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25 Amazing Games Like Subnautica in 2024
March 23rd, 2024 - By Steve Chang

If Subnautica captivated you, there are numerous similar games ready to enthrall you even more.

Looking for an immersive, underwater survival adventure filled with both awe and dread? Then Subnautica might just be the game you've been searching for. Developed and published by Unknown Worlds Entertainment, this open-world game places you in the middle of an alien ocean world after your spaceship, the Aurora, crashes. With immersive gameplay, you'll need to drill, collect, construct, and dive to survive on an uncharted underwater planet, discovering all sorts of interesting and deadly marine life along the way. As the story unfolds, you'll uncover the secrets of the planet and find what's left of the Aurora's tragic fate.

Subnautica is known for its detailed aquatic environments, intuitive crafting system, an exciting storyline, and suspenseful atmosphere. But, if you're thirsting for similar experiences once you've dried off from Subnautica's watery depths, I'm glad to say there's a whole sea of comparable games waiting for you. Whether it's the thrill of survival or the call of adventure and discovery you crave, these games will challenge you to fully immerse yourself in alien ecosystems, survival techniques, and resource management. Stay tuned, explorer...


25. No Man's Sky

No Man's Sky shares many gameplay elements with Subnautica, as both games focus heavily on exploration and the anticipation of discovering the unknown. They allow you to be true explorers, pushing you to unearth and understand the workings of strange new worlds while battling for survival. In both games, you gather resources from the environment to craft tools, structures, and vehicles that aid your progression. The underlying theme of survival forges a path for you, the player, to keep engaging with the environment's potential dangers and rewards.

Similar to Subnautica's vibrant, diverse undersea environments, No Man's Sky offers procedurally generated planets full of unique flora and fauna. This feature provides an unpredictable and exciting gaming experience as no two planets are exactly the same, just as no two dive sites are alike in Subnautica. Additionally, the sense of isolation and the overall tone in both games are quite similar. In Subnautica, you are a lone survivor in an ocean planet, whereas in No Man's Sky, you are a solitary explorer charting the vast reaches of space. The narrative in both games is mainly pieced together through exploration and environmental storytelling, making uncovering secrets an integral part of the adventure.

No Man's Sky is available on Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC, typically priced around $60 USD.

24. The Forest

If you loved the unique survival gameplay of Subnautica, you'll certainly find joy in playing The Forest. Similar to Subnautica, in The Forest, you start off as the sole survivor of a plane crash, stranded in an unfamiliar wilderness instead of an alien ocean. But instead of gathering resources and crafting tools underwater, you'll be doing it within a dense, looming forest that’s just teeming with life, including eerie humanoid creatures that you need to fend off to stay alive. Building makeshift shelters, finding food and water, and crafting weapons for self-defense are integral parts of the gameplay.

Also, just like Subnautica, The Forest places a huge emphasis on exploration, immersion, and atmosphere. The game offers a day-night cycle that truly enlivens the sheer uncertainty and fear of surviving in the wild. The survival mechanics are realistic - building a fire, setting up traps - elements you’d likely have to do in a real survival situation. There's even an intricate network of dark caverns and underground lakes, very similar to Subnautica's deep-sea exploration. The game continuously keeps you on edge as its storytelling is gradual and cleverly unfolds as you explore more of the forest.

The Forest is available on Windows, PlayStation 4, and VR platforms, typically priced around $20 USD.

23. Stranded Deep

If you enjoyed the first-person survival and exploration elements of Subnautica, then you'll definitely get a kick out of Stranded Deep. Much like Subnautica, the game drops you into an immersive open-world environment with realistic day-night cycles and weather conditions. The primary focus of both games is survival - you'll need to find and gather raw materials, fashion various tools and equipment, and build shelters to survive. However, Stranded Deep sets itself on a deserted Pacific island and the surrounding ocean, which provides a different though equally challenging and engaging setting.

Both games simulate realistic consequences in an uncharted environment, but each has its unique thrills. The use of crafting in Stranded Deep draws close comparison with Subnautica, fusing elements of survival with base-building mechanics to create a thrilling experience. The underwater exploration factor featured prominently in Subnautica is also seen in Stranded Deep, but with more emphasis on land exploration and rafting. Monstrous creatures such as whales and sharks are replaced by snakes, boars, and sharks. The overall tone of mystery and allure remains, making Stranded Deep a great successor for those who loved Subnautica.

