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Subside similar games & best alternatives

Subside

PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation VR2, SteamVR • 2024

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Quick resume

Subside is an immersive aquatic VR experience with multiple areas to explore and lifelike aquatic creatures to interact with. Crafted with unparalleled realism, it aims to replicate the nuances of real-life swimming and diving in shallow waters

Global score

97/100

Genres

Simulator

Similar games

    Pros

    • Extremely immersive and realistic underwater experience
    • High-quality graphics and sound design
    • Intuitive and natural swimming mechanics
    • Relaxing and meditative atmosphere
    • Meaningful progression through collectibles and unlockables

    Cons

    • Limited content and maps at launch
    • Lack of multiplayer or social features
    • Some minor control and interaction quirks
    • No narrative or story elements
    • Price considered high by some for amount of content

    Motivations

    • Autonomy

      Game with the same Autonomy vibe

      4

      "Players freely explore underwater environments with fluid movement and minimal constraints, allowing personal pacing and discovery."

      Capsule for ABZU ABZU

      "Players have freedom to explore underwater environments at their own pace, choose movement style (physical swimming or button propulsion), and decide how to approach exploration and collectibles."

    • Competence

      Game with the same Competence vibe

      2

      "There is a progression system and some building skill involved, but gameplay is mostly relaxed and not highly challenging."

      Capsule for Occupy White Walls Occupy White Walls

      "There is a progression system with collectibles and unlockables that improve abilities, but gameplay is mostly exploration with moderate skill challenge rather than intense technical mastery."

    • Competition

      Game with the same Competition vibe

      -5

      "No evidence of competitive modes or player comparison; focus is on personal exploration and experience."

      Capsule for Judero Judero

      "No evidence of competitive modes or player comparison; focus is on personal exploration and relaxation."

    • Continuation

      Game with the same Continuation vibe

      3

      "Players report repeated sessions and desire for more content, indicating habitual play and attachment."

      Capsule for The Bonerooms The Bonerooms

      "Players report habitual play, long sessions, and desire for more content and DLC, indicating attachment and continued engagement."

    • Cooperation

      Game with the same Cooperation vibe

      -5

      "No multiplayer or cooperative gameplay; experience is entirely single-player and individual."

      Capsule for Superflight Superflight

      "No multiplayer or cooperative gameplay; experience is single-player and individual."

    • Creativity

      Game with the same Creativity vibe

      1

      "Customization mainly involves gear upgrades and weapon mods; limited player-driven creation or environment modification."

      Capsule for STALCRAFT: X STALCRAFT: X

      "Some customization through unlocking equipment and upgrades, but no player-driven creation or modification of environments."

    • Domination

      Game with the same Domination vibe

      -5

      "No evidence of exerting control or superiority over others; interactions are with environment and creatures only."

      Capsule for Penko Park Penko Park

      "No elements of exerting control or superiority over others; interactions are with environment and wildlife only."

    • Escapism

      Game with the same Escapism vibe

      5

      "Strongly immersive and relaxing underwater experience providing escape from real-life stress."

      Capsule for Beyond Blue Beyond Blue

      "Strong emphasis on immersive, relaxing underwater exploration providing escape from real life stress and environment."

    • Expectation

      Game with the same Expectation vibe

      -5

      "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and enjoyment; no obligation or external pressure noted."

      Capsule for MULLET MADJACK MULLET MADJACK

      "Players engage voluntarily out of intrinsic interest and enjoyment; no obligation or external pressure noted."

    • Experimenting

      Game with the same Experimenting vibe

      3

      "Players explore different areas, try various interactions, and discover hidden animations and minigames."

      Capsule for Putt-Putt® Saves The Zoo Putt-Putt® Saves The Zoo

      "Players explore different areas, try various movement upgrades and unlockables, and enjoy discovering hidden items."

    • Exploration

      Game with the same Exploration vibe

      5

      "Core gameplay revolves around discovering new biomes, secrets, and story elements in a vast underwater world."

      Capsule for Subnautica Subnautica

      "Core gameplay revolves around discovering new underwater environments, hidden collectibles, and secrets."

    • Expression

      Game with the same Expression vibe

      -3

      "Some equipment customization but no avatar personalization or extensive self-expression."

      Capsule for Braveland Braveland

      "Limited self-expression through equipment unlocks; no avatar customization or cosmetic personalization."

