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Under The Waves similar games & best alternatives

Under The Waves

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2023

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Quick resume

Stan, a professional diver in the North Sea, is struggling to overcome a life-changing loss during an extended mission underwater. Stuck in his self-imposed solitude, he starts to experience strange events and will have to make the most significant choice of his life...

Global score

78/100

Genres

Adventure, Indie

Similar games

    Pros

    • Beautiful and immersive underwater environment
    • Emotional and well-written narrative
    • Relaxing and cathartic gameplay
    • Strong sound design and music
    • Meaningful environmental themes

    Cons

    • Slow pacing and repetitive tasks
    • Clunky controls and camera issues
    • Poor lip-sync and facial animations
    • Some bugs and crashes reported
    • Limited gameplay depth and challenge

    Analysis

    A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Intimacy, Survival, Violence, Competition. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Fellowship, Strategy, Cooperation.

    How to use the graph
    Similar games map

    Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Motivations” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

    • Larger dot with a light outline: the game you are viewing.
    • Colour: groups of games with comparable motivation patterns (statistical clusters).
    • Hover a dot to see the game name; click to open its page.
    • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

    Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers.

    Motivations

    • Autonomy
      3

      "Players have freedom to explore underwater environments and choose exploration paths, though the narrative is somewhat linear and guided."

    • Competence
      1

      "Gameplay involves basic tasks and exploration with some crafting and upgrading, but controls can be clunky and challenges are minimal."

    • Competition
      -5

      "No competitive elements; focus is on personal story and exploration without comparison to others."

    • Continuation
      2

      "Players report immersive experience encouraging longer play sessions, though some find pacing slow and may disengage."

    • Cooperation
      -5

      "Single-player experience focused on individual exploration and narrative without multiplayer or teamwork."

    • Creativity
      2

      "Some crafting and upgrading available, but mostly using predefined structures and limited modification."

    • Domination
      -5

      "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; interactions are individual and narrative-driven."

    • Escapism
      4

      "Strong immersion and atmosphere provide escape from real life, with players describing emotional and cathartic experiences."

    • Expectation
      -4

      "Players engage voluntarily for intrinsic interest in story and exploration; no obligation or pressure reported."

    • Experimenting
      1

      "Exploration and some experimentation with crafting exist, but gameplay is mostly routine and guided."

    • Exploration
      4

      "Significant emphasis on discovering underwater areas, fauna, wrecks, and collectibles driven by curiosity."

    • Expression
      1

      "Limited character customization; some self-expression through minor interactions like facial expressions in mirror."

    • Fantasy
      1

      "Set in an alternative 1970s with some supernatural elements, but overall grounded in realistic underwater setting."

    • Fellowship
      -5

      "Primarily a solo experience with minimal social connection or community involvement."

    • Growth
      2

      "Some learning through story and exploration; crafting and upgrading offer minor personal development."

    • Health
      -5

      "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related mechanics."

    • Idle
      -3

      "Requires sustained attention and immersion; not designed for background or idle play."

    • Intimacy
      2

      "Emotional narrative fosters some personal connection, but social interactions are limited and surface-level."

    • Leadership
      -5

      "No leadership or group management roles; player follows story and missions individually."

    • Progression
      2

      "Basic progression through crafting and upgrades, but mostly linear story advancement."

    • Relaxation
      4

      "Many players find the game relaxing and cathartic, balancing calm exploration with emotional tension."

    • Sensation
      3

      "Beautiful visuals and sound design provide sensory stimulation and emotional engagement."

    • Status
      -5

      "No social recognition or status systems present; focus is on individual experience."

    • Story
      5

      "Strong narrative focus with emotional storytelling and character development central to the experience."

    • Strategy
      -2

      "Minimal strategic or problem-solving elements; gameplay is straightforward and task-oriented."

    • Thrill
      1

      "Some suspense and tension in story moments, but overall controlled and calm gameplay."

    • Value
      3

      "Players generally feel the game offers good value for time spent, especially for narrative and exploration fans."

    • Violence
      -5

      "No combat or destructive gameplay; focus on constructive exploration and environmental themes."

    • Survival
      -3

      "Minimal survival elements; oxygen management exists but is not challenging or threatening."

    Where to buy

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    Last update: 29/04/2026