Subnautica, released in 2018, is the perfect game to dive into if you want to get lost exploring a massive — and gorgeous — open underwater world with a wide variety of biomes. Players start with nothing but a crashing and malfunctioning spaceship. What treasures and dangers does the alien world you land in hide, and what does it take to survive?
It’s hard to imagine that you’ll ever grow bored of Subnautica when you first start playing, but you’ll want to venture beyond this water world sooner or later. Try these games like Subnautica when that happens!
Subnautica Game Features
 Release Date: | January 23, 2018 |
 Developer: | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
 Publisher: | Unknown Worlds Entertainment |
 Platforms: | macOS Microsoft Windows Xbox One PlayStation 4 Nintendo Switch PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X/S |
 Genre: | Underwater |
 Setting: | Procedurally Generated Viking Land |
 Game Modes: Single-player |
1. No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky is a beautiful cross-platform action adventure game with artwork reminiscent of classic sci-fi covers — and endless, procedurally-generated, terrain to explore. You can choose between a third- and first-person perspective as you work on developing the five main skills of exploring, base-building, combat, trading, and of course simply surviving.
Subnautica players who dive into No Man’s Sky will feel right at home from the very start. You wake up on an alien planet in No Man’s Sky, too, but this time you have to find your lost spaceship, inching closer to your goal as you gather resources and craft new items.
If you don’t want to play alone, you’re in luck — first released in 2016 as a singleplayer-only game, No Man’s Sky now offers a multiplayer mode that allows you to explore the procedurally-generated terrain and survive together with your friends!
- Developer: Hello Games
- Publisher: Hello Games
- Release Date: August 2016
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, PlayStation 4 & 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, iPad
2. Astroneer
Astroneer features such stylistic graphics that it would make anyone who’s previously criticized Minecraft for this reason cringe. Don’t immediately discount this exciting sandbox adventure game even if the style doesn’t appeal to you, though, because you’re in for endless hours of open-ended fun.
Astroneer is what you want it to be, and you loved the grinding aspect of Subnautica, you’ll find Astroneer just as relaxing. As you progress and collect more resources, you’ll be able to craft more than just rovers — you’ll move onto generates and turbines, and even colonize brand new planets.
This sandbox game definitely doesn’t look and feel like Subnautica, but there’s no doubt that it will appeal to many fans who are ready to try something a little different.
- Developer: System Era Softworks
- Publisher: System Era Softworks
- Release Date: February 2019
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
3. Subnautica: Below Zero
Subnautica: Below Zero, the sequel to the original game, is obviously so much like Subnautica that including it on this list almost feels like cheating. Subnautica: Below Zero still unquestionably belongs on this list because, well, it’s your next logical choice.
This time, the player character smuggles themselves onto an alien planet to get to the bottom of her sister’s death — and this time, the water world is punishingly cold and every bit as striking as the original Subnautica.
Look forward to playing the game you love in a whole different environment that sets you up with brand new challenges, and this time, you’ll have plenty of above-ground terrain to explore.
- Developer: Unknown Worlds Entertainment
- Publisher: Unknown Worlds Entertainment
- Release Date: May 2021
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, PlayStation 4 & 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S
4. Raft
Raft is a cool open-world survival game set in a dystopian near-future ravaged by climate change. You’re still on Earth, but dry land is hard to come by and humanity has mostly moved into massive floating cities.
You, the player character, aren’t so lucky — you spawn into the world with nothing but a small raft and a hook. You’ll have to progress from there, gathering resources and defending yourself against attacks from sea creatures.
If you manage to stay alive, you’ll be able to craft yourself a better raft and upgraded gear, as you also try your hand at growing food. The abandoned structures you’ll find along the way will help you on your journey.
Oh, did we mention Raft offers a cooperative multiplayer option?
