Subnautica 2 is the most-wishlisted game on Steam right now and Early Access drops in May 2026. About 4 million people are sitting on a wishlist with nothing to do until Unknown Worlds opens the floodgates. I’m one of them.
So this is the list I built for myself while waiting. Seven games that scratch the same itch – some underwater, some not, some solo, some up to ten players in co-op. I left off the usual padding (looking at you, Astroneer-on-every-list) and stuck to picks I’d actually recommend to a friend asking “what should I play before Subnautica 2?”
Quick honest disclosure before we start: Subnautica 2 itself isn’t out yet, so I haven’t played it. Everything in this article about Subnautica 2 comes from official sources and dev communications. Everything about the seven games on the list is based on either my own playtime or thoroughly verified current platform/feature info as of April 2026.
Most of these I’ve put real time into. Below Zero I finished twice, Raft I sunk about 40 hours into with two friends, Valheim is the one that ate three months of my evenings. Forever Skies and Grounded I’ve spent enough time in to vouch for. Two of these I haven’t personally played start-to-finish, and I’ve called those out in the Honest Take sections below.
Quick Picks Table
| Game | Underwater? | Co-op | Platforms | Steam Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Man’s Sky | Partial (added later) | Yes – up to 32 in social hubs, 4 in missions | PC, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series, Switch, Mac | $59.99 base |
| Raft | Yes (mostly above) | Yes – up to 8 | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S | $19.99 |
| Subnautica: Below Zero | Yes | No (solo) | PC, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series, Switch, Mac | $29.99 |
| Forever Skies | No (above clouds) | Yes – 4 players | PC, PS5 (Xbox Series X/S summer 2026) | $29.99 |
| Stranded Deep | Yes | Yes – 2 player online or local split-screen | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch | $19.99 |
| Valheim | Some (sailing/diving) | Yes – up to 10 | PC, Xbox One/Series (PS5 in 2026) | $19.99 |
| Grounded | No (suburban backyard) | Yes – 4 players | PC, Xbox, PS4/5, Switch | $39.99 |
What “Like Subnautica” Actually Means Here
Before the list, a quick note on how I picked. Subnautica’s magic isn’t really the ocean – it’s the loop. You wake up with nothing, you scan something, you panic when something else scans you, you build a base, you go deeper, you find a wreck, you repeat. That gameplay shape is what I matched to. So you’ll see one game on this list that’s set in space, one that takes place above the clouds, and one where you’re literally the size of an ant. They earn their spots by hitting the same beats: limited resources, unknown environment, base you build over time, the quiet dread of “should I really swim/fly/walk further into this?”
The other axis is co-op. Subnautica 2 is launching with 4-player co-op, which is a franchise first. So I weighted the list toward games that already let you do this with friends – but kept two solo-only picks that are simply too good to skip.
1. No Man’s Sky
Why it’s like Subnautica: Hello Games has been quietly turning No Man’s Sky into the closest thing to a Subnautica replacement that exists. Underwater biomes were added in updates. Base building works on the seabed. There’s modular construction, scanning lifeforms for currency, and a sense of wonder that comes from never knowing what’s on the next planet. It’s wider, not deeper, and that’s the trade-off.
Platforms and co-op: PC (Steam, Epic, Microsoft Store), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Mac. Crossplay works across all of those – PC players unite across Steam and Epic, with full crossplay between PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and Mac through a Friend Code system. Up to 32 players can meet in social hubs. Co-op missions cap at 4. No local split-screen.
Honest take: No Man’s Sky just dropped its first major 2026 update – version 6.2 ‘Remnant’ – for what’s now the game’s 10th anniversary year. A decade of free updates makes it almost a different game from launch, and we’ve been tracking each major NMS update since the early days.”
2. Raft
Why it’s like Subnautica: This is the closest thing to underwater survival co-op already on the market. You’re stranded on a wooden raft, you hook debris floating past, you dive down to scavenge reefs, you build the raft into a fortress, and you try not to get eaten. The dive-then-build-then-dive loop is pure Subnautica DNA.
Platforms and co-op: PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X/S. Multiplayer supports up to ten players, with cross-platform play and in-game voice chat. Crossplay between PC, PS5, and Xbox went fully live on the default branch in March 2026.
Honest take: This game is $19.99 and has been one of the most positively reviewed survival games on Steam for years (93% positive, over 127,000 reviews). The early hours can feel slow if you’re solo – Raft is built for friends. With three or four people, it absolutely shines. The shark mechanic is the underrated thing nobody talks about: there’s something about that constant low-key threat that maps perfectly onto Subnautica’s “wait, what made that noise” energy.
