Underwater games can be both calming and surprising – whether it's relaxing and swimming with pretty fish, or facing untold terrors in the dark depths. There is an abundance of video games that breifly have underwater segments, but only a handful that take place entirely underwater.

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Being able to scuba dive, be a mermaid, build underwater bases, and uncover sunken wrecks are just some of the reasons to play the games below. Here are the absolute best games set below the waves.

Updated on May 6, 2023, by Dennis Moiseyev: The underwater theme in games has the power to evoke a pleasant soothing atmosphere or a terrifyingly stressful one. Whether you admire the ocean and wish to get lost in exploring the marine life it hosts or are feeling more in the mood for some survival horror below the ocean surface, we've updated this list with some of the newest underwater titles that fulfill either experience.

23 Surviving The Abyss

Surviving The Abyss: Building Mining Relays On Mineral Deposits
  • Platforms: PC

An underwater city-builder game that's in early access on Steam is Surviving the Abyss, but here you'll actually be building a secret scientific facility to conduct experiments on cloning. It's also amidst the Cold War era of 1976 and has an incredibly spooky deep ocean atmosphere. Think Soma, but you're the one constructing Pathos-II called the Overseer.

As in the name, base management and crew survival is a big part of the game. You'll need to be in charge of ensuring there's enough food, oxygen, fuel, and power for the facility. Because if the lights go out, and you're in total darkness, there's potentially something out there in the water looking to cause some trouble.

22 Depth

Depth: Diver Fighting Off Shark With Machine Gun
  • Platforms: PC

Depth is a first-person shooter asymmetrical multiplayer game reminiscent of Dead by Daylight if the latter was always underwater and the killer was the iconic shark from Jaws. In this one, you can either be a part of a team of divers hunting for treasure in the ocean depths or the hungry sharks looking for a feast.

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The game offers a selection of game modes and seven different shark species, including a Great White, Tiger, Hammerhead shark, and the colossal Megalodon. In one such mode, your treasure extraction tool S.T.E.V.E. needs to safely get to the surface before the sharks can do anything about it. And you will die trying — a lot.

21 Maneater

Maneater: Human Grabbed By The Shark
  • Platforms: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch

Maneater comes from the developers of Killing Floor, and it's the nostalgia of the early 2010s mobile games like Hungry Shark and Hungry Shark Evolution on a much larger RPG open ocean scale. The game features several quests tied to different underwater locations and a main narrative of a shark's revenge for a hunter who killed its family.

Playing as a bull shark, you'll swim and eat a diet of other smaller aquatic life and human prey hunting you on boats in order to level up and grow, sometimes needing to bring the fight above the surface. The story is told through cutscenes and narration from actor Chris Parnell, who plays Cyril Figgis in Archer and Jerry Smith in Rick and Morty.

20 Beyond Blue

Mirai from Beyond Blue swimming in the ocean with whales and fish
  • Platforms: PC, Apple Arcade, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch

If you're looking for a less hectic and fully immersive experience within the deep blue sea, look no further than Beyond Blue. It's a game solely about exploring and documenting ocean life and one of the most stunning and realistic underwater adventures you'll see. And it's also made by the same developers of Never Alone.

There is a bit of narrative going along with it, where you also have branching choices in your responses, but the primary loop is to dive, swim, and scan new marine animals. And you even have photo mode to capture some beautiful moments of these lifelike creatures in action.

19 Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver Dave firing harpoon at large fish
  • Platforms: PC

It doesn't get more humorous and wondrous than Dave the Diver in terms of underwater exploration. Also in early access, this game has an extremely gorgeous 2D/3D art style with pixel art graphics and is part managing a sushi restaurant on land, part diving into a vast ocean environment called the Blue Hole.

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Armed with a harpoon gun and other weapons, Dave is sent out on diving missions to bring back catches of the day and transform the fish into delectable sushi plates that would have customers coming back. There also lurk some more giant and frightening creatures in these depths, which you must try to steer clear of.

18 We Need To Go Deeper

Three crewmates fighting a sea beast in the submarine in We Need To Go Deeper
  • Platforms: PC

Those looking for an underwater game to play with friends should look no further than We Need to go Deeper. The art style in this game is endearing, and the gameplay is explorative and fun.

