21 Best Games Like Subnautica to Play: Survival and Exploration

Some games lean into sci-fi mystery, others focus on base building and survival mechanics, while a few challenge you with hostile creatures and unforgiving landscapes.

If you want to lose yourself in vast alien oceans, have fun playing them, test your skills on dangerous planets, or simply enjoy the creativity of building and surviving in unpredictable worlds, the games featured here deliver the same experience that made Subnautica unforgettable.

Our Top Picks for Games Like Subnautica

When looking for the best games like Subnautica, a few titles stand out as must-plays in 2025. These games capture the same mix of survival tension, resource gathering, and open-world exploration, while adding their own unique twists. Whether you’re drawn to crafting systems, mysterious environments, or multiplayer teamwork, the following selections deserve a spot on your list.

Raft

SURVIVAL

It is one of the most engaging survival games available, perfect for players who enjoyed Subnautica’s balance of crafting and survival. Floating on a small wooden raft in the middle of the ocean, you must collect debris, expand your base, and fend off dangers like sharks. It’s a survival experience that combines creativity with constant risk, making it a strong alternative for fans of underwater adventures.

Astroneer

SURVIVAL

Unlike Subnautica’s ocean world, Astroneer takes you to distant planets filled with colorful landscapes and strange resources. Its sandbox mechanics allow you to terraform environments, build bases, and explore freely. The game’s sci-fi survival approach makes it one of the best sandbox games for players who want exploration without heavy combat.

No Man’s Sky

SURVIVAL

Once criticized, No Man’s Sky has evolved into one of the top open world survival games in 2025. Like Subnautica, it emphasizes discovery, resource management, and crafting. With billions of procedurally generated planets, players can endlessly explore alien worlds, build bases, and interact with diverse ecosystems.

These five titles represent some of the most rewarding and atmospheric games like Subnautica, each with its own approach to exploration and survival. Keep scrolling to discover the full list of recommendations and find the next adventure that suits your playstyle.

What About Subnautica 2?

Subnautica 2 expands on the original’s underwater survival formula with larger biomes, deeper base-building systems, co-op gameplay, and upgraded visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5. Gamers who loved the mix of exploration, crafting, and oceanic tension of Subnautica may find the sequel the closest experience available right now.

While still in Early Access, it already introduces new vehicles, hostile ecosystems, advanced habitat customization, and evolving survival mechanics.

21 Best Games Like Subnautica

If you loved Subnautica for its survival mechanics, exploration, and immersive atmosphere, these 21 games offer similar thrills. From alien underwater worlds to vast galaxies, each title brings its own twist on discovery, crafting, and adventure.

Raft

Best Overall Survival Game at Sea

Our score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ Genre Survival, Adventure Windows, Linux 2018 (Early Access in May; full release in June 2022)

Creators Redbeet Interactive (developer), Axolot Games (publisher)

Average playtime

20 hours main story, ~60+ hours for full crafting, exploration, and completionist playthroughs Metacritic score 82/100

Raft

places you on a tiny wooden platform adrift in an endless ocean, where survival depends on scavenging debris, expanding your raft, and managing resources against constant threats like hunger, thirst, and shark attacks. With its hook-based gathering system, every plank, plastic bottle, or barrel pulled from the waves feels like a lifeline.

Progression in

Raft

unfolds gradually as you research new crafting stations, purifiers, engines, and weapons, slowly transforming a fragile raft into a floating fortress. The story unfolds through radio signals and abandoned outposts, pushing you to sail toward mysterious islands and unravel what happened to the world.

The visual design emphasizes a clean, colorful aesthetic, with bright blue oceans, dynamic weather, and a day-night cycle that makes both exploration and survival tense. The multiplayer option adds even more intensity as friends work together to survive, gather, and build, turning Raft into one of the most engaging cooperative survival games available.

Pro tip

Prioritize crafting water purifiers and grills early. Keeping your crew hydrated and fed lets you expand your raft safely while exploring islands and story objectives.

Final Verdict:

Raft

is the best survival game for players who love steady progression, resource management, and open-ended creativity. Whether you’re sailing solo or with friends, it captures the thrill of survival at sea while rewarding persistence with an endlessly customizable floating home.

