Subnautica
An underwater survival and exploration game.
Where Subnautica comes up3 episodes and tests
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit, with the designer of Islanders and Thronefall testHow to find amazing game ideas
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testHow To Think Like A Game Designer
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testThe Games That Designed ThemselvesSubnautica began as a pitch for Minecraft underwater, a setting swap on a proven game. Its team judged each mechanic against a one-line vision, the thrill of the unknown, and let the game drift into horror, which was not the original plan. Lesson: borrow a proven structure, anchor decisions in a short vision, and stay open to the game finding its own tone.
- 1Pitched as Minecraft underwaterExisting game moved into a new setting
- 2Anchored on one vision"Thrill of the unknown" judged each mechanic
- 3Listened to the gameGame showed where it wanted to go
- 4Ended up horrorThat was not the original intention
From Subnautica design notes, Charlie Cleveland
What was said about Subnautica
Subnautica started from Minecraft and changed the setting to underwater. Subnautica was pitched as Minecraft underwater. It is an example of taking an existing game and moving it into a new setting, then exploring the design space that opens up.
The same source lists Satisfactory as Factorio in first person and Among Us as coming from Werewolf-style social games. It says none are clones, because the change and the designer's own influences take the game somewhere new.
Subnautica judged its mechanics against one vision: "thrill of the unknown". The team anchored design decisions in a short vision phrase, "thrill of the unknown", and used it to judge each mechanic.
A vision can be a phrase, a fantasy, a feeling or a specific experience. Resident Evil Village used "struggle to survive" to guide rebalancing combat after playtesters disliked it.
Subnautica became a horror game without that being the plan. Designer Charlie Cleveland says you think you know where you are headed, but if you listen to the game it will tell you where it wants to go. Subnautica ended up a horror game even though that was not the intention at the start.
Quote: "if you listen to the game it will tell you where it wants to go." The lesson is to stay open to a change of genre or tone from your original intent.
How to find amazing game ideas
It was pitched as Minecraft underwater, an example of starting from an existing game and changing its setting.
Subnautica started from Minecraft and changed the setting to underwater. Subnautica was pitched as Minecraft underwater. It is an example of taking an existing game and moving it into a new setting, then exploring the design space that opens up.
The same source lists Satisfactory as Factorio in first person and Among Us as coming from Werewolf-style social games. It says none are clones, because the change and the designer's own influences take the game somewhere new.
How To Think Like A Game Designer
It used the vision "thrill of the unknown" to judge every mechanic.
Subnautica judged its mechanics against one vision: "thrill of the unknown". The team anchored design decisions in a short vision phrase, "thrill of the unknown", and used it to judge each mechanic.
A vision can be a phrase, a fantasy, a feeling or a specific experience. Resident Evil Village used "struggle to survive" to guide rebalancing combat after playtesters disliked it.
The Games That Designed Themselves
Charlie Cleveland says the game will tell you where it wants to go. His studio ended up making a horror game, though that was not the plan at the start.
Subnautica became a horror game without that being the plan. Designer Charlie Cleveland says you think you know where you are headed, but if you listen to the game it will tell you where it wants to go. Subnautica ended up a horror game even though that was not the intention at the start.
Quote: "if you listen to the game it will tell you where it wants to go." The lesson is to stay open to a change of genre or tone from your original intent.
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