mixed habitat & densely vegetated hiding places

Submerged is an indie no-combat exploration game (not to be confused with a more recent VR title of the same name) that I ran across while looking for ocean-themed games.

The setting is a post-apocalyptic future in which sea levels have risen so high that only the upper skylines of major cities break through the water. You play as a teenage girl traveling in a tiny motorboat with your younger brother, who has been injured. As you search the flooded city for supplies, the story of what happened to the kids and why they're on their own is gradually revealed, as is the story of what happened to the world and its civilization.



The gameplay is simple and easy. You steer your little boat around, discovering marine wildlife and exploring the tops of abandoned buildings, towers, and bridges. The environment is beautiful and immersive, even awe-inspiring at times. Once you find a building with supplies to be salvaged, you can leave the boat and jump and climb your way to where useful stuff is hidden. There are no enemies and no combat, no way to get hurt or die, and no sense of urgency (your brother needs help, yes, but the game will wait patiently for you to find it at your own pace). The platforming sections can be slightly challenging, but more in the "I see the thing, but how do I get to the thing?" way rather than in the "I know what to do but I'm not coordinated enough to do it" way.

There is also no dialogue, and storyline details are given through comic-strip illustrations. This was a little confusing for me sometimes, since my brain has trouble interpreting sequential art, but everything you find is recorded in an in-game journal that you can puzzle over at your leisure. I think I got most of it, though I did have to look online for help understanding the flood story. (The symbols used in the comics are actually an English substitution cipher, which you can work out if you want to take the time.)



I finished the game in only about six hours, and I was far from hurrying, which brings me to the main problem I have with it: They're asking $19.99 USD for a game that's good for a couple of peaceful, enjoyable evenings, but seems too short and lacking in replayability to merit that price. (And I don't think it should be longer — it's simple enough that if there were any more of it, it would probably wear out its welcome.) I saw reviews saying it was good but overpriced, so I waited until it was on sale for two bucks, and at that price it's a steal. So if this sounds like something you'd like, I would recommend adding it to your Steam wishlist and waiting for a good deal.