The Abyss Below
Broken Relay · 2026 · Exploration, Underwater, Submarine, 3D, Simulation
PC
Positive80% · 45
This game is free to play. Get it on Steam →
Screenshots
About The Abyss Below
The year is 1997.Listening stations have detected a massive, non-biological sonar anomaly at the bottom of a remote sector of the Pacific Ocean. Its acoustic signature matches no known terrestrial vessel, and its exact location remains unknown.You are sent in a small submersible to investigate possible targets, identify the source of the signal, and report your findings back to the surface.The Abyss Below is a short PSX-style deep-sea psychological horror game about isolation, limited visibility, and discovering something that should not exist. The entire experience is designed to be played in a single sitting, taking about an hour to complete.
Navigate by Instruments
Visibility is almost zero, and there is no clean HUD. Use the physical instruments inside your cockpit to stay on course: sonar, depth, map, and onboard telemetry.Follow coordinates and read sonar returns as you move through dark underwater terrain. Your front window only shows fragments of what is ahead — the rest must be understood through sound, signals, and instruments.Scan Unknown Targets
Reach each target, maneuver into optimal range, and use onboard sensors to send scan data back to the surface.Each scan reveals another piece of the mystery, drawing you closer to the source of the anomaly.Trace the Source of the Anomaly
Follow the trail of strange targets through the dark and send your findings back to the surface.What begins as a search for an unknown sonar anomaly gradually leads toward something hidden beneath the seafloor. Distorted radio contact, impossible structures, and unexplained signals begin to reshape the mission piece by piece.Something down there has been waiting for a very long time.And every scan brings you closer to it.Features
- PSX-style deep-sea psychological horror
- Claustrophobic submarine exploration
- No traditional HUD — read physical cockpit instruments
- Sonar-based navigation in near-zero visibility
- Scan and identify mysterious underwater targets
- Mission-driven story set in 1997
- Slow-burn horror focused on tension, discovery, and isolation
- Distorted radio communication and oppressive underwater audio
- Short, focused horror experience (approx. 1 hour playtime)
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
Overall a 6.5/10. A great premise, and heavy inspiration from Iron Lung, with an expanded gameplay and mediocre story. The gameplay was quite good, and the overall horror aspect was solid, if faulty in a few areas. I got jumpscared at least 2-4 times, and they didn't feel cheap. Certain aspects of the game were very memorable, like the cave and the floating lights, but is overshadowed by a story filled with exposition by an office worker who pretends to sound intrigued but in reality can't wait until lunch arrives. I can forgive this however, as the creator is planning a Chapter 2, as well as it only being 5 euros. (4 euros when I got it), which is a very good price. I would highly recommend playing iron lung instead if you're looking for a horror submarine game, but if you've already played it or been spoiled, this is a solid game, and there was nothing worth hating on. Also works great on Linux through Proton.1 found this helpful
Almost a carbon copy of Iron Lung, similar mechanics and everything. Movement is slow and clunky to pad out playtime. Just play Iron Lung, I don't recommend this game
Overall score / Итоговый балл: 8.1/10 A great, atmospheric, and short game that's well worth the money. Отличная, атмосферная и короткая игра, которая определённо стоит своих денег. ---{ Graphics / Графика }--- ☐ Can't look at it / Невозможно смотреть ☐ Bad / Плохо ☐ Decent / Неплохо ☑ Good / Хорошо ☐ Beautiful / Красиво ☐ You forget what reality is / Забываешь, что такое реальность ---{ Visual Style / Визуальный стиль }--- ☐ Can't look at it / Невозможно смотреть ☐ Bad / Плохо ☐ Decent / Неплохо ☐ Good / Хорошо ☐ Beautiful / Красиво ☑ Unique and amazing / Уникально и круто ---{ Gameplay / Геймплей }--- ☐ Just don't / Лучше не надо ☐ Watch paint dry instead / Лучше смотреть, как сохнет краска ☐ Mehh / Ну такое ☑ It's just gameplay / Просто геймплей ☐ Good / Хорошо ☐ Very good / Очень хорошо ---{ Audio / Звук }--- ☐ I'm now deaf / Я оглох ☐ Bad / Плохо ☐ Decent / Неплохо ☑ Good / Хорошо ☐ Very good / Очень хорошо ☐ Eargasm / Ушной оргазм ---{ Controls / Управление }--- ☐ Fights you constantly / Постоянно сражается с вами ☐ Awkward / Неуклюжее ☐ Passable / Приемлемо ☐ Good / Хорошее ☑ Very good / Очень хорошее ☐ Invisible / Незаметное ---{ Performance / Производительность }--…
I really enjoy deep sea horror, so this game was fun for me. It's not exactly a fast-paced game and there really isn't a whole lot to do other than drive the sub and occasionally scan things. The scary bits are good. I do wish the story would be a bit longer, although at the time of me writing this review, it looks like there's a content update in the works, so looking forward to that.
Short and largely fun little mini-submarine horror experience ala 'Iron Lung'. Fun for a short session. There are a couple times I would have thought our intrepid submariner might have remarked to the surface (he was in contact with a radio operator, leastways the surface could talk to our submariner) about some stuff. But he was silent as a mouse. Oh and the second anomaly was refusing to acknowledge for scanning for awhile. I had to turn the map indicator on to confirm I had not somehow wandered to a wrong place. But I was in the right spot. It just wouldn't scan even though I was 'green' on the indicator. Eventually I found the apparent sweet spot but it was annoying. Also - the sub turns ssssooooo ssssslllllllooooooowwwww! Still, fun for a short jaunt.
It was a very quick game. I'm not sure it worth the whole 5 dollars yet. Chapter 2 is in development so it will be worth it more. I beat the game in about 45 min. Atmosphere and story was good so its a positive vote for me
Community reviews
—
0 reviews
Sign in to write a review.
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this game.