This roguelike supports two to four players (human or bot) and features Jules Verne-inspired aesthetics and technology. In the game, you must maintain the submarine's systems, battle sea monsters, and loot across randomized biomes, as well as engage in on-foot adventures. The game also features a dynamic difficulty system for added diversity in gameplay.

17 Depth Hunter 2: Deep Dive

A sunken wreck in Depth Hunter 2: Deep Dive
  • Platforms: PC

Exploring underwater wrecks like planes makes the atmosphere of Depth Hunter 2: Deep Dive lively. The objective of the game is to hunt underwater marine life. You can, however, swim around levels without hunting fish and still find enjoyment.

Exploration is encouraged in Depth Hunter 2: Deep Dive. With a currency system and plenty of underwater tasks to fulfill, it's no wonder why Depth Hunter 2: Deep Dive is considered one of the greatest underwater games. The atmosphere alone makes the game worth playing.

16 Song Of The Deep

submarine-song-of-the-deep
  • Platforms: Xbox, PlayStation, PC

This game has two things going for it that will entice long-time game fans: it's designed with a decidedly Metroidvania style, and it comes from Ratchet & Clank creators. Song of the Deep was released in 2016 and follows a young girl as she tries to find her dad.

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Along with that mystery, she uncovers mysteries of the deep. The backgrounds are lush and detailed and the gameplay is challenging, non-linear, and engaging. Just what fans of a Metroidvania-style game would expect.

15 Aquaria

aquaria gameplay
  • Platforms: PC

In Aquaria, you play as Naija, a mermaid-like creature who swims, sings, and engages in combat. Aquaria can be both relaxing and frustrating at times. This indie game is recommended for people of all ages. Aquaria may remind people of games like Ecco the Dolphin and Rayman Legends.

In Aquaria, it is possible to ride on the back of seahorses for a boost in speed. This side-scrolling adventure takes place entirely underwater. Although not the strongest entry here, Aquaria provides hours of underwater enjoyment.

14 Barotrauma

The exterior of the submarine in the dark, shining a light at a rocky reef structure.
  • Platforms: PC

Barotrauma stands out among other underwater games. The game also features survival horror and sci-fi elements to set it apart from an average submarine manager. The game's Steam page carries the warning: "Help your crew succeed, or make sure no one does."

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With that in mind, you can explore the 2D ship that's totally customizable and requires a crew to operate and maintain it. With it, you can explore the depths of Europa and encounter many terrible beasts on the way. But communication stands at the forefront of this game; each procedurally generated map has missions with multiple modes and the game allows for between two and 16 players on a ship. Take a break from Among Us and try this game.

13 Flow

flow gameplay
  • Platforms: PlayStation, PC

This basic flash game was only available to PC until it was ported to the PlayStation 3. Years later, Flow was released for the PlayStation 4 with an improvement in graphics. Flow is a casual video game that has seven chapters in total.

Swimming through water, you can ingest other aquatic organisms. Thatgamecompany developed Flow; the company is also responsible for the games Journey and Flower. Flow will only take about two hours to complete, so make every second count.

12 Koral

Koral Purple Coral Reef With Octopus
  • Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch

Described as a "love letter to the ocean", Koral shares the same kind of ambiance as Abzu. You can explore the ocean depths with their beautiful colors and organisms, as well as solve puzzles in order to revive coral reefs. Oh, and one dude created the whole game: Carlos Coronado.

This is one game that acknowledges the real-world threat Earth's oceans face and focuses not just on exploration but rebuilding. For a deeper look into the game, you can check out the making of Koral on YouTube right now.

11 Ecco The Dolphin

All of them together in ecco the dolphin for the genesis.
  • Platforms: SEGA Genesis, PC

Like many games of Ecco the Dolphin's era, it has a high level of difficulty. Completing the first level is easy, but after that, the game gets more challenging. Ecco is exposed to harsh underwater environments, as you use echolocation to achieve objectives. With a soundtrack that can be both dramatic and upbeat, Ecco the Dolphin is a joy to play.