Stranded Deep is available on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, typically priced around $20 USD.

22. Abzu

If you enjoyed the deep-sea exploration aspects of Subnautica, you'll definitely find a similar vibe in Abzu. Just like Subnautica, Abzu gives you the freedom to discover a rich, aquatic world with an overall serene atmosphere. While Subnautica combines elements of survival with discovery, Abzu focuses more on the exploration and puzzle-solving aspects. Both games heavily emphasize a profound connection with aquatic life, and Abzu portrays this with sublime artistry. The vibrant colors and unique marine ecosystems are so captivating that they draw you into the environment, just as Subnautica does.

Moreover, both games push the boundary of storytelling in a way you might not expect from a video game. Subnautica's story slowly unfolds as you delve deeper into the ocean, gleaning information about the world from what you find. On the other hand, Abzu delivers a wordless narrative that is revealed primarily through the environment and your interactions with sea creatures. The lack of spoken dialogue or text enhances the immersive and meditative feel of the game, much like the isolation you experience in Subnautica. Anime-inspired graphics in Abzu deliver a visually striking edge while evoking a mystical aura, much like the alien undersea landscapes you explored in Subnautica.

ABZÛ is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, typically priced around $19.99 USD.

21. Soma

Both Soma and Subnautica share a very particular similarity: they are both survival games that take place under the water, offering you breath-taking yet haunting underwater landscapes that you'll need to navigate through carefully. In Subnautica, you're on an alien planet's ocean, trying to survive the flora and fauna while exploring shipwrecks and underwater caves. Meanwhile, in Soma, you're in an underwater research facility gone wrong on a future Earth. The premise might be different, but the feeling of exploring, foraging for supplies and surviving against the unknown that lies in the deep is key to both games. In addition, both games put a strong emphasis on story, making you caring not just for surviving but also unraveling the mystery of the place you're in.

Another common facet of Soma and Subnautica is their approach to horror. Both games evoke a specific kind of dread - not just from dangerous creatures that dwell in the deep but also from the sheer vastness and unknown of the ocean itself. You're often alone, with only your thoughts and the eerie, yet beautiful underwater environments for company. While Subnautica's horror is more about survival and the unknown perils of an alien world's ocean, Soma leans more towards psychological and existential dread, making you question what it truly means to be human. Despite their different approaches to horror, both games manage to create a chilling, tension-filled underwater experience that will surely pull you in.

Soma is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, typically priced around $29.99 USD.

20. Ark: Survival Evolved

Ah, if you're a fan of games like Subnautica, you're bound to love Ark: Survival Evolved. Much like Subnautica, it's a survival game but instead of an alien underwater setting, Ark places you in a world filled with dinosaurs. It truly captures that immersive sandbox survival essence just as Subnautica does. In Ark, you're stranded, naked, freezing, and starving on the shores of a mysterious island called ARK, you'll have to hunt, harvest resources, craft items, grow crops, research technologies, and build shelters to withstand the harsh elements.

Ark: Survival Evolved has a significant focus on base building, resource gathering, and crafting, similar to Subnautica. However, Your domesticated creatures can also level up and have inventory systems. Both games implement a fear factor that makes them uniquely thrilling: whereas Subnautica's spooky ocean depths keep you on your toes, in Ark, it's the gigantic dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures roaming around which could threaten your survival at any moment. It's a perfect combination of terror, thrill, and excitement, bound to keep you on the edge of your seat just like Subnautica does.

Ark: Survival Evolved is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux, typically priced around $55 USD.

19. Raft

Raft, much like Subnautica, is a stunning survival game that's mainly centred in an aquatic environment, offering a unique blend of building, crafting, and exploration. In Raft, just as in Subnautica, you wake up stranded and with few resources, but instead of scattered islands or vast underwater caves, you find yourself on a small raft in the middle of an endless ocean. Both games require you to collect resources from your ever-dangerous surroundings and use them to craft survival gear, grow your own food, and eventually expand your humble raft into a sprawling sea base.