Astroneer

Best Sandbox Exploration on Alien Worlds

Our score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ Genre Exploration, Sandbox, Adventure Windows, Xbox One 2016 (Full release in 2019)

Creator System Era Softworks (developer & publisher)

Average playtime ~25 hours main objectives, 50+ hours for full planetary exploration Metacritic score 82/100

Astroneer

drops players on colorful, procedurally generated planets where exploration, resource gathering, and base building are key. Players deform terrain, craft vehicles, and research new technologies while traversing alien landscapes. Its vibrant low-poly art style and ambient soundtrack create a relaxing yet engaging survival experience. Reddit users praise Astroneer’s cooperative multiplayer for enhancing creativity and experimentation.

It’s open-ended exploration rewards curiosity and collaboration, making it a standout for fans of the best sandbox games.

Why we chose it

Astroneer

captures the same sense of isolated survival game and discovery as Subnautica, but in a sandbox planetary setting where creativity drives gameplay.

Final Verdict:

Astroneer

is one of the best sandbox games for those seeking serene yet challenging exploration. Its mix of creativity, crafting, and interplanetary adventure makes it perfect for Subnautica fans who enjoy discovery and resource management.

No Man’s Sky

Best for Infinite Exploration and Base Building

Our score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ Genre Exploration, Sandbox, Sci-Fi Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S 2016 (major updates ongoing)

Creator Hello Games (developer & publisher)

Average playtime ~40 hours for main story, hundreds for full exploration and base building Metacritic score 79/100

No Man’s Sky

lets players explore an infinite, procedurally generated galaxy filled with planets, alien species, and resources. Core gameplay revolves around resource gathering, crafting, spaceflight, and base construction. Its vibrant, colorful art style emphasizes scale and wonder, while continuous updates have added multiplayer, survival game modes, and improved exploration tools. Reddit users often note the joy of discovering unique planets and hidden bases across the galaxy.

Why we chose it

No Man’s Sky

offers a massive sense of scale and freedom, making it ideal for Subnautica fans who crave exploration in an alien environment. Its procedural universe and crafting mechanics deliver endless adventure for those who enjoy the best open-w o rld games.

Final Verdict:

No Man’s Sky

is perfect for players who love Subnautica’s combination of survival, crafting, and exploration. Its limitless universe encourages discovery, creativity, and long-term engagement in the best sci-fi games.

Fans looking for a more focused underwater survival experience should also check out Subnautic a, which builds on the atmosphere and exploration systems of the original while adding co-op and more advanced base-building.

Stranded Deep

Best Realistic Ocean Survival Experience

Our score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ Genre Survival, Open World Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Creator Beam Team Games (developer & publisher)

Average playtime ~30–50 hours for main survival, endless replay for sandbox Metacritic score 74/100

Stranded Deep

places players in a vast, open-world archipelago after a plane crash. Players must gather resources, craft tools, build shelters, and explore both islands and the surrounding ocean. The game features realistic weather systems, day-night cycles, and a dynamic ocean ecosystem. Its tropical, slightly stylized visuals enhance immersion, and Reddit users praise the tension of surviving in unpredictable environments.

As one of the best single-player games, its dynamic world challenges players while rewarding creative problem-solving.

Why we chose it

Stranded Deep

delivers an isolated survival experience similar to Subnautica, combining crafting, resource management, and ocean exploration.

Final Verdict:

Stranded Deep

offers Subnautica fans the thrill of stranded survival, blending exploration, crafting, and environmental storytelling. Its ocean and island mechanics create endless opportunities for discovery, making it a standout in the best open-world games.

The Forest [Best Horror Survival for Tense Exploration]

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• Survival Horror, Open World
• Windows, PlayStation 4
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Endnight Games (developer & publisher)

Average playtime ~40–60 hours for main story and exploration Metacritic score 84/100

The Forest

drops players into a remote forest after a plane crash, where survival is paramount against a hostile mutant population. Players must gather resources, craft weapons and tools, build shelters, and hunt for food. The game combines open-world exploration with base-building mechanics, all set in a visually dense and atmospheric forest. Reddit users frequently highlight the intelligent AI of enemies, which reacts dynamically to player actions, making encounters tense and unpredictable.

Pro tip

In this survival game, focus on constructing elevated bases with traps early on. This not only protects you from mutant attacks but also gives a strategic advantage for scouting and planning resources.

Final Verdict:

The Forest

is a perfect blend of survival, strategy, and horror games.

Subnautica enthusiasts will appreciate its immersive world, emergent gameplay, and the thrill of overcoming intelligent enemies while managing resources.

★ Safest Gaming Marketplace ★ 235K+ 5-Star Reviews on TrustPilot ★ Steam Gift Cards 6.

