This underwater city builder made me care more for my corals than SimCity does for its citizens. Try it at Steam Next Fest

Life Below, an immersive underwater city builder game, emphasizes reef building and ecological challenges over traffic meters. Available at Steam Next Fest.

: Life Below, a new city builder game, focuses on constructing an underwater ecosystem. Players manage coral reefs, fish, and algae instead of humans and traffic. In contrast to SimCity, Life Below involves a blend of magic and reality, emphasizing ecological challenges. The game will be featured at the Steam Next Fest from June 9 to 16, 2025.

Life Below is a new underwater city-building game that shifts the focus from managing urban sprawl to restoring fragile marine ecosystems. Instead of building roads and skyscrapers, you cultivate coral reefs, manage fish populations, and battle pollution—all while protecting the ocean from environmental collapse.

Developed by Megapop and published by Kasedo Games, the game features Thalassa, a mythical guardian of the sea, as the central character. Your job is to revive underwater biodiversity using magical water spirits, balancing resource collection with ecological preservation. It’s a city builder that rewards restoration over expansion.

Unlike traditional city sims, Life Below introduces challenges like marine heatwaves, invasive lionfish, and chemical runoff. You’ll need to adapt strategies to protect your growing reef, where the survival of each coral and fish species depends on your choices. The experience is more personal and emotional than most city builders.

The game’s story, written by award-winning author Rhianna Pratchett, blends narrative-driven gameplay with real-world ecological science. The developers worked with marine biologists to ensure accuracy and are also committed to accessibility, designing the game to be inclusive for a wide range of players.

A free demo will be available during Steam Next Fest from June 9–16, 2025. With its blend of strategy, heart, and environmental focus, Life Below offers a fresh and meaningful twist on the city-building genre.

Sources: PC Gamer, Steam, Kasedo Games, Netto’s Game Room

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