- Developer: Redbeet Interactive
- Publisher: Axolot Games
- Release Date: June 2022
- Platform: Microsoft Windows
5. Minecraft
Minecraft, which has a huge update every year, is probably the most famous sandbox game out there. It doesn’t have to be anything like Subnautica — players can enter creative mode to build massive structures or join one of the many multiplayer servers to try their hand at PvP or minigames. If you opt for pure survival mode, though, Minecraft is a lot more like Subnautica than you might think.
The endless procedurally-generated worlds have a lot more to offer now than they did when Minecraft first came out, as you’ll be able to explore countless biomes in the overworld as well as the nether, and Mojang has added more than a few exciting new bosses into the game.
- Developer: Mojang
- Publisher: Mojang, Xbox Game Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: November 2011
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, PlayStation 4 & 5, Nintendo Switch
6. Terraria
Terraria is a 2D action adventure sandbox game that was first released in 2011. Like in Subnautica, you’ll be doing a lot of exploring, crafting, and building as you try to survive and uncover the secrets the game’s procedurally-generated worlds have to offer. It won’t be long before you find yourself face to face with enemies or NPCs that will help you out.
Terraria is a simple-looking game with a staying power that can only be attributed to its challenging gameplay. If you want to play with your friends, Terraria has a multiplayer option that makes the game that much more exciting.
- Developer: Re-Logic
- Publisher: 505 Games
- Release Date: May 2011
- Platform: Microsoft Windows
7. Valheim
Valheim is a sandbox action survival game that’s currently in early access but has already managed to attract a devoted player base. Set in a world where would-be heroes prove they’re good enough to enter the Viking paradise of Valhalla, players start off with nothing as they explore from a third-person PoV.
Your procedurally-generated world has a lot to discover — but enemies lurk everywhere. Forage for new resources and then try your hand at farming and fishing as you create better and better shelters. You’ll level your skills up over time, but you’ll have to keep an eye on your hunger and stamina as you defend yourself against all your foes.
The game’s terrain is impressive, but the combat and crafting systems are even better. There’s a lot to like for Subnautica fans, so dive straight in!
- Developer: Iron Gate Studio
- Publisher: Coffee Stain Publishing
- Release Date: February 2021 (early access — full release scheduled for 2023)
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, Linux (and, soon, for Xbox too!)
8. The Long Dark
The Long Dark is an action survival game in which the player takes on the role of Will, a bush pilot who crash lands in the Canadian wilderness.
Do you have what it takes to survive in this punishingly cold world? It seems easy enough, but The Long Dark has thought of everything. Players will have to watch not just their hunger and stamina, but also thirst, body temperature, the wind chill they’re exposed to, and more.
Eventually, you’ll want to explore each of the map’s unique biomes, as they all offer resources you need to advance.
One cool feature of The Long Dark is that the game offers three game modes to explore. Survival mode speaks for itself, and death is the inevitable outcome. Story mode turns The Long Dark into more of an adventure game, while you can also try the challenge mode.
The Long Dark is a singleplayer game that feels a lot like Subnautica: Sub Zero, and there’s no question Subnautica fans will love it.
- Developer: Hinterland Studio
- Publisher: Hinterland Studio
- Release Date: August 2017
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
9. ARK: Survival Evolved
ARK: Survival Evolved is another action adventure survival game in which the player character is stranded — but in this case, in a world full of terrifying dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. Players can explore the open-world map on foot, switching between first- and third-person perspectives as they please, but if you want to get around more quickly, you’ll have to tame your very own prehistoric creature to ride.
As you try to survive, you’ll have to make sure your health, hunger, thirst, and other stats are where they need to be, and you’re also limited in what you can carry. It’s not surprising that taming dinosaurs and many of the other creatures is a huge part of ARK: Survival Evolved, then, but base building is another critical aspect of the game.
Do you quickly get bored of singleplayer games? You’ll be thrilled to hear that ARK: Survival Evolved has a multiplayer mode, too. If you’re still thirsting for more, you could try out one of the game’s many DLCs.
