I often freak myself out when swimming in any body of water and think about what’s out there that I can’t see. It’s even worse when I can see it. Even just seeing a rusted chain underwater will send chills down my spine. If you feel like this too, then you might have thalassophobia like me. But just like how people go to haunted houses to be scared, some choose to play video games that are set in the deep sea and trigger their thalassophobia for the thrill of being scared. 

What is Thalassophobia?

Thalassophobia is a specific phobia of the sea or other large, deep bodies of water. This is not the same as aquaphobia, which is a fear of water itself. Instead, thalassophobia is often a fear of what lies beneath the surface: the vast emptiness, the creatures of the deep, the sheer scale of the ocean, and the feeling of being disconnected from land and safety. 

Subnautica 

If there is one game that perfectly captures the essence of thalassophobia and turns it into a core mechanic, it’s Subnautica. The premise is simple: you are a survivor of a crashed spaceship on an alien planet entirely covered in water. To survive, you must dive into the ocean, scavenge resources, and explore its depths . The game is a masterclass in tension, not just because of its survival mechanics like food, water, and oxygen management, but because of its brilliant atmosphere of isolation and wonder. 

In the early game, you can only venture into the relatively safe shallows, and even then, the constant awareness of your oxygen gauge keeps you on edge. Getting turned around in a dark underwater cave while your air supply dwindles can lead to pure, heart-pounding panic. As you progress, you build better equipment and submersibles that allow you to go deeper, but that’s when the game truly confronts your fears. 

Subnautica doesn’t need cheap jump scares; it relies on the dread of the unknown. You will venture into crushing depths where the light from the surface fades, and the murky water reveals only massive, silhouetted shapes that are far too big to be friendly. A review on the Epic Games Store highlighted the horror of being forced to go “down, down, and down deeper still” into caverns where you have to rely on rare oxygen-generating plants just to survive, all while trying to avoid the “giant, sharp-toothed monsters” that lurk in the dark . Subnautica is a game that forces you to overcome your fears to progress, making every victory feel deeply earned. 

Abzu 

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Abzu, a game that celebrates the ocean’s beauty rather than its terror. You play as a nameless diver who awakens in a vibrant, colorful underwater world teeming with life. Your journey is one of exploration and peace. You can swim

through schools of fish, interact with marine wildlife, and even grab onto larger creatures like dolphins and ride them . 

While Abzu can still be “slightly unnerving for those with the slightest tinge of thalassophobia,” the game consciously avoids being a threat. There are no monsters, no health bars, and no oxygen gauge to fret over. Instead, it offers a cathartic and relaxing experience, showcasing the ocean as a place of wonder and mystery, not a source of fear. 

Narcosis 

For a more traditional horror experience, Narcosis is an excellent choice. The game traps you on the ocean floor in a heavy, high-tech diving suit, the “walking coffin,” following an industrial accident. With few tools, low visibility, and a dwindling oxygen supply, you must make your way back to the surface, but nothing goes according to plan. 

What makes Narcosis so effective is its focus on realism and sanity. There are no aliens or gods here, just a man alone in a hostile environment. The creature designs are rooted in reality, yet deeply unsettling. The game’s horror is amplified by hallucinations that blur the line between reality and fiction, constantly keeping you on edge and making you second-guess what you see. It’s a perfect pick for those who want their fear of the ocean to be mixed with a psychological thriller. 

Barotrauma 

While many deep-sea games focus on a lone protagonist, Barotrauma introduces a cooperative element that is both terrifying and hilarious. A 2D side-scroller set in the far future on Jupiter’s moon Europa, Barotrauma puts you and your friends on a submarine in a vast, alien ocean. The goal is to complete missions while managing the ship’s systems, fighting off hostile creatures, and, most importantly, preventing your sub from being crushed by the immense water pressure . 

The game is a chaotic mix of survival and social engineering. Communication is key as you scramble to fix a leak, fend off a monster, or keep the reactor from melting down. It is both a tense horror game and a breeding ground for hilarious mishaps. The game’s official mod, “Thalassophobia,” adds even more layers to the experience, focusing on new jobs and complex social systems within the crew, making the isolation of the deep sea a problem you must solve together. 

SOMA 

From the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, SOMA is less about jump scares and more about existential dread. You play as Simon Jarrett, a man who undergoes an experimental brain scan and wakes up in a dilapidated underwater research facility called Pathos-II. The facility is haunted by grotesque, robotic abominations, and you must explore its depths to understand what happened and what it means to be human.

The setting is terrifying not just because of the monsters, but because of the profound loneliness it evokes. The feeling of being trapped at the bottom of the ocean with no hope of rescue is a central theme. As you travel across the seafloor guided by flickering lights, the isolation is overwhelming. The horror here is philosophical, asking questions about consciousness and identity that will linger long after the credits roll. The game’s deep-sea setting makes the story’s themes of being trapped and isolated feel incredibly visceral and immediate.

Will you try one of these deep sea games? Let us know in the comments!