Skip to main content

Aquatico

The resource management is deep, but the city itself never quite feels like a city.
Aquatico Game Cover
68%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
optimization, stability
68% User Score Based on 530 reviews
Critic Score 68%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
Buy Nowfrom $6.44
Buy NowGet on Steam €7.49
Aquatico Game Cover

About

Aquatico is a single player open world strategy game. It was developed by Digital Reef Games and was released on January 12, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Aquatico is a single-player, open-world city-builder game set on the ocean floor, where players must build a unique underwater city to escape a dying world. The game features excellent gameplay, splendid visuals, and beautiful music, as well as the challenges of managing resources, temperature, and depth to survive in the diverse biomes of the sea. Construct core infrastructure on the seabed and house your people in the safety of domed layers above, but be wary of the dangers that lurk in the depths."

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Aquatico screenshot
Aquatico screenshot
Aquatico screenshot
Aquatico screenshot
Aquatico screenshot
Aquatico screenshot
Aquatico screenshot
Aquatico screenshot
Aquatico screenshot
Aquatico screenshot
Aquatico screenshot
+3
Skip User Reviews

68%
Audience ScoreBased on 530 reviews
gameplay31 positive mentions
stability7 negative mentions
  • Beautiful underwater visuals and immersive atmosphere.
  • Engaging city-building mechanics with a variety of buildings and resources.
  • Active developer support and frequent updates based on community feedback.
  • Lacks meaningful gameplay challenges and objectives, leading to a sense of aimlessness.
  • UI and controls can be clunky and unintuitive, making navigation frustrating.
  • Game feels unbalanced, with citizens demanding luxury items too early in the gameplay.
  • gameplay
    162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Aquatico" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its lack of depth and meaningful mechanics, leading to a repetitive experience. While the game offers a visually stunning underwater setting and a relaxing atmosphere, it suffers from poorly implemented mechanics, bugs, and a disconnect between its narrative and gameplay elements. Some players appreciate the simplicity and accessibility of the mechanics, but overall, the game is criticized for being unoriginal and lacking engaging challenges, making it more suitable for casual play rather than those seeking a complex city-building experience.

    • “The gameplay is simple yet engaging, allowing you to explore the vast and mysterious underwater world at your own pace.”
    • “The game's underwater setting immediately captured my attention and the opportunity to start over in a new world below the tides added a layer of excitement and intrigue to the gameplay.”
    • “Fascinating gameplay of building your city, a large number of opportunities for development and pumping, a variety of different buildings.”
    • “The game is abandoned, unfinished, lacks polish and meaningful gameplay challenges.”
    • “In combat, you are attacked by enemies that could as well be enemy spaceships in another setting - they just fly in, do damage and leave; the rest of the mechanics don’t even care that you are under the water.”
    • “The mechanics are just bad!”
  • graphics
    93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their beauty and atmospheric quality, particularly in the underwater setting, which many players find calming and immersive. While some users noted that the interface could be improved and that the graphics may not be groundbreaking compared to other titles, the overall aesthetic and attention to detail have been highlighted as strong points, contributing to a relaxing gameplay experience. Despite a few criticisms regarding the art style and occasional technical issues, the visuals are generally regarded as a standout feature of the game.

    • “The game's stunning visuals and immersive environments make it a joy to dive into and explore.”
    • “The graphics are gorgeous, with families of manta rays swimming by - it's like looking at an aquarium.”
    • “From the stunning visuals to the tranquil soundtrack, every aspect of the game is designed to create a serene and relaxing atmosphere.”
    • “I don't like the interface; the graphics could be better, especially if you use UE4 and then switch to UE5.”
    • “The graphics look 10 years old.”
    • “This strange Unity cell-shaded graphics is just off-putting.”
  • story
    85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the game is generally perceived as weak and lacking meaningful interaction, with many players feeling it serves merely as a backdrop for resource management rather than a compelling narrative. While there are thematic elements and a post-apocalyptic setting, the disconnect between the story and gameplay mechanics detracts from the overall experience, leaving players wanting more depth and engaging quests. Despite some updates hinting at future improvements, the current storyline is often described as uninspiring and insufficiently integrated into the gameplay.