While you can pick up Ecco the Dolphin via Steam, the Sega Genesis Mini comes as the preferred way to experience the game. The retro console includes 40 Sega Genesis games including Ecco the Dolphin.

10 BioShock 2

A photo showing cover art for Bioshock 2
  • Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox

In the first sequel to the BioShock series, BioShock 2 has a different approach to the city of Rapture. You play as a Big Daddy, a human being who has had its body grafted into a heavy suit of armor, equipped with an enormous drill and other weapons.

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BioShock 2 may not be the best in the series, yet the game is still one of the best underwater games of all time. It goes to show how high the standards are for the BioShock series. Despite some negative feedback from critics and the community, many enjoy the style of play regardless.

9 Spongebob Squarepants: Battle For Bikini Bottom Rehydrated

Spongebob-Battle-for-Bikini-Bottom-Rehydrated spongebob in front of his house
  • Platforms: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch

The original Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom made a splash over a decade ago, bringing with it surprisingly clean and fun platforming. It had grown to be a community favorite that fans were desperate to play on current consoles. THQ Nordic appeased the crowds with a faithful remake of the beloved game. This Sponge has been rehydrated.

This platforming collectathon sees Spongebob take on Plankton and his robot army while teaming up with friends to gather dirty socks, golden spatulas, and shiny objects. Make your way through Bikini Bottom, Jellyfish Fields, Goo Lagoon, and other favorite spots from the show to take the fight to Plankton in this bright and colorful under-the-sea adventure.

8 Soma

Soma: An Underwater Zeppelin Transport Ship
  • Platforms: PC, Xbox, PlayStation

Soma is no walk in the park. Unlike most other games on this list, Soma is not relaxing. In this one, you will fear for your life, which means that Soma accomplishes its purpose of being a survival-horror game. The base game is chock-full of suspenseful moments and jump scares.

Those of you who live for the surreal, otherworldly horror vibe of titles like Dead Space will likely appreciate Soma, too. There is also a "Safe Mode" to make the game more accessible for players with less robust horror thresholds.

7 Abzu

The Diver swimming under the ocean in Abzu
  • Platforms: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Luna

From the makers of Journey, Abzu is one of the best underwater games that any fan of water and/or exploration games must play. From a difficulty standpoint, Abzu is not that challenging, but continuously moving with the environment makes Abzu a strange sensation.

Abzu is pretty linear, but the beautiful dynamic environments keep Abzu interesting. If you spend time exploring environments rather than focusing on objectives, things can become far less linear. The artwork alone is reason enough to play Abzu, even if the game is short.

6 Subnautica

Subnautica - Underwater With Sea Creatures
  • Platforms: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch

For those trying to understand what Subnautica is about, think of an underwater No Man's Sky set on a single planet. As in that title, you have to search for resources, complete objectives, and build bases. Subnautica was in a preview phase for quite some time, but now that the game is officially released, there are too many reasons to buy Subnautica.

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In Subnautica, you can tackle that latent Thalassophobia from the comfort of your couch or computer chair. For an in-depth underwater experience and endless hours of enjoyment, Subnautica is a top choice.

5 BioShock

BioShock big daddy walking through rapture best pc games of all time
  • Platforms: PC, Xbox, PlayStation

The original BioShock is definitely one of the best underwater games out there. Although the sequel to BioShock is also set underwater, it didn't have an intriguing story like the first, and the controls were clunky at times.

In BioShock, Jack is the player character and the illegitimate son of Andrew Ryan. After Jack's plane crashes near a lighthouse, he is given entry to the underwater city of Rapture where he uncovers a greater plot. BioShock has a horror element that makes this underwater game gripping right up until the very end.

4 Mythic Ocean

mythic ocean
  • Platforms: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch

Mythic Ocean is an underwater adventure game, which tasks you with befriending gods that live in the ocean and helping them make the right choice. Of course, you can also influence these gods to make the wrong choice; it's all up to you!

Unlike many other games on our list, there is no combat or death. The main focus in Mythic Quest is influencing gods, which can prove to be quite a challenge at times.