I am an ocean lover. I grew up where I could hear the ocean from my bedroom window and could feel the salt air and sand any time I wanted to. As I grew up, I moved across the country but never outgrew my love of the ocean, and I get there any time I can.  Not only do the sounds and sights make me calm, but I am also passionate about the creatures and animals below the surface, and this brings me to a game I was instantly drawn to when I first saw it, Life Below.

Life Below is an indie strategy and simulation game from Megapop and Kasedo Games and is easily one of the most beautiful games I’ve played this year.  It was released a few weeks ago, but I had a hard time bringing myself to stop playing long enough to write this review.

It’s on PC but has controller support, which is lovely to have that option when you’ve primarily been a console gamer.  Plus, this way I could sit back further from my screen and enjoy the beautiful underwater life unfolding in front of me.

There are a lot of cozy city builders out there, and I do love that genre. Life Below stands out because of its setting. Instead of towns and farms, you are tasked with reclaiming, growing and protecting a living coral reef. As expected, this game also has a sweet environmental message throughout as well. Now, I say it’s sweet because it gently reminds you of the importance of protecting these ecosystems, but doesn’t feel preachy.

The writing features the incredibly talented Rhianna Pratchett. Well known in the gaming sphere for various projects, but especially known for the rebooted Tomb Raider series. The story isn’t very deep, but it is warm, cozy and sincere, and I found myself drawn in from the very start when we meet the delightful Thalassa. She is the water spirit chosen by Gaia to protect the reef heart, the lifeforce at the center of your coral reef ecosystem.

You won’t be doing this alone, though. Since you are new to the job, you have a guide, Pontus, to assist you. Your job is to restore the dying reef and attract marine life. You must also manage your resources and prevent environmental collapse from pollution, imbalance and corruption that spreads along the ocean floor. While this may appear to be a simple building and management sim, it is a delicate balance. A slower process than I anticipated, and I failed spectacularly on my first run. Once I learned to slow down and read and plan, there was something beautiful and relaxing about watching my reef come back to life in front of my eyes.

Gameplay-wise, Life Below is straightforward and follows the style of other builders: gather resources, build structures, research new items, expand your territory and balance your systems.

The materials you gather the most are coral matter and pearls, and they are harvested by the most adorable little water sprite helpers. Watching these little sprites go back and forth, harvesting, storing and building, never failed to put a smile on my face.  Watching them gave the whole underwater world just a little more personality than simply clicking on boxes and menus. 

While the coral is beautiful, luring in marine species really ups the ‘wow factor’. As you open new items through researching, you’ll be able to build habitats and food sources that attract a variety of species. Starting with small fish, you will eventually attract large species like sharks. These inhabitants all contribute to the growth and stability of your growing ecosystem. The biodiversity loop is the core here as you grow, research, build, and grow some more.

Life Below also has something else important to consider when placing your coral or other items. Environmental balance. Certain corals like specific temperatures, pH, algae growth, pollution levels, etc. If they aren’t within acceptable levels, the coral will die. All these need to be monitored to keep your underwater ecosystem stable. These are balanced by growing the correct combination of plants and coral to raise or lower them as needed. Thankfully, this isn’t as complicated as it sounds. The interface is easy to navigate, understand and monitor. Warning markers will appear above the structures that need attention, and green and red meters give obvious indicators if something is going wrong.

While I’m telling you that the campaign will ease you into things and there is a plethora of ways to play, I also acknowledge that this might seem overwhelming or complicated when all you want to do is bask in the beauty of your underwater creations. Thankfully, there are multiple difficulty settings, and I spent most of my time in the lowest difficulty setting to make my time less stressful.  There is also a free play mode allowing you to just focus on building your ecosystem anyway you like without having to worry about the campaign progression.

Multiple view modes in the game allow you to freely move through your ecosystem, looking at specific areas or details from a variety of angles and admire your work and the details in-game.

I’ve talked multiple times about how beautiful Life Below is, and you can see evidence in the screenshots I’m sharing. It is more beautiful when playing, with everything in motion. The different environments each stand out from one another. Different colours, lighting, and biodiversity on full display.

While the soundtrack itself didn’t really stand out too much, the atmosphere and soft ambient music accompanied the calm underwater effects nicely. I preferred the softer musical accompaniment when I was enjoying the game.

If it wasn’t already clear, I LOVED Life Below. It’s beautiful, charming and full of heart. There is also a pack you can buy to support the Whale and Dolphin Conservation charity. Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) is the leading charity dedicated to the protection of whales and dolphins. Beautiful.

If you’re looking for a city builder with a unique twist on the genre, take a dive into Live Below.

Until next time…be good to yourself and be good to each other.

**Special Thanks to Megapop, Kasedo Games and Press Engine for the review code**