3. Subnautica: Below Zero
Why it’s like Subnautica: Because it is Subnautica. Same studio, same engine, same planet (technically), same scanning, same vehicles, same vibes – just frozen and with a more story-driven structure. If you somehow haven’t played it yet and you finished the original, this is the obvious next move before May 2026.
Platforms and co-op: PC (Steam, Mac, Linux), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch. Solo only – no co-op of any kind. $29.99 base price, but it goes on sale a lot. Both Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero went 75% off in early April 2026 to coincide with the Subnautica 2 hype cycle.
Honest take: Below Zero is the game some Subnautica fans love and some quietly skip. The story is heavier, the protagonist talks (a lot), the map is smaller, and there’s more land traversal than the original. People are split. My take: if you came for the underwater exploration and dread, you’ll still get it. If you came for the bleak isolation, the writing here might pull you out of it. Either way, two-thirds of the runtime is the underwater part you actually want.
4. Forever Skies
Why it’s like Subnautica: Stay with me – this one’s not underwater. You’re a scientist returning to a post-apocalyptic Earth covered in toxic dust, and your base is a flying airship. But every other Subnautica beat is intact: scavenge wreckage, build a custom base, scan biology, manage atmosphere, descend into hostile zones to find what you need to survive. The vibe is “Subnautica but you fly instead of dive.”
Platforms and co-op: Currently PC (Steam) and PS5. Xbox Series X/S is coming summer 2026, alongside the third Echoes update for PC and PS5. 4-player co-op (one host, three friends) – though co-op only unlocks once you’ve completed the tutorial and got the airship in the air.
Honest take: Forever Skies is honestly underrated. Steam reviews sit around 79% positive (Metacritic 66, OpenCritic “Fair”), which I think undersells it – a lot of the negative early reviews were from when co-op wasn’t in yet. The game has had two big “Echoes” content updates and crossed half a million copies sold. If you want the Subnautica DNA but a fresh setting, this is the one.
5. Stranded Deep
Why it’s like Subnautica: It’s the realistic version. Pacific Ocean, plane crash, procedurally generated islands, and a constant pressure of hunger, thirst, sunstroke, and sleep. You dive for resources, you build a raft, you eventually craft proper boats. There’s no alien story or sci-fi tech tree – just you, the ocean, and a lot of ways to die badly.
Platforms and co-op: PC (Steam, Epic, Mac, Linux), PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch (Switch lacks multiplayer). 2-player online co-op on PC, PS4, and Xbox One – added in 2021. PC also gets local split-screen if you connect a controller for player 2. No crossplay between PC and console. $19.99.
Honest take: This one comes with a real caveat. Recent Steam reviews from April 2026 are calling out crashing in multiplayer and game-breaking bugs. Beam Team’s update cadence has slowed dramatically. So: if you’re a solo player on PC who wants the “realistic Subnautica” experience for cheap, it still delivers. If you’re trying to play co-op on console with stable performance, look elsewhere or wait for a patch.
6. Valheim
Why it’s like Subnautica: This is the wildcard pick. Valheim is a Viking survival game, not an ocean game – but the bone structure is identical. Procedural world, biome progression that gates with new tools, build-a-base loop, “should I sail to that distant island” pull, and bosses that genuinely scare you. You also get full sailing and a surprising amount of underwater exploration once you build a longship.
Platforms and co-op: PC (Steam, Mac, Linux, Microsoft Store), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S. Crossplay works between PC and Xbox through a join code system, with up to 10 players on a single server. No local split-screen – multiplayer is online only. PS5 is finally coming in 2026 with full crossplay support to all other platforms – no specific date confirmed yet. $19.99 on Steam.
Honest take: Valheim is one of those games where the first two hours are slow, the next twenty are addictive, and then something happens around the Mistlands biome that makes you reconsider how you spend your weekends. Co-op with three or four people is genuinely some of the best PvE survival design out there. It’s not Subnautica – but if you’re playing Subnautica because you love the genre’s pull, Valheim earns its spot.
7. Grounded
Why it’s like Subnautica: Take Subnautica’s “everything is bigger than you and trying to kill you” feeling and shrink the player instead of supersizing the world. You’re ant-sized in a backyard. The grass is a forest. The spider is a rhino. You scavenge, you scan bugs, you build elevated bases, you craft better gear from arthropod parts. The structural overlap with Subnautica’s gameplay loop is way closer than the cartoony art style suggests.