    • “Still needs work, still being developed, but it's all going in the right direction and the new story/campaign mode definitely adds something good to the mix.”
    • “The research tree is almost seamlessly integrated into the storyline while you build your undersea environment, juggle finances, resources, and the needs of your growing community.”
    • “I do recommend the game, it's an underwater colony sim, tweaking income at every new research and progression, it has a good storyline, aka the Atlantis campaign, I love it.”
    • “Again, this story might as well not exist because the player doesn't interact with it in a meaningful way beyond completing the game's production chains.”
    • “There's also the complete lack of a story that amounts to delivering resources to make a giant base and the event chains that are in the game have so little effect and are so infrequent they may as well not be in the game until finished or more accurately if the devs even finish fleshing them out.”
    • “The campaign storyline is weak with a few arbitrary exploration requirements and the major objective to develop a structure requiring tons of resources.”
  • music
    33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its dynamic and immersive qualities, featuring tranquil melodies that enhance the underwater exploration experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to create a serene atmosphere, with a mix of soothing ambient tunes and more energetic tracks that complement gameplay moments. Overall, the music is considered a standout aspect, contributing significantly to the game's ambiance and enjoyment.

    • “The game's dynamic soundtrack enhances the immersive experience, with tranquil melodies that perfectly complement the underwater setting.”
    • “From soothing ambient tunes to more energetic tracks during moments of discovery, the soundtrack adds another layer of immersion to the gameplay.”
    • “From the stunning visuals to the tranquil soundtrack, every aspect of the game is designed to create a serene and relaxing atmosphere.”
    • “Annoying music, no feeling of connection between drones and buildings, presence is weak, it's like you were on the ground, with water added effects.”
    • “Also, I'm almost positive that some of the songs in the soundtrack are the exact same songs in Stellaris.”
    • “The music, sounds, and effects are on par with the expectation of the theme.”
  • optimization
    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as framerate drops and technical glitches, particularly on lower-end hardware. While some users note that the game runs smoothly without crashes, the overall sentiment leans towards dissatisfaction due to the lack of effective optimization and the developers' limited updates to address these concerns. Overall, the game's performance is seen as a major drawback, impacting the experience for a substantial number of players.

    • “Runs smoothly and the colors chosen are perfect for the game.”
    • “Further content and optimizations will put this game in my favorite city builder range next to Anno 1800.. nice job devs.”
    • “About performance: they did a great job since then.”
    • “And the sad truth is the devs have pretty much abandoned this game outside of a few bare minimum performance updates.”
    • “The game has serious performance issues, even when the options are all turned down it still gets into heavy lagging screens and when I enter the exploration map and return to the world map it 'forgets' the changed options, like I turned off shadows to get rid of the performance issues; I switch screens, and the shadows are turned back on.”
    • “Horribly optimized, to a point where it's borderline unplayable sometimes.”
  • atmosphere
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its calming and immersive undersea visuals, complemented by excellent graphics and a serene soundtrack that enhances the relaxing gameplay experience. Players appreciate the therapeutic qualities of the environment, which invites them to unwind while building their underwater city. However, some express a desire for more content to prolong their enjoyment of this tranquil aquatic world.

    • “The game’s immersive aquatic atmosphere provides a fresh and exciting twist on the genre.”
    • “From the stunning visuals to the tranquil soundtrack, every aspect of the game is designed to create a serene and relaxing atmosphere.”
    • “Players have praised the game for its beautiful graphics and calming atmosphere, with many describing it as a therapeutic experience.”
    • “It resembles the atmosphere of Subnautica.”
    • “A lot of buildings available for construction, high-quality sounds immerse you in the atmosphere of the ocean and high-level graphics!”
    • “There's such an atmosphere, such music, and a very meditative gameplay that plunges you headlong into the city that you are building. I'm just delighted with this game.”
  • stability
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game is mixed, with some players reporting significant bugs, performance issues, and frequent freezes, particularly when managing larger bases or on lower-end hardware. However, others have praised its performance, noting that it runs smoothly on platforms like the Steam Deck and older PCs, with minimal glitches. Overall, while some users experience frustrating technical problems, others find the game to be polished and stable.