Just as Subnautica had players delving deep into the ocean to uncover its secrets, Raft encourages exploration both high above and below the sea surface, with lost civilizations to uncover and many underwater creatures to fend off. What's more, both games feature an engaging narrative to follow, with the player's survival journey introducing many unexpected developments and deep lore. With the added benefit of multiplayer options, Raft brings a new social aspect that was not present in Subnautica, letting you and your friends pool your survival skills and creativity for a truly immersive experience.

Raft is available on Steam, typically priced around $20 USD.

18. Astroneer

Astroneer, like Subnautica, introduces you to an immersive world of resource gathering, exploration and survival mechanics. However, instead of exploring the untouched depths of an alien ocean like in Subnautica, you're given an entire solar system to explore. The planets are procedurally generated, boasting beautifully stylized graphics which captures the limitless allure of outer space. In both titles, you are not only focusing on survival, but you’re also constantly tasked with building and improving your base, research new technologies, and managing your resources efficiently.

While Subnautica has a certain level of linear storyline, Astroneer opts for a more sandbox-style approach to storytelling which offers much more freedom. One of the unique similarities they share, is the tranquility that is aimed to soothe gamers during their exploration journeys. Both games feature a fantastic approach to environment design, with meticulously crafted biomes and atmospheres that offer a sense of isolation and serene calm. This is complemented by excellent ambient soundtracks that seamlessly flow into the gameplay. The main difference though — instead of battling with underwater creatures, in Astroneer you are fighting with sudden sandstorms, low oxygen and solar panel efficiency that keeps you on your toes.

Astroneer is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, typically priced around $29.99 USD.

17. The Long Dark

The Long Dark shares a lot of the survival genre elements you'd find in Subnautica. Like the oceanic survival adventure, The Long Dark takes you through a realistic survival simulation, this time based in the frozen wilderness instead of a water world. Both games present a hostile environment, where managing your resources, health and energy is a crucial part of surviving. Food and water are sparse, temperatures are extreme, and you need to take seriously the threats that the wilderness poses, creating a truly immersive survival experience.

Apart from the survival aspects, exploration is another big common point between The Long Dark and Subnautica. In Subnautica, you're encouraged to delve deeper into the ocean, uncover new resources, and discover the game's lore. The Long Dark offers similar incentives for exploration in its massive open-world setting. The story mode, WINTERMUTE, offers an episodic narrative that uncovers the mystery behind the Quiet Apocalypse, somewhat echoing the story discovery you enjoyed in Subnautica.

The Long Dark is available on various platforms including PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, typically priced around $30 USD.

16. Firewatch

Firewatch, like Subnautica, is a first-person exploration game that greatly emphasizes solitude, discovery, and narrative. Both games revolve around a singular protagonist trying to survive in a hostile yet breathtakingly beautiful environment. In Subnautica, it is a dangerous, alien water planet rich in underwater life, while in Firewatch, it's the sweeping landscapes and secluded feeling of the Wyoming wilderness, serving as a backdrop to an unfolding mystery that you need to solve. The isolated environments in both games encourage the player to explore and interact with the world around them, driving the story forward.

Just as Subnautica keeps you hooked with its excellently crafted storyline, fear of the unknown, and engrossing survival gameplay, Firewatch does much the same but in a different genre. Much like how you can document wildlife and scavenge for materials in Subnautica, Firewatch features similar mechanics like exploring your surroundings, finding and using items, interacting with the environment, and unraveling the story piece by piece as you navigate through the stunningly beautiful Wyoming wilderness. Additionally, both games excel in their narrative performances, crafting memorable characters through excellent voice acting coupled with well-written dialogues, making your journey throughout the game an immersive and emotional ride.

Firewatch is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC, typically priced around $20 USD.

15. Green Hell

Green Hell, like Subnautica, is a gripping and difficult game of survival, throwing you into desperate circumstances with minimal resources. You're thrust into the Amazon Rainforest in Green Hell, instead of the alien underwater world of Subnautica, and left to fend for yourself within its dense vegetation, dangerous wildlife, and hostile conditions. Much like in Subnautica, Green Hell focuses heavily on resource management and crafting, while also integrating elements of psychology as you tackle mental health, along with physical health. This adds an extra layer of realism to the gameplay and makes survival all the more challenging and rewarding.

