the underwater ex-Aegis facility known as Phorcys Station. Be careful, or risk joining the spirits trapped inside.

Why similar: Underwater 57.7% ★, Sci-fi 10.5%, Exploration 9.9%, Story Rich 8.1%, Adventure 4.8%

An atmospheric vehicle adventure that follows the emotional journey of a boy and his ship as he embarks on a voyage to find a new home.

Why similar: Underwater 65.3% ★, Atmospheric 17.7%, Adventure 14.1%, Singleplayer 1.7%, Indie 1.2%

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

Why similar: Underwater 66.2% ★, Cinematic 10.2%, Atmospheric 7.1%, Exploration 6.9%, Adventure 6.1%

Deep Beyond Is a first-person interactive thriller about a sea explorer and the mystery behind her father’s disappearance.

Why similar: Underwater 49.4% ★, Exploration 13.3%, Story Rich 12.7%, Adventure 11.3%, Atmospheric 8.8%

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: Story Rich 26.6%, Atmospheric 21.9%, Adventure 21.2%, Exploration 16.7%, Indie 7.4%

Subside is an immersive aquatic VR experience with multiple areas to explore and lifelike aquatic creatures to interact with. Crafted with unparalleled realism, it aims to replicate the nuances of real-life swimming and diving in shallow waters

Why similar: Underwater 76.7% ★, Exploration 10.7%, Atmospheric 6.1%, Sci-fi 4.9%, Singleplayer 1.6%

In the wake of catastrophe find the means to make your family whole again.

Why similar: Cinematic 19.4%, Narrative 17% ★, Story Rich 15.1%, Atmospheric 14.8%, Adventure 12.2%

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

Why similar: Underwater 49.4% ★, Submarine 36.2% ★, Adventure 6%, Atmospheric 5.4%, Indie 1.7%

DREDGE is a single-player fishing adventure with a sinister undercurrent. Sell your catch, upgrade your boat, and dredge the depths for long-buried secrets. Explore a mysterious archipelago and discover why some things are best left forgotten.

Why similar: Exploration 34.9%, Adventure 18%, Atmospheric 15.8%, Story Rich 11.1%, Open World 7.7%

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

Why similar: Underwater 64.1% ★, Exploration 12.6%, Atmospheric 6.9%, Sci-fi 6.2%, Indie 4.2%

The Station is a first-person sci-fi mystery set on a space station sent to study a sentient alien civilization. Assuming the role of a recon specialist, players must unravel a mystery which will decide the fate of two civilizations.

Why similar: Adventure 24.5%, Story Rich 23.9%, Sci-fi 22.6%, Atmospheric 17.5%, Indie 11.4%

Teach the gods to create a better universe - or mess it all up in Mythic Ocean, a narrative exploration game where your choices shape the fate of the cosmos.

Why similar: Underwater 62.7% ★, Adventure 16.2%, Exploration 7.5%, Indie 7.3%, Atmospheric 6.2%

Draugen is a single-player, first-person Fjord Noir mystery set in 1920s Norway. Explore a forgotten coastal village in your search for your missing sister, accompanied by your independent and enigmatic young ward. Norwegian Game of the Year 2019.

Why similar: Cinematic 20.8%, Story Rich 20.8%, Atmospheric 17.2%, Exploration 15%, Adventure 14.1%

Surf the waters of a submerged city! Unravel the past, save the islanders from mysterious sea monsters and discover secrets hidden under the surface.

Why similar: Cinematic 27.6%, Adventure 22.3%, Third Person 19.6%, Atmospheric 14.3%, 3D 9%

Play as an interstellar custodian sent to clean up a polluted ocean planet. Pick up trash, explore the vibrant waters, and take care of axolotl-like alien creatures!

Why similar: Underwater 65.3% ★, Exploration 7.9%, Sci-fi 7.3%, Adventure 6.5%, Atmospheric 5.3%

DAVE THE DIVER is a casual, singleplayer adventure RPG featuring deep-sea exploration and fishing during the day and sushi restaurant management at night. Join Dave and his quirky friends as they seek to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Blue Hole.

Why similar: Underwater 65.1% ★, Exploration 12.3%, Adventure 9.6%, Story Rich 8%, Singleplayer 3.1%

Submerge yourself in one of the most immersive diving simulators to date. Gather your gear, choose your diving spot and discover what lies beneath the surface as you venture deep into the unknown.

Why similar: Underwater 73.9% ★, Exploration 12.1%, Adventure 8.1%, Indie 2.9%, Singleplayer 1.5%

Northern Québec, 1970. A bizarre mist —the Brume— is disconnecting a rural mining village from its quiet reality. Step into the shoes of Detective Carl Faubert as he unfolds the mysteries haunting the region while battling for his own survival.

Why similar: Narration 21.6%, Exploration 19.9%, Story Rich 15.2%, Adventure 14.9%, Sci-fi 11.7%

Become a fearless underwater explorer and reach the bottom of The Mariana Trench to win 20,000* REAL DOLLARS!

Why similar: Underwater 51.4% ★, Submarine 41.2% ★, Atmospheric 3.2%, 3D 2.1%, Indie 1.3%