Green Hell

Best for Hardcore Jungle Survival Realism

Our score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ Genre Survival, Simulation Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Creator Creepy Jar (developer & publisher)

Average playtime ~50–70 hours for main story and exploration Metacritic score 81/100

Green Hell

immerses players in the Amazon jungle where survival is a psychological and physical challenge. Players must gather resources, craft tools, hunt for food, and maintain their physical and mental health in a highly realistic ecosystem. The game features a lush, detailed jungle environment with dynamic weather and day-night cycles. Reddit users emphasize the intense realism, including the need to manage wounds, hydration, and sanity, which creates a constant tension unlike many survival titles.

Pro tip

Prioritize building a safe shelter and crafting first-aid items. Keeping your health and sanity stable is critical to surviving the unpredictable dangers of the jungle.

Final Verdict:

Green Hell

offers a tense and rewarding survival experience. Players who loved Subnautica’s resource management and environmental storytelling will enjoy the immersive jungle survival, realistic systems, and the constant challenge of staying alive.

SOMA

Best Story-Driven Underwater Horror Game

Our score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ Genre Survival Horror, Sci-Fi Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Creator Frictional Games (developer & publisher)

Average playtime ~12–15 hours for main story, 18+ hours for full exploration Metacritic score 82/100

SOMA

plunges players into the depths of an underwater research facility where technology and human consciousness blur. Players explore eerie, abandoned corridors, solve environmental puzzles, and avoid hostile AI while uncovering the story of human survival and identity. Its visual aesthetic combines dimly lit, claustrophobic underwater interiors with haunting atmospheric sound design. Reddit users highlight its unsettling narrative and the existential dread that unfolds without relying on jump scares.

If you loved Subnautica, you’ll be captivated by an alien underwater world filled with mysterious creatures and hidden resources, offering the same thrill of survival and discovery.

Why we chose it

SOMA

is perfect for Subnautica fans seeking a narrative-driven underwater experience with horror elements. The game blends exploration, puzzle-solving, and survival in a sci-fi setting, making it one of the best sci-fi and horror games that focuses on story and atmosphere.

Final Verdict:

SOMA

delivers a haunting underwater experience that engages both the mind and nerves. Fans of Subnautica’s immersive environments will appreciate the tension, exploration, and layered narrative.

★ Story-Driven Underwater Horror Game ★

SOMA

Outer Wilds

Best for Mystery and Puzzle-Filled Space Exploration

Our score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ Genre Exploration, Puzzle, Adventure Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Creators Mobius Digital (developer), Annapurna Interactive (publisher)

Average playtime ~20–30 hours for full exploration Metacritic score 91/100

Outer Wilds

is one of the best puzzle games that places players in a handcrafted solar system caught in a 22-minute time loop. Exploration, puzzle-solving, and spaceflight are central as you uncover mysteries on different planets before the loop resets. Its visual style is vibrant and stylized, with unique planetary environments and clever environmental storytelling. Reddit users praise the game for its sense of wonder, discovery, and the thrill of uncovering secrets at your own pace.

Pro tip

Keep notes or screenshots of discovered clues. The time loop can be disorienting, so tracking your progress helps solve the overarching mysteries efficiently.

Final Verdict:

Outer Wilds

delivers a beautifully crafted, mysterious universe full of surprises.

Subnautica fans will enjoy the sense of awe, exploration, and emergent storytelling that rewards curiosity.

Breathedge

Best Space Survival Game with Dark Humor

Our score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ Genre Survival, Adventure, Space Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S Creators RedRuins Softworks (developer), HypeTrain Digital (publisher)

Average playtime ~20–30 hours for main story; 40+ hours for completion Metacritic score 82/100

Breathedge

casts players as a space scavenger stranded on a derelict spacecraft after a family tragedy. Core gameplay revolves around resource management, crafting, zero-gravity navigation, and environmental puzzles. Its visual aesthetic combines realistic space environments with a slightly cartoony style. Reddit users often highlight its humor and the sarcastic AI companion as standout features that make the tense survival moments entertaining.

Pro tip

Always prioritize crafting oxygen and propulsion systems early. Proper management of life support and mobility dramatically reduces frustration in zero-gravity survival.

Final Verdict:

Breathedge

combines challenging space station survival with humor and personality, creating a fresh experience for those who loved Subnautica and enjoy both tension and laughs.