The exploration element present in Subnautica is also a key feature in Green Hell, offering a rich environment filled with dangers, mysteries and resources to discover. The consequence of your every action is crucial - every creature you encounter, every item you inspect, and every step you take could mean the difference between life and death. This creates an engaging, tense, and immersive atmosphere similar to that of exploring the crushing depths in Subnautica. With Green Hell's complex mechanics, realistic survivals aspects, and intricate environmental interactions, it certainly feels close to playing Subnautica but in a unique and distinctive setting.

Green Hell is available on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, typically priced around $25 USD.

14. Minecraft

Both Minecraft and Subnautica are open-world, sandbox games that allow you to test your survival skills with unlimited creativity. Each game presents a unique environment to explore, with blocks in Minecraft quite akin to resources in Subnautica. Both centre around gathering materials from your surroundings, enabling you to construct incredible buildings or vital survival equipment. From shipwrecks in Subnautica to deep caverns in Minecraft, the level of exploration available in both is genuinely astounding, with each discovery posing its own set of challenges and rewards.

Minecraft also shares Subnautica's emphasis on survival against environmental factors and creatures. This introduces an element of risk that can result in thrilling encounters with sinister characters lurking in the darkness. In Minecraft however, you have tremendous freedom; you can manipulate virtually every aspect of the world around you just as you can transform the alien ocean floor in Subnautica. Both encourage imaginative problem-solving and architectural ingenuity, offering unique adventures that change each time you play.

Minecraft is available on various platforms, including PC, Microsoft's Xbox consoles, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices, typically priced around $20 USD.

13. Conan Exiles

If you loved the survival and crafting elements of Subnautica, Conan Exiles offers a similar experience, albeit in a drastically different setting. Instead of the eerie, underwater exploration of Subnautica, Conan Exiles transports you to the rugged landscapes of the Hyborian Age, featuring open-world survival mechanics combined with building and management aspects. Much like Subnautica, Conan Exiles provokes a great sense of discovery and wonder as you explore the diverse and challenging environments, each offering unique resources for crafting and for building your camp or stronghold.

Conan Exiles excels at providing a genuine survival experience by adding elements of threats, not just from the environment, unseen dangers and wild creatures, but also from other players in the multiplayer mode. Similar to Subnautica's sense of isolation and ceaseless wariness, Conan Exiles demands constant vigilance and survival strategy to thrive in the harsh, enemy-filled world. The game also claims a rich storyline and lore that lends it even more depth, much like Subnautica's compelling deep-sea mystery that kept you engaged till the very end. Both games balance exploration, survival and crafting in a stimulating blend that keeps the gameplay intriguing and engaging.

Conan Exiles is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows platforms, typically priced around $39.99 USD.

12. Empyrion: Galactic Survival

Empyrion: Galactic Survival and Subnautica share a comparable premise: survival in an alien environment, and both games excel in offering this experience. Empyrion, much like Subnautica, will offer an expansive, immersive world with hauntingly beautiful yet treacherous conditions. Instead of a vast ocean planet, Empyrion sets you loose in a colossal interstellar expanse where you'll contend with foreign planets filled with diverse flora and fauna - and not all of them friendly. Similar to Subnautica, you'll start alone and ill-equipped, compelling you to mine resources, craft equipment, terraform your surroundings, and construct everything from basic necessities to your own spaceship and interstellar base, making crafting and base-building an immensely satisfying and central part of the game.

A compelling part of Subnautica was the drive to explore deeper, to unravel the mysteries of the ocean planet. Empyrion: Galactic Survival follows suit, with each planet and solar system carrying its own unique set of challenges and secrets waiting to be discovered. Dynamic storytelling keeps the gameplay visceral and engaging, and the thrill of constant survival against environmental factors, hostile lifeforms, and potentially even other players if you choose to play online - gives the player an invigorating sense of challenge and purpose. The game's physics-based flight model adds depth to the space exploration component, reminiscent of the different seamoth submarines you can pilot in Subnautica.

Empyrion: Galactic Survival is available on platforms like Steam for Windows, typically priced around $20 USD.