    • Fantasy

      Game with the same Fantasy vibe

      -4

      "Realistic underwater setting and activities; no fantasy or mythical elements."

      Capsule for Depth Hunter 2: Deep Dive Depth Hunter 2: Deep Dive

      "Highly realistic simulation of snorkeling and diving; no fantasy or fictional elements present."

    • Fellowship

      Game with the same Fellowship vibe

      -5

      "Single-player experience with minimal social or community interaction."

      Capsule for Outcast - A New Beginning Outcast - A New Beginning

      "Single-player experience with minimal social interaction or community features."

    • Growth

      Game with the same Growth vibe

      3

      "Players develop kayaking skills, improve race times, and learn map layouts; some learning curve in mastering controls and physics."

      Capsule for Kayak VR: Mirage Kayak VR: Mirage

      "Players learn to master swimming mechanics and improve through unlocking better gear and exploring more complex environments."

    • Health

      Game with the same Health vibe

      3

      "Physical arm movements provide light exercise and workout benefits during play."

      Capsule for Hatsune Miku VR Hatsune Miku VR

      "Physical arm movements for swimming provide light exercise; some players report it as a workout."

    • Idle

      Game with the same Idle vibe

      -3

      "Requires active attention; no background or idle mechanics."

      Capsule for Bird Assassin Bird Assassin

      "Requires active attention and physical movement; not a background or idle experience."

    • Intimacy

      Game with the same Intimacy vibe

      -5

      "No social or emotional relationship building; purely individual experience."

      Capsule for Furi Furi

      "No social or emotional relationship building; purely individual experience."

    • Leadership

      Game with the same Leadership vibe

      -5

      "No leadership or group management elements present."

      Capsule for Stray Stray

      "No leadership or group management elements present."

    • Progression

      Game with the same Progression vibe

      4

      "Collectibles, skill upgrades, and challenges provide clear progression and reward."

      Capsule for Asterix & Obelix XXL 2 Asterix & Obelix XXL 2

      "Collectibles and unlockables provide a clear sense of progression and reward exploration."

    • Relaxation

      Game with the same Relaxation vibe

      5

      "Frequently described as soothing, calming, and meditative with a relaxing pace and atmosphere."

      Capsule for Exo One Exo One

      "Widely described as relaxing, immersive, and meditative with a calm atmosphere."

    • Sensation

      Game with the same Sensation vibe

      4

      "High-quality visuals, animations, and sound design provide strong sensory stimulation and excitement."

      Capsule for Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles

      "High-quality visuals, sound design, and realistic physics provide strong sensory stimulation and emotional enjoyment."

    • Status

      Game with the same Status vibe

      -5

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

      Capsule for Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul

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

    • Story

      Game with the same Story vibe

      -4

      "No narrative or plot; gameplay is context-free and focused on collection and management."

      Capsule for Tiny Pasture Tiny Pasture

      "No narrative or plot; gameplay is context-free exploration and collection."

    • Strategy

      Game with the same Strategy vibe

      -2

      "Minimal strategic or problem-solving elements; mostly exploration and discovery."

      Capsule for Yume Nikki Yume Nikki

      "Minimal strategic or problem-solving elements; some planning in exploration and item collection."

    • Thrill

      Game with the same Thrill vibe

      1

      "Some suspense in combat and exploration, but overall a controlled and calm experience."

      Capsule for The Orville - Interactive Fan Experience The Orville - Interactive Fan Experience

      "Some moments of mild suspense or tension (e.g., cave diving), but overall experience is calm and controlled."

    • Value

      Game with the same Value vibe

      3

      "Players generally feel the game offers good value for its price and content."

      Capsule for Whisper of the House Whisper of the House

      "Players generally feel the game offers good value for money, though some mention price is a bit high for content amount."

    • Violence

      Game with the same Violence vibe

      -5

      "No combat or destructive elements; focus on peaceful exploration and interaction."

      Capsule for Harold Halibut Harold Halibut

      "No combat or destructive elements; focus on peaceful exploration and interaction."

    • Survival

      Game with the same Survival vibe

      1

      "Some survival elements like oxygen and temperature management, but no combat threats or high risk."

      Capsule for Eden Crafters Eden Crafters

      "Limited survival elements such as breath management and air pockets, but no real threat or danger."

    Analysis

    Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Health, Story, Competition, Status. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Fantasy, Violence, Competition.

    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.

    Where to buy

    Come talk about it on Discord!

    Last update: 30/04/2026