The Solus Project

Best Atmospheric Alien Planet Survival

Our score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ Genre Survival, Exploration, Adventure Windows, Xbox One Creators Teotl Studios (developer), Grip Digital (publisher)

Average playtime ~15–20 hours Metacritic score 74/100

The Solus Project

is a solo survival adventure set on a mysterious alien planet after humanity’s collapse. Stranded and alone, the player, as a lone survivor, must endure extreme weather, hunger, thirst, and fatigue while searching for the remnants of an ancient civilization through their survival elements.

The gameplay blends into the scene where the player has to collect resources, craft, and survive with deep exploration of vast landscapes, eerie caves, and monumental alien ruins. Its visual style is atmospheric, often described as hauntingly beautiful, with dynamic environmental effects such as storms, meteor showers, and auroras that heighten immersion.

Why we chose it

The Solus Project

appeals to Subnautica series fans through its mix of survival mechanics, exploration, and environmental storytelling.

Final Verdict:

The Solus Project

delivers survival, mystery, and atmosphere that resonate with Subnautica fans, offering a more land-and-ruins-based experience while keeping that same sense of isolation and discovery as you have to stay alive.

The Invincible

Best Narrative Sci-Fi Journey for Story Lovers

Our score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ Genre Narrative Adventure, Sci-Fi, Walking Simulator Windows Creators Starward Industries (developer), 11 bit studios (publisher)

Average playtime ~10–12 hours Metacritic score 74/100

The Invincible

is a retro-futuristic narrative-driven sci-fi adventure inspired by Stanisław Lem’s novel of the same name. You play as Yasna, an astrobiologist who awakens on the uncharted planet Regis III, tasked with unraveling the mystery behind her missing crew.

The gameplay focuses on exploration, dialogue choices, scanning alien landscapes, and piecing together a story shaped by your decisions.

Instead of combat, the tension builds through atmospheric storytelling, branching dialogue, and philosophical themes about humanity’s place in the cosmos. Its visual aesthetic draws from “atompunk” and retro-futuristic inspirations, with striking landscapes and richly detailed analog technology.

It replaces survival mechanics with narrative depth, offering a more cerebral but equally immersive journey.

Why we chose it Subnautica fans who enjoyed the sense of isolation, environmental storytelling, and uncovering mysteries will find a similar atmosphere in The Invincible.

Final Verdict:

The Invincible

offers a slow-burning, story-driven sci-fi adventure that rewards patience with atmosphere, mystery, and philosophical intrigue. A great pick for those who appreciate Subnautica’s sense of exploration and narrative immersion more than its survival elements.

Stranded: Alien Dawn

Best Colony Survival and Management Game

Our score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ Genre Simulation, Strategy, Survival Windows Creator Blue Meridian (developer & publisher)

Average playtime ~30–60 hours Metacritic score 82/100

Stranded: Alien Dawn

is a colony simulation set on a harsh alien planet where players must manage a team of survivors to build a thriving settlement. The gameplay focuses on resource gathering, crafting tools and shelters, researching alien technologies, and defending the colony from environmental hazards. The players must be able to gather resources in unknown worlds entertainment. Its visual aesthetic blends realistic terrain and alien flora with vibrant colors that highlight the planet’s uniqueness.

Pro tip

Prioritize scouting and securing resources early in the game. Establish defensive structures and research essential technologies to survive unexpected alien threats. Playing on a high-resolution monitor helps you better manage multiple colonists and spot environmental hazards in time.

Final Verdict:

Stranded: Alien Dawn

offers a compelling mix of survival, strategy, and exploration.

Subnautica fans who enjoy resource management, base-building, and discovering alien worlds will find it an immersive and satisfying experience.

Narcosis

Best Claustrophobic Deep-Sea Horror Experience

Our score ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ Genre Survival, Horror, Adventure Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Creator Honor Code Inc. (developer & publisher)

Average playtime ~6–10 hours Metacritic score 66/100

Narcosis

is a psychological deep-sea horror game where players are trapped in a sunken underwater facility. The gameplay centers around navigating dark, claustrophobic environments, managing limited oxygen supplies, and solving environmental puzzles while facing psychological effects like hallucinations and fear-induced disorientation. Its visual aesthetic on the top gaming laptops emphasizes realistic underwater lighting, murky water effects, and a tense, oppressive atmosphere.

Pro tip

Always monitor your oxygen levels carefully and plan your route before moving through tight spaces. Conserving oxygen and avoiding panicked movements is key to survival in the most challenging areas.

Final Verdict:

Narcosis

delivers intense underwater tension and survival horror. If you liked Subnautica’s exploration and resource management under pressure, you’ll appreciate its claustrophobic, immersive underwater environment.