11. Rust

Just like Subnautica, Rust offers the thrill of survival against harsh environments and hostile beings, though this time you'll be against both nature and other players rather than just aquatic creatures. Rust is incredibly immersive in its readiness to toss you into the wilds with little more than a rock and a torch, requiring you to hunt wildlife, gather resources, and build shelters just to stay alive. Both games have a heavy focus on crafting, so if you enjoyed piecing together equipment and bases in Subnautica, you'll get a real kick out of Rust.

As you survive and expand in Rust's wilds, you'll experience a level of tension and excitement akin to exploring Subnautica's exotic underwater landscapes. While Subnautica may be set beneath the waves, it shares Rust's sense of exploration and the sometimes terrifying reality of encountering uncharted territories and unknown dangers. The unpredictability of other players can often make Rust even more thrilling, as you interact with or stand against fellow survivors, providing a social layer Subnautica often lacks.

Rust is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, typically priced around $40 USD.

10. The Solus Project

Comparing The Solus Project and Subnautica, both games offer an exciting blend of exploration, survival, and mystery that make them each such an engaging experience. In both games, you find yourself castaway in an alien world following a disaster, with your primary objectives being surviving in this new world and eventually finding a way home. In each game, you'll explore diverse landscapes, manage important resources, and discover hints about the world's former or existing inhabitants. The alien structures and artifacts you'll find not only provide excellent environmental storytelling, but they also can serve as vital resources or landmarks. The Solus Project, like Subnautica, is full of these fascinating alien relics and mysterious ancient structures you'll stumble upon while exploring the unknown world.

The immersion of both games is also worth noting. They create effective survival mechanics that will directly impact your gameplay and the story's progression as you explore your surroundings. You will feel entirely engrossed in both games as you'll have to consider harsh weather conditions, your character's hunger and thirst levels, sleep deprivation and more. The underwater exploration in Subnautica makes for thrilling gameplay as you dive deeper into the ocean and encounter various sea creatures, similar to the diverse alien fauna and flora you'll find on the foreign planet in The Solus Project. Both games blend these survival aspects with their exploration mechanics seamlessly, making for very memorable gaming experiences.

The Solus Project is available on Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 platforms, typically priced around $20 USD.

9. Planet Nomads

Planet Nomads is quite similar to Subnautica in terms of its exploration, survival, and crafting mechanics. Like Subnautica, Planet Nomads has an open-world environment that you can explore freely. It paints a vibrant and challenging survival landscape, with exotic lifeforms, buried treasures, and terrifying creatures that add to the adrenaline-rushing experience of the game. There's a degree of robustness in its crafting system reminiscent of Subnautica, allowing you to create various buildings, vehicles, and tools necessary for survival amidst the gorgeous, but harsh extra-terrestrial environments.

Another noteworthy similarity is the combination of story elements with survival gameplay. Planet Nomads also adds an intriguing narrative that operates as a backbone to your exploration and survival endeavors, very much like Subnautica. The game uses enigmatic signals to guide you and to reveal snippets of why you crashed on the planet in the first place. The sense of isolation, combined with the fascinating sci-fi elements and the task to survive in a completely alien environment, gives a thrilling experience similar to what Subnautica offers.

Planet Nomads is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms, typically priced around $20 USD.

8. Osiris: New Dawn

Osiris: New Dawn and Subnautica share a similar exciting premise of survival and discovery in an open-world setting. Much like Subnautica, Osiris: New Dawn maroons you on an alien planet, encouraging exploration and resource gathering in order to survive. The game features a variety of dynamic weather conditions, dangerous alien wildlife, and beautiful landscapes that rivals the alien underwater vistas of Subnautica. Furthermore, the base building aspect of Osiris: New Dawn is more sophisticated, allowing you to craft buildings and vehicles from a range of materials, creating a tangible sense of progression and personal accomplishment.

What makes Osiris: New Dawn a great companion piece to Subnautica is the focus on both single and multiplayer, offering a way for you and your friends to work together to build and survive. You can form alliances and build colonies together, adding a fresh social element that Subnautica's primarily solo journey doesn't provide. The game also has a potent mix of both first and third-person combat against all sorts of alien creatures, adding a distinct edge of danger and excitement to your exploration and base-building endeavors. The thrill of charting unknown territories as you unravel the game's mysteries is an experience any Subnautica fan will surely appreciate.

