Subnautica and its expansion, Below Zero are underwater exploration games where you are dropped on an alien planet and made to explore the seas to survive. Surviving here means you will need to gather resources to craft items and improve your existing gear while you fight off everything the ocean throws at you.
The game has a lot of content available to play through both of its expansions. But what if you run out? We’ve got you covered.
This list contains all the games that function similarly to Subnautica. While many of these games don’t have the same biome that Subnautica does, a lot of their mechanics and environment are similar enough to give you a fun challenging experience. We will be ranking these games based on how similar they are to Subnautica and how fun they are in general to play.
10) Sub Culture
Since we are talking about games like Subnautica, it makes sense to include the game which might possibly be its spiritual successor, Sub Culture. In this classic 1997 game, you play as a submarine operator prowling the depths of the sea on Earth, unlike the alien planet you are on in Subnautica. Even though the location can be different, a lot of the mechanics are similar.
The game puts you in the shoes of a freelance submarine captain who survived a disaster and now you have to find a new home. This is not easy, however, because there are two warring factions in the game that are consistently in conflict. The Bochines and the Prochas are the factions and you can choose to help them in exchange for payment.
You are given free rein of the underwater for the most part. The stock market is a very viable way to multiply your income in this game as well. You will have to undertake a variety of tasks to thrive in this warring environment by surviving and scavenging while completing objectives. It is truly a struggle to succeed in a bleak underwater world.
9) Aquanox: Deep Descent
An even older game than Sub Culture with more ties to the scary aspects of Subnautica, Aquanox: Deep Descent holds a place in the hearts of many older players of the genre. This 1996 cult classic was not the best-known game of its time but, the ones that did play it enjoyed the game for what it provided in its era.
Aquanox can be best described as an underwater combat sim, where the player is put into the shoes of Emerald Flint, also known as Deadeye. Flint is a mercenary who completes missions for all manners of shady characters in his submarine in exchange for monetary compensation. You get to play with a team of four specialists and can customize your submarine any way you want.
A lot of this game plays like Sub Culture in its premise, though it has its subtle changes. The dystopian unforgiving world in Aquanox is a blast to play through, however, the game might seem a little dated for modern times. It is quite challenging in its own right and be prepared for a rough time in the beginning as the game has a steep learning curve.
8) Abzu
Abzu is a unique entry here because it is different from Subnautica in some ways. It also deviates from the previous entries on this list because it takes away some of the survival aspects of these games and instead focuses on the beauty of underwater exploration. You can see the flora and fauna of the underwater world, whatever is left of it, in full view in this game.
That’s because the game hides tales of a civilization lost to time in this underwater world. You have to explore the world while looking for means to restore the oceans back to their former glory. You will have to find lost aspects of the kingdom such as life-restoring wells that you can run into by following the trails left by the ocean wildlife.
Abzu is a different take on underwater exploration than what we are normally used to with Subnautica, but it is a welcome change with its own positives that we believe you will enjoy.
7) Stranded Deep
Coming back to games with more parallels to Subnautica, Stranded Deep brings back the dread aspects of Subnautica with the exception of the alien planets. This is because the game takes place in a procedurally generated part of the Pacific Ocean. The survival aspects from Subnautica make their return here where you have to keep diving to find resources if you want to survive.
Salvaging and scrapping to craft new items is the way to go here. You will also have to monitor your vitals using a watch you are given to ensure you are in good shape.
The game supports split-screen co-op, making the survival aspects a lot more forgiving than Subnautica since you can invite a friend to share the dread with. The procedurally generated worlds can be edited as well to an extent, making each experience unique and fun for every playthrough.
6) The Long Dark
Moving away from the underwater exploration, The Long Dark takes us to a frozen, post-apocalyptic wasteland where loneliness is the biggest enemy. Despite the departure from the underwater world, The Long Dark shares a lot of survival aspects with Subnautica, albeit with new challenges in a frozen land instead.
The Long Dark is set in the harsh winters of the Canadian wilderness after the world was turned upside down as a result of a series of geomagnetic storms ravaging the land. These storms have hit major locations all over the world and it is up to you, a lonely pilot who crashes here, to survive the wilderness and find out a way to escape this hell.
The game has four difficulty levels and a survival mode for players willing to test their limits. The Long Dark is equally as beautiful as it is unforgiving, but it is a unique experience for sure.
5) Grounded
Switching gears and biomes once more, we had to a more modern entry in Grounded. While this is not an underwater exploration world, the game does share some aspects with Subnautica. Firstly, you are literally a tiny speck of life in a world filled with oversized beasts that want to kill you any chance they get. Secondly, the sense of dread you gain in this game is just as palpable, if not more than Subnautica.
You will still have to collect resources to survive, which is another similarity between the games, although they are a little bit different here. You need fiber instead of wood and you can collect drinking water from dew drops. The giant bugs and animals in Grounded are the substitutes for nautical dangers like sharks.
While the game is finally out of early access, it will still be updated, so it is worth keeping an eye on for more features to come.
4) Sunless Sea
After the unfamiliar environments, we now head back to the sea for more terror and adventure. Although this sea is not like the one we are familiar with in Subnautica. We head down to the Unterzee, which is an underground ocean, as the captain of a steamship working your way up the ranks to achieve the dream of your choosing.
As you play through the game, you will notice the sense of unsettling dread creeping up on you with every step you take. This is an intended feature of the game as it puts you into a state of alert at all times, never knowing what dangers you could encounter in the Unterzee. Slowly work your way with easy jobs at the start, venturing carefully into the deeper Zee while you learn about this world.
Maintaining your health and sanity is key to surviving the game with its roguelite elements. The expansion of the game adds a DLC which gives you access to a Zubmarine, allowing you to explore the depths as well. This is undoubtedly a good DLC to get if you wish to get the full Sunless Sea experience.
3) No Man’s Sky
From the depths of the sea, we take to the skies and then head off into outer space with No Man’s Sky. This procedurally generated open-world game puts you into the shoes of an interplanetary vessel capable of conquering and colonizing other worlds, dealing with the challenges that come along as well.
While the game had one of the more disastrous starts at launch, it has been somewhat of a redemption story for No Man’s Sky in the last few months. The latest updates have added a lot more to the game, including several quality-of-life changes and the addition of home bases. The number of worlds you can explore is truly limitless thanks to its procedural-generating aspects.
While the game might be lacking some thrills, it is another unique experience we encourage players to try if exploring unique galaxies is your thing.
2) ARK: Survival Evolved
This entry might be the strangest one on this list because ARK: Survival Evolved has possibly the least in common with Subnautica compared to the other games here. The similarities between the two games show themselves when you gain access to the expansion packs that were released relatively recently.
The latest expansions allow you to explore underwater and battle the dangers of the sea. There is also an underground realm that was introduced in the Aberration expansion to add to the sense of adventure and dread. A lot of the horrors you see in this expansion might seem quite familiar to players of Subnautica.
On your journey, you can also tame several beasts to aid you in your journey, ensuring you are never truly alone in this world.
1) Raft
The final game in this list bears the most similarity to Subnautica and Raft shows you exactly why that is. You are left stranded in the vast ocean with only a raft to your name. You need to paddle your way through the world looking for food and resources that will help you survive the harsh challenges this game has to offer.
Be careful as you trudge through this world because dangers are afoot around every corner. Sharks are the immediate threat while there are some more subtle dangers that we encourage you to find out as you play through the game. Head to different islands to scavenge for resources and improve your raft so you can progress further.
If the game seems too challenging at first, you can always bring your friends along via the multiplayer features. While it does become easier to survive as a group, you will need even more resources to pull through, making balancing the game a tad harder in return.