- Developer: Studio Wildcard
- Publisher: Studio Wildcard
- Release Date: August 2017
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Stadia
10. Don’t Starve Together
Don’t Starve Together — primarily designed as a multiplayer game, but also very doable solo — is another neat action adventure game with procedurally-generated terrain. Once you get over the unique, and absolutely gorgeous, Tim Burton-esque artwork, you can get to work surviving in a world where the climate always works against you and you’ll encounter terrifying foes and bosses.
Your stomach is, of course, always grumbling — and that becomes a huge problem, especially once winter starts and food can no longer grow.
Don’t Starve Together allows you to choose from a whole bunch of unique characters, each with their own skills and vulnerabilities. Don’t be fooled by the fact that the basic game mechanics are easy to master. Don’t Starve Together calls on players to be strategic about their resources from the very first day, or they’ll never make it through winter.
- Developer: Klei Entertainment
- Publisher: Klei Entertainment
- Release Date: December 2014
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Android, iOs
11. Days Gone
Days Gone is an action adventure game set in a brutal post-apocalyptic world in which a pandemic that turns people into zombies has caused civilization to collapse. You’ll take on the role of Deacon St John, an outlaw with a good heart. Once you discover that your wife, who you thought was dead, might have survived, you set out on an epic adventure in which you roam the vast open world from a third-person PoV.
The rest is, more or less, obvious — you’ve got a motorbike, a map to explore, and you’ll need to keep yourself fed and safe. Infected enemies, who hunt mostly by night, are everywhere, but you’ll have plenty of weapons to defend yourself with. You can also choose to go stealth as you journey through the map.
Days Gone is a singleplayer game, but the world is so massive that you won’t get bored any time soon.
- Developer: Bend Studio
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Release Date: April 2019
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4
12. Rust
Rust is a challenging action adventure multiplayer game best described as Subnautica meets DayZ, Minecraft, and ARMA 2. Your only goal is survival. That’s easier said than done, as you’ll be competing with other players for resources, in a world where danger literally lurks around every corner. Whether it’s because of wolves, hunger, or competing players, it won’t take long for death to to stare you in the face.
If you manage to survive, Rust allows you to advance to a point where you can craft boats and even hot air balloons to explore the world more quickly and efficiently. Rust will keep you on your toes from start to finish, and Subnautica players will quickly fall in love.
- Developer: Facepunch Studios, Double Eleven
- Publisher: Facepunch Studios
- Release Date: February 2018
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
13. Abzu
Subnautica players who are exclusively looking for other underwater exploration games should check out Abzu. This adventure game starts when the player character wakes up floating on a vast ocean. You’ll begin exploring everything it has to offer, including mysterious ruins and new technology.
The game’s pastel graphics and relaxed gameplay make for an chill experience, and Abzu has an interesting story line, too.
Some players might find the fact that Abzu has a clear end point and isn’t as open-ended as some of the other games on this list disappointing, but Subnautica fans still have a lot to look forward to in this singleplayer game.
- Developer: Giant Squid Studios
- Publisher: 505 Games
- Release Date: February 2018
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
13. Stranded Deep
Stranded Deep is exciting survival exploration game with impressively realistic graphics, in which the player is stranded after surviving a plane crash. If you love endless procedurally-generated worlds, this game is for you. Stranded Deep players begin exploring and try to survive as they come face to face with varied threats.
As well as investigating what the deep ocean is hiding, you’ll be able to settle on one of the many islands you encounter, from which point you can begin building a base and a raft you use to explore further.
Stranded Deep’s complex crafting system is one of its strong points, but you’ll only manage to collect resources and advance through the game if you manage to quench your thirst. In a world dominated by salt water, that’s no easy feat!
In addition to a singleplayer mode, there’s also a local coop mode where you can work together with your friends.