Osiris: New Dawn is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, typically priced around $24.99 USD.

7. The Last Leviathan

If you enjoyed the exploration and survival aspect of Subnautica, then "The Last Leviathan" will surely appeal to you. Just like Subnautica, it offers an open-world experience, but this time set in a vast, procedurally generated ocean world. Here, building and designing your ship becomes an important part of the gameplay — not just for exploration, but also for combat. You craft your vessel piece by piece, making sure it'll survive not only the harshest of seas, but also the deadly sea monsters and enemy ships that roam this world. The painstaking ship-building that "The Last Leviathan" offers adds an additional layer of depth to Subnautica's survival-crafting genre.

The water-centric environment of The Last Leviathan is just as breathtaking as in Subnautica's fantastical alien oceans. The realistic physics and beautiful water visuals create an immersive atmosphere that really brings the game's world to life. And just like Subnautica, the sense of wonder and mystery pervades the game's world as you encounter leviathans in the deep, adding a subtle layer of horror. It also shares Subnautica's sandbox nature, encouraging experimentation and player-driven exploration. Whether you want it to be a peaceful seafaring journey or a brutal naval warfare game is left entirely to your choice.

The Last Leviathan is available on Steam, typically priced around $9.99 USD.

6. Terraria

Terraria and Subnautica share a lot of cool features, so if you enjoyed Subnautica, you'll find a lot that's familiar but also excitingly different in Terraria. Both games have a strong emphasis on exploration, resource gathering, and crafting. Like the vast alien oceans of Subnautica, Terraria offers its own impressive diversity with its procedurally generated terrains. You'll uncover deep forests, crisp snowy fields, scorching deserts, treacherous caverns, and even ominous dungeons teeming with unique loot, enemies, and secret areas to discover. Unlike Subnautica's deeper emphasis on survival, Terraria leans more towards combat and adventure, but retains the need to craft gear and construct safe havens, adding a rewarding sense of progression.

Something else you'll find similar between Subnautica and Terraria is the feeling of a dynamic, living world. Terraria features an interactive ecosystem where monsters react to player activities, the environment, and one another. Nights become more dangerous as they fill with menacing creatures, while the landscape itself can change over time due to events like meteor showers or the spread of corruption. The game also offers multiplayer options, allowing for cooperative play in tackling the world's dangers, opening up even more fun and challenge as you share the experience with friends. The vibrant pixel art style and catchy music in Terraria brings an extra layer of charm that complements its intricate gameplay nicely.

Terraria is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile devices, typically priced around $10 USD.

5. Among Trees

Among Trees, much like Subnautica, immerses you into a richly detailed, vibrant open-world environment that brings exploration and survival to the forefront of your gaming experience. You'll find yourself in a rustic woodland setting, compared to Subnautica's underwater world, but the basis remains the same - gather resources, build and upgrade your home, and survive. Both games beautifully combine environmental exploration with crafting mechanics, creating engaging gameplay that captivates your sense of wonder and adventure. If you loved Subnautica's visually striking design and attention to environmental detail, you are bound to appreciate Among Trees' lush forests, tranquil rivers, and dramatic weather changes.

Like Subnautica, Among Trees demands strategic planning and decision-making. You'll need to manage your hunger, sleep, and safety while exploring and expanding your base. Both games instill a sense of alone-ness, albeit without compromising on the mystical allure of the environments. In Subnautica, the depth of the ocean and its unknown threats kept you on edge; in Among Trees, it's the dense woods and what might be hiding among them that maintains the thrill. If you fell in love with the somber yet exciting complexities of Subnautica, then Among Trees' similar atmosphere will hold you in its grip.

Among Trees is available on the Epic Games Store for PC, typically priced around $20 USD.

4. The Outer Wilds

Think about taking the thrill and intrigue of Subnautica's underwater exploration, then translating that into a wildly engaging journey throughout an entire alien solar system. That's what Outer Wilds brings to the table. Much like Subnautica, Outer Wilds is a game about exploration and survival, but instead of being limited to the depths, your playground is the vast expanse of space. You're exploring different planets with a variety of environments and challenges, unraveling the secrets of a long-gone civilization, dodging black holes and supernovas, and all these are under the same real-time, physics-based exploration system you loved from Subnautica.