Platforms and co-op: PC (Steam, Microsoft Store), Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch. Full 4-player crossplay across all platforms – every player just needs a free Microsoft Account, and progress syncs cross-platform. $39.99 base.
Honest take: Grounded is the most polished co-op survival game on this list, full stop. Obsidian (yeah, the Fallout: New Vegas studio) clearly cared. The “Fully Yoked” update added a New Game+, ant queens, and a ton of late-game depth. There’s now a sequel – Grounded 2 – in Early Access too, if you finish the first and want more. We’ve got a longer comparison piece on this exact subject in our Enshrouded vs Grounded breakdown.
What About Subnautica 2 Itself?
Worth a quick rundown since this whole list exists because of it.
Subnautica 2 launches in Early Access in May 2026 on PC (Steam, Epic, Microsoft Store) and Xbox Series X|S, as a Day 1 Game Pass title. It supports up to four players in optional online co-op with full cross-platform play. No PS5 at Early Access launch – Sony does not support early access programs. The game is built on Unreal Engine 5, takes place on a brand-new alien ocean (no map knowledge from the original transfers), and Unknown Worlds has formally committed to no microtransactions, no battle passes, and no subscriptions ever.
There’s also a publisher update worth knowing about. As of April 14, 2026, Krafton was removed as publisher on Subnautica 2 following a Delaware court ruling that reinstated co-founder Ted Gill as CEO of Unknown Worlds. The May release is going forward as planned – it’s just under different management than it was a few months ago.
If the title or the platform list of any game on this article changes after publish, I’ll update it. This hub piece is part of our wider Subnautica 2 multiplayer and co-op coverage, including a deeper post-launch comparison vs the original.
The Subnautica 2 EA price hasn’t been announced as of April 2026. The Steam page confirms the price will increase post-1.0 but no figure is published yet – buying at EA is the cheaper entry point regardless. If you have Game Pass, you don’t need to buy it at all in May.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is there a game exactly like Subnautica? Honestly, no. The closest you’ll get is Subnautica: Below Zero (same studio, same engine, same planet), and after that there’s Subnautica 2 itself in May 2026. Outside the franchise, Raft is the closest underwater survival co-op match, and No Man’s Sky is the closest “explore an alien world with friends” match.
Q: Will Subnautica 2 work for solo players? Yes. Co-op is fully optional – there are no co-op-required puzzles, no locked areas, no progression gates behind multiplayer. Unknown Worlds explicitly designed it so solo players can complete the full game alone.
Q: Can I play Subnautica 1 with co-op? No. The original Subnautica and Below Zero are both solo-only. There’s an unofficial Nitrox mod for the original on PC that adds multiplayer, but it’s community-made and not supported by Unknown Worlds.
Q: What’s the cheapest way to play a Subnautica-like game right now? Stranded Deep, Raft, or Valheim at $19.99 each. All three go on sale frequently – Stranded Deep has hit as low as $7.54 in past sales. Subnautica and Below Zero recently went 75% off too, so check the Steam wishlist tracker before buying anything full price.
Q: Should I wait for Subnautica 2 or play one of these now? If you’re going to wait two to three years for the full 1.0 release of Subnautica 2 (Early Access usually runs that long), play one of these now. If you’re happy jumping into Early Access in May 2026 and dealing with bugs and incomplete content, you can technically wait. But honestly, even the Subnautica 2 devs have been recommending people go play other survival games while they finish.
The Short Version
If you only have time to try one: Raft if you want co-op with strangers or friends, Subnautica: Below Zero if you want the closest single-player experience, No Man’s Sky if you want the most game-for-your-money. The other four are great picks once you’ve worked through those three.
May 2026 is right around the corner. If you want to keep up with Subnautica 2 news as Early Access approaches, we’ve been tracking the Subnautica 2 release date and Early Access details and the bigger Subnautica 2 vs the original comparison is going up before launch day too.
For me personally, May can’t come fast enough. I’ll probably do another Below Zero replay in the meantime – it’s the closest thing to a warm-up I can do for what Unknown Worlds is cooking up.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go boot up Raft.
External resources:
- The official Subnautica 2 Steam page for the latest dev updates and EA price announcement
- Switchblade Gaming’s Subnautica 2 release date breakdown for the most thorough Game Pass and co-op details I’ve seen
