In Other Waters similar games & best alternatives
In Other Waters
2020
Related articles
Quick resume
Play as an Artificial Intelligence guiding a stranded xenobiologist through a beautiful and mysterious alien ocean. A non-violent sci-fi story, enter a world of wonder, fear and vulnerability, unraveling the history and ecology of an impossible planet. What will you discover together?
Global score
87/100
Genres
Adventure, Indie, Puzzle, Simulator
Similar games
Pros
- Unique immersive narrative
- Beautiful minimalist ui and sound design
- Engaging exploration of alien ecosystems
- Thoughtful ecological and emotional themes
- Accessible gameplay mechanics
Cons
- Slow and repetitive movement controls
- Short game length
- Limited map and navigation aids
- Some players find text-heavy gameplay tedious
- Lack of tutorial or in-game guidance
Motivations
-
Autonomy
Game with the same Autonomy vibe
4"Players have freedom to explore, solve puzzles, and choose actions within a narrative-driven adventure."
Cleo - a pirate's tale
"Players control an AI suit with freedom to explore and make decisions, though within a structured narrative and map-based movement system."
-
Competence
Game with the same Competence vibe
3"Players engage in learning and mastering complex but subtle mechanics, with progression tied to strategic placement and resource management."
Settlemoon
"Engages players in learning and mastering a unique interface and exploration mechanics, with some resource management challenges."
-
Competition
Game with the same Competition vibe
-5"No competitive elements; focus is on personal exploration and story experience."
AER Memories of Old
"No competitive elements; focus is on personal exploration and story experience."
-
Continuation
Game with the same Continuation vibe
2"Players enjoy replaying to unlock all endings and explore lore, though game is short and sessions are brief."
Bloody Painter Dating Sim
"Players often engage in multiple sessions and some replay to complete taxonomy and explore further, though the game is relatively short."
-
Cooperation
Game with the same Cooperation vibe
3"Players build relationships and cooperate with a team of heroes, though social interactions are single-player and narrative-driven."
Marvel's Midnight Suns
"Narratively cooperative with the human scientist character; players assist and protect her, fostering a sense of partnership."
-
Creativity
Game with the same Creativity vibe
4"Strong creative expression through customizing biomes, evolving species, and designing unique ecosystems."
Equilinox
"Players imagine alien ecosystems and creatures from textual descriptions and sketches, engaging creative visualization."
-
Domination
Game with the same Domination vibe
-5"No elements of domination or superiority; interactions are cooperative and equal."
Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna)
"No domination or power over others; interactions are cooperative and equal."
-
Escapism
Game with the same Escapism vibe
4"Strong atmospheric and immersive experience providing a unique alien world to explore, offering a clear escape from reality."
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
"Provides a calming, immersive escape into an alien ocean world with contemplative themes."
-
Expectation
Game with the same Expectation vibe
-4"Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest in exploration and story."
Knytt Underground
"Players engage voluntarily out of curiosity and interest in exploration and story."
-
Experimenting
Game with the same Experimenting vibe
3"Players experiment with new abilities and mechanics to progress and explore."
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
"Players experiment with samples and navigation mechanics to progress and discover new areas."
-
Exploration
Game with the same Exploration vibe
5"Core motivation is discovering new areas, secrets, and atmospheric details in a mysterious environment."
The Complex: Found Footage
"Core motivation is discovering new alien species and environments through detailed exploration."
-
Expression
Game with the same Expression vibe
2"Limited character customization, but players express themselves through choices in exploration and puzzle approach."
The Night of the Rabbit
"Limited character customization but players express themselves through exploration choices and interpretation of descriptions."
-
Fantasy
Game with the same Fantasy vibe
4"Strong sci-fi narrative with AI, space exploration, and alien worlds."
J.U.L.I.A.: Among the Stars
"Strong sci-fi setting with imaginative alien ecosystems and AI perspective."
-
Fellowship
Game with the same Fellowship vibe
1"Some social connections and relationships with characters, but primarily a solo narrative experience."
Choice of the Deathless
"Some social connection through narrative partnership, but primarily a solo experience."
-
Growth
Game with the same Growth vibe
3"Players learn alien languages, improve strategies, and unlock technologies through repeated play."
Out There: Ω Edition
"Players develop understanding of alien biology and master interface mechanics."
-
Health
Game with the same Health vibe
-5"Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."
World of Tanks Blitz
"Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity involved."
-
Idle
Game with the same Idle vibe
-3"Requires focused attention due to navigation and narrative, not suitable for background play."
That Which Gave Chase
"Requires focused attention on reading and navigation; not suitable for background play."
-
Intimacy
Game with the same Intimacy vibe
2"Emotional connection with characters and story, though limited to narrative rather than social interaction."
A Space For The Unbound - Prologue
"Narrative builds emotional connection with the scientist character, though social interaction is limited."
-
Leadership
Game with the same Leadership vibe
2"Player leads companions and influences factions, guiding decisions and outcomes in the story."
The Outer Worlds 2
"Player guides and supports the scientist, acting in a leadership role within the narrative."
-
Progression
Game with the same Progression vibe
3"Progression through collecting and using items, unlocking new areas and story advancement."
Cursed
"Progression through collecting samples, unlocking taxonomy entries, and story advancement."
-
Relaxation
Game with the same Relaxation vibe
4"Calming, meditative atmosphere with soothing music and gentle gameplay pacing."
FAR: Lone Sails
"Calm, meditative gameplay with soothing music and ambient sound design."
-
Sensation
Game with the same Sensation vibe
3"Visual and auditory effects create an intense and immersive sensory experience."
Space Hulk: Deathwing Enhanced Edition
"Engaging auditory and visual minimalism creates immersive sensory experience."
-
Status
Game with the same Status vibe
-5"No social status or recognition mechanics present."
CUPID - A free to play Visual Novel
"No social status or recognition mechanics present."
-
Story
Game with the same Story vibe
5"Strong narrative focus with emotional, mysterious, and surreal storytelling driving player engagement."
Stray Cat Crossing
"Strong narrative focus with emotional depth and mystery driving player engagement."
-
Strategy
Game with the same Strategy vibe
1"Some light resource management and planning, but overall straightforward gameplay."
Plantera 2: Golden Acorn
"Some light resource and navigation management, but overall simple mechanics."
-
Thrill
Game with the same Thrill vibe
1"Some tension from story choices and resource management, but overall low risk and suspense."
Bladesong
"Occasional tension from resource management and story moments, but generally low risk."
-
Value
Game with the same Value vibe
3"Players perceive good value in story, atmosphere, and experience despite short length."
The Song of Saya
"Players find value in unique narrative and immersive experience despite short length."
-
Violence
Game with the same Violence vibe
-5"No violence or combat; focus on exploration and story."
Verde Station
"No violence or combat; focus on exploration and study."
-
Survival
Game with the same Survival vibe
1"Some survival elements like oxygen and temperature management, but no combat threats or high risk."
Eden Crafters
"Light survival elements like oxygen and energy management, but no real threat of failure."
Analysis
Broadly representative of its motivational profile, with a few distinct shifts. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Intimacy, Survival, Violence, Competition. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Leadership, Cooperation, Survival.
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.
Last update: 30/04/2026