Diving into Dread: My Terrifying Encounter with a Thalassophobia-Inducing Sport Game at Steam Next Fest 2025

I have harbored a longstanding fear of vast expanses of water, perhaps due to my upbringing right in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. Alternatively, the sheer volume terrifies me to the extent that I can only manage to drift in a lake or, heaven forbid, the ocean, for a few moments before panic sets in. I discovered my thalassophobia during my childhood while water-skiing in an inland lake. I fell, and when my head was briefly submerged, I opened my eyes and glanced downward. I didn’t observe anything in particular, yet I instinctively knew I never wanted to witness that again.

What could be infinitely more unsettling than that experience? Encountering something – a fish, some aquatic plants, or anything that would remind me that I am not buoyed by solid ground. What would profoundly paralyze me with dread would be the sight of something truly massive, such as a shipwreck. My palms genuinely become sweaty just thinking about it, and thus, it seems utterly illogical that I decided to engage in a brand-new horror game demo at Steam Next Fest that centers on taking photographs of shipwrecks on the ocean floor.

But that’s precisely what I did! Call me a masochist, or perhaps just an enthusiast of fear, but I enjoy the feeling of vulnerability, and goodness, this game, The Void Below, is the most frightening game I have played this year. The concept is simple: you are piloting a faulty submersible alone with the objective of investigating a mysterious occurrence that’s causing ships to sink with increasing frequency. You utilize sonar to locate wreck sites, exit your submersible, and capture images of various points of interest. Occasionally, you also need to leave the submersible to perform repairs. Your oxygen supply decreases rapidly, amplifying the anxiety of being near terrifying objects far beneath the ocean’s surface.

Of course, being a horror game, shipwrecks are not the only enormous entities lurking below. As you progress through the very brief demo, you will encounter increasing threats.

To clarify, I can’t go as far as to claim that The Void Below is scarier than Subnautica. In fact, I prefer not to compare the two games at all, despite their similar atmospheres. However, I will state that playing The Void Below triggered my thalassophobia more intensely and effectively. There were moments within the 30-minute demo where I had to pause the game and pet my cat for a moment to calm my racing heart, and while Subnautica always manages to leave me feeling deeply uneasy, I can’t recall ever experiencing a visceral reaction like that.

I might not be able to pinpoint the elements of The Void Below that make it so disturbing for me, but I will wholeheartedly commend it for its graphics and sound design. Despite the PS1-era pixelation, the ocean depths in this game are compelling, meaning there’s an overwhelming darkness in places that are not illuminated by your submersible’s searchlight, which casts light on the sediment-thin.