- Quick Summary: With the new Subnautica 2 in early access, interest in atmospheric survival and exploration games is bigger than ever. With that, here are the best games like Subnautica that you can enjoy, including SOMA, Outer Wilds, and Raft, which deliver the same immersive experiences.
Subnautica is one of the most beloved survival games ever made, blending underwater exploration, crafting, base building, and environmental storytelling into a unique experience. It captures a rare sense of adventure that feels relaxing, mysterious, and terrifying all at once. One moment, you're peacefully gathering resources among glowing coral reefs; the next, you're descending into pitch-black waters with no idea what lurks below.
With Subnautica 2 now officially entering early access, you may be searching for games that offer a similar sense of isolation, discovery, and progression. While no title fully recreates Subnautica’s distinctive underwater sci-fi atmosphere, several games come surprisingly close by capturing different aspects of what makes it so special.
Best Games Like Subnautica
If you are leaning into survival and crafting, these games capture many of the same emotions that made Subnautica unforgettable.
SOMA
Looking for the darker and more mysterious side of Subnautica? SOMA is probably the closest emotional match on this list, but with more of a narrative focus and that leans heavily into psychological horror, and the atmosphere feels strikingly familiar.
SOMA will take you inside a crumbling underwater research facility, which constantly creates an uneasy feeling of isolation. The ocean outside feels endless and hostile, while the abandoned corridors inside slowly reveal disturbing truths about humanity, consciousness, and survival itself.
Outer Wilds
If you love the thrill of discovery, then Outer Wilds is the perfect alternative choice. Set in a miniature solar system filled with ancient ruins, strange planets, and hidden secrets, the game constantly rewards curiosity and exploration.
Outer Wilds delivers an incredible sense of atmosphere, mystery, and exploration-driven gameplay. Rather than relying on traditional progression systems, you'll spend your time experimenting, observing your surroundings, and slowly uncovering how the universe works.
Simply put, every clue leads naturally to another mystery, creating a satisfying chain of discoveries that keeps pulling you deeper into the adventure.
Raft
Imagine being stranded in the middle of the ocean with almost nothing except a tiny floating raft and a plastic hook. Raft offers this — just pure survival gameplay where you will start your journey gathering floating debris, building new equipment, improving your raft, and slowly pushing further into the unknown.
In Raft, you will enjoy peaceful movements but with a constant sense of danger. Calm stretches of ocean exploration can quickly become stressful when sharks attack your raft, making it less story-driven, yet it still captures the feeling of surviving alone in a massive and unpredictable world.
Stranded Deep
If you are looking for a more grounded survival setting, then Stranded Deep is the right choice for you. Your adventure starts after a plane crash, where you are left stranded (of course) across a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean.
This means Stranded Deep is very similar to Subnautica when it comes to isolation, with a constant awareness that you’re alone in a hostile environment. However, simple tasks can become dangerous if you’re unprepared, which makes the survival element both rewarding and challenging at the same time.
Breathedge
Ever wondered what Subnautica in space will look like? Breathedge revolves around survival in outer space while managing oxygen, gathering resources, crafting equipment, and slowly uncovering the mystery surrounding a massive disaster.
In Subnautica, you will feel an atmosphere and mystery, while Breathedge leans heavily into humor and absurdity. The game constantly jokes with the player, which gives it a much lighter personality overall.
Final Thoughts
Subnautica remains one of the strongest survival exploration games ever made because it combined fear, curiosity, and progression so naturally. Still, these alternatives come surprisingly close in different ways.
- For underwater sci-fi horror and mystery - SOMA
- For discovery-driven exploration - Outer Wilds
- For survival crafting on the open ocean - Raft
Also, while you are here, check out the list of best games like Pragmata you can play now as your next read.
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