Another similarity between Subnautica and Outer Wilds is the way the storyline gently unfolds as you delve further into the game. There's no traditional storytelling or direction-giving, just environmental context and exploration, meaning you'll uncover the narrative at your own pace and in your own way, leading to that same sense of satisfaction and accomplishment you experienced in your underwater odyssey. The worlds in Outer Wilds are beautifully designed and full of unique surprises, bound to keep you as engaged and enthusiastic as you investigate the different planets as you felt descending into the abyss in Subnautica.

Outer Wilds is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, typically priced around $25 USD.

3. Journey to the Savage Planet

If you enjoyed Subnautica, there's a high chance that you'll find Journey to the Savage Planet equally engaging. Much like Subnautica, Journey to the Savage Planet is a survival adventure game that tosses you onto an alien world and presents you with the task of exploring and surviving. Both games have a strong emphasis on exploration, finding resources, and environment interaction. While in Subnautica, you discover underwater caves and dangerous sea creatures, Journey to the Savage Planet will have you exploring alien flora and fauna and experiment with new ecosystems. Both games demand you to strategize and use your resources wisely to progress. In both, you start with almost nothing and slowly create technology breakthroughs to survive better and solve the planet's mysteries.

The vibrant art style and humor-filled narration of Journey to the Savage Planet might seem very different from Subnautica's suspenseful and mysterious environment. Still, both games share the sense of thrill, adventure, and discovery. They keep you hooked with their immersive plots where every advancement opens up an exciting possibility. Whether it's the unknown of the deep sea in Subnautica or the undisclosed alien world in Journey to the Savage Planet, they both provide a rewarding sense of progression and survival triumph. If you loved being left to your own devices in alien environments in Subnautica, you will enjoy this game.

Journey to the Savage Planet is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo Switch, typically priced around $30 USD.

2. Scrap Mechanic

Scrap Mechanic is an open-world game that offers a unique experience similar to Subnautica. Both games provide players with vast exploration opportunities and have an emphasis on building to help navigate the world. In Scrap Mechanic, your primary task is building and modifying your machine to make it suit your needs which is very similar to the base-building aspect of Subnautica. Also, both of the games offer a survival mode that challenges the player's resourcefulness and creativity as they try to endure and survive on a strange, alien landscape.

Furthermore, both Subnautica and Scrap Mechanic share a fantastic sense of wonder as well a deep level of immersion. They combine exploration, crafting, and survival elements in a way that feels seamless. You never know what's around the corner or what you might find by experimenting with different structures and mechanisms. The worlds are beautifully crafted, full of vibrant environments, overwhelming challenges, and intricate puzzles. Thus, you are likely to feel the same thrill and joy while playing Scrap Mechanic as you felt with Subnautica.

Scrap Mechanic is available on platforms like PC on Steam, typically priced around $20 USD.

1. Below Zero

Below Zero, like Subnautica, offers an incredible undersea adventure that really immerses the player in an expansive underwater environment. It is developed by the same company, Unknown Worlds Entertainment, and is considered a stand-alone expansion to Subnautica. This means that although Below Zero presents a new narrative and separate environment, it wonderfully echoes the original game experience, providing more of the stunning aquatic landscapes, unique species, and survival mechanics that fans of the original Subnautica know and love. Just like Subnautica, Below Zero challenges you to survive in an alien underwater world, all the while exploring, experimenting, and solving the mysteries of the planet.

What sets Below Zero apart yet still confines it within the Subnautica universe, is the incorporation of an icy, harsh and unrelenting surface environment. The ability to explore both the cold barren surface and the glowing depths of the ocean, provides a unique blend of survival elements and gives Below Zero an exciting edge. The game also adds new mechanics such as weather conditions, and a more detailed story - giving you a fresh but familiar adventure. Unknown Worlds Entertainment has enriched the familiar gameplay with new biomes, creatures and tech, which means there's a lot to discover for returning Subnautica players.

Subnautica: Below Zero is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, typically priced around $30 USD.

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