- Developer: Beam Team Games
- Publisher: Beam Team Games
- Release Date: January 2015
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
14. Grounded
Freshly released in 2022, Grounded is a sweet survival game in which the player is faced with the challenge of surviving in the backyard — after shrinking to the size of an ant. Pesky insect pests are suddenly giant monsters, and you still need to eat and drink.
The graphics are beautiful, and the concept plays out amazingly well as you use everyday garden materials to build expansive bases and fight spiders and other creatures. If you manage to stay alive, you’ll get access to brand new areas, and come face to face with new threats.
Grounded has a complex crafting system that allows you to make the tools and weapons that will allow you to stay alive, and this unique game has a multiplayer mode, too.
- Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Release Date: September 2022
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox X/S
15. The Forest
Subnautica fans who would like to explore the horror genre might enjoy The Forest, a survival game set in a thick forest dominated by terrifying, human-eating, creatures. Though the level of gore is more than a few notches higher, you’ll find the open world exploration mechanics you know and love from Subnautica.
The player character has the task of exploring, crafting, building shelters, and fighting off bloodthirsty cannibals after surviving a plane crash. From there, you’ll discover that the creatures you encounter at first are just the tip of the iceberg. Can you survive this brutal world?
The Forest offers a multiplayer option, but singleplayer will keep you busy for hours, too.
- Developer: Endnight Games
- Publisher: Endnight Games
- Release Date: April 2018
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4
16. Icarus
Icarus is a beautiful session-based PvE survival game set on an alien planet where a terraforming project has gone terribly wrong. Players have the job of exploring the planet and finding out what role the exotic matter that led to disaster plays in the ecosystem that is now dominated by mutant creatures.
Playing solo or in a party of up to eight players, your base is a space station that orbits the planet. You can accept contracts for missions, and have to finish them before the clock runs out. As you go on your quest, you’ll gather resources and fight mutant enemies. You’ll upgrade your skills and gear over time as you complete more missions.
Parts of the world you’ll spawn into are procedurally-generated, while the game also has some persistent elements. Icarus is a truly challenging and fast-paced game that Subnautica players will likely love.
- Developer: RocketWerkz
- Publisher: RocketWerkz, Yooreka Studio
- Release Date: December 2021
- Platform: Microsoft Windows
17. Starbound
This action adventure game seems to have very little in common with Subnautica at first glance — starting with the fact that its world is 2D — but you’ll probably discover that the procedurally-generated terrain, in-depth crafting system, base building mechanics, and missions are irresistible once you get started.
The Earth has become uninhabitable, and you’ll start the game in orbit around a promising planet. From there, you make the world your own. The class you play as is determined by the gear you wear, and choose carefully, because enemies are everywhere.
- Developer: Chucklefish
- Publisher: Chucklefish
- Release Date: December 2016
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Linux
18. The Planet Crafter
The Planet Crafter is a brand new game that sounds a lot less exciting than it is. This open-world survival game, released in 2022, gives players the task of terraforming an alien planet to get it ready for human colonists.
You’ll collect resources, start building bases, and generate oxygen for your habitat. The Planet Crafter is sure to be a hit with gamers who love the base building aspect of survival adventure games, and the graphics aren’t too shabby, either.
- Developer: Miju Games
- Publisher: Miju Games
- Release Date: March 2022
- Platform: Microsoft Windows
Games Like Subnautica: The Verdict
So, you don’t have time to check out all of the games on this list, or you don’t want to spend money on a bunch of titles you’re not sure you’ll enjoy?
We recommend you start with Subnautica: Below Zero, No Man’s Sky, and ARK: Survival Evolved if you’re after mechanics that feel like Subnautica. Go for Grounded if you’d like to try a fresh release that feels polished and sets you up for a great adventure.
The platforms you have access to will limit your choices some, so you could let that dictate your choices. Minecraft is the only game on this list that’s available for literally every single platform you’d want to play on, and though it’s a far cry from Subnautica in many ways, you’ll likely really enjoy the survival and exploration aspects of the game.