    • “Game runs great on Steam Deck.”
    • “Looks great, runs great, and I haven't encountered a bug or crash yet - very polished release!”
    • “Been anticipating it, and I have to say I'm not disappointed at all; beautiful and runs great on older PCs.”
    • “It has nothing unique to offer, and poorly implemented/buggy mechanics make playing this game not worth it.”
    • “This game is so buggy.”
    • “Game constantly freezes.”
  • grinding
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, often feeling disinterested due to a lack of meaningful rewards for completing tasks. While the visuals are praised, the gameplay can become monotonous, especially in the endgame where tasks feel repetitive and uninspired. Some users express hope for improvement, noting potential depth if developers address these issues.

    • “It becomes grinding to keep on top.”
    • “The biggest mistake in game design is making a player feel totally disinterested in what’s going on in front of their eyes - twice as big of a mistake in the actionless genre of city-builders, because unless given a strong incentive to do what needs to be done, it all feels like tedious, boring work.”
    • “It feels tedious since there's no actual reward for completing a task, only 'good job, here's another task'.”
  • replayability
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the sense of discovery and engaging gameplay that encourages extended playtime, some express concerns about a lack of content and options for diversifying experiences. The tranquil atmosphere and intuitive mechanics contribute positively, but the desire for more variety may limit long-term replay value for some.

    • “The sense of wonder and excitement that comes from discovering new sights and secrets adds depth and replayability to the game.”
    • “It's actually really solid, a little simpler than most modern building games but still has enough complexity to make the game engaging and replayable.”
    • “The game offers a lot of content and replayability, and I found myself sinking hours into it without even realizing it.”
    • “While the game's tranquil atmosphere and relaxing gameplay are enjoyable, some players may find themselves wishing for more content or replay value to extend their time in the underwater world.”
    • “This will unfortunately hamper the game's replayability in the long run.”
    • “Not many options to diversify gameplay, so not sure about replayability.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express deep appreciation for Aquatico, highlighting its ability to create a beautiful and immersive underwater experience that evokes strong emotional connections.

    • “A heartfelt thank you to the developers of Aquatico for creating such a beautiful and immersive underwater experience.”
    • “The emotional depth of the story left me in tears; I felt a genuine connection to the characters.”
    • “Every moment in the game resonated with me, making me reflect on my own life and emotions.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users find the humor in the game's mechanics to be hit or miss; while some aspects, like the drastic changes in beauty ratings, can be amusing, the frustration of dealing with misplaced pipes detracts from the overall comedic experience. Overall, the humor is perceived as inconsistent and sometimes annoying rather than genuinely funny.

    • “It's funny when we have a dome that is sitting at +100 beauty and the next thing you know it's -829!”
    • “It looks interesting, but meh... it's not funny, at least not for me.”
    • “The humor falls flat and feels forced throughout the game.”
    • “I expected more laughs, but the jokes just didn't land.”
Skip Critic Reviews

68%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy Aquatico

7h Median play time
7h Average play time
3-12h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Aquatico

Games Like Aquatico

Settlement Survival Image
87%5.2kreviews

Settlement Survival

2022Survival Strategy
PCEpic GamesMac OS+1
Patron Image
74%1.7kreviews

Patron

2021Open World Role Playing
PCWindows
Aven Colony Image
71%2.2kreviews

Aven Colony

2017Survival City Builder
Xbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5+5
New Cycle Image
85%1.7kreviews

New Cycle

2024Strategy
PCWindows
Endzone: A World Apart Image
72%4kreviews

Endzone: A World Apart

2021Survival Strategy
Xbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5+4
More games like Aquatico
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Aquatico is a open world strategy game.

Aquatico is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing Aquatico.

Aquatico was released on January 12, 2023.

Aquatico was developed by Digital Reef Games.

Aquatico has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its optimization.

Aquatico is a single player game.

Similar games include Settlement Survival, Patron, Aven Colony, New Cycle, Endzone: A World Apart and others.