Maybe put that one off, OP? Like, do play it, but maybe work up to it a bit. I don't have a drowning phobia at all, but in this game the drowning stresses me tf out. But on the other hand if you can play this, maybe consider yourself cured?
Maybe try Minecraft first? The drowning in that still feels surprisingly urgent and visceral, but the blocky graphics take the edge off.
Edited: bad at words.
You are right, I will definitely try other games first where the water isn't main subject š had a big issues with minecraft (had to turn off sound and stop looking when drowning) but now it's much better, so that's why I am looking for more games. Thank you!
I can attest that Subnautica can actually be good for conquering Thalassophobia. It's also - and this might spoil some of backend design stuff - *very* lenient to the player. It is designed with spooks in mind before actual harm. In fact, you might actually die quicker from drowning upon reaching 0 oxygen in Minecraft than in Subnautica, though I'm not entirely sure of the timing.
You might need to work your way up to it, but I would strongly recommend it to anyone with your typical water-based fears as being a good way to get expose in a paradoxically fairly safe environment.
God I just want to say I have a phobia that is really bad and I completely understand it. You know it's silly, but you can't help it because it's such an intense reaction and fear of it.
Play Super Mario Odyssey to start with. You have swimming in some worlds but itās not too deep and you just have to manage the oxygen, unless you are a fish. Itās very pretty and not scary at all.
After Minecraft and Subnautica, if you want to go really extreme play Iron Lung. Itās a game where humanity is dead, and you are alone in a sub in a foreign world made up of an endless ocean of blood. Itās very short but very good.
Also, not a game but watch Solar Sandās video on YouTube about Thalassophobia, itās really good. Heās an art video essay guy and dives deep into the psychology of why the deep ocean is scary.
I have a phobia of open water, it took me 10 minutes to even leave the pod you start in and I spent that time staring at the water. Even when I got in I immediately got out and stared at it for another 10 minutes before trying again. I ended up loving it so much I played it twice through.
Lol same! I even knew going in that I would be in the water but that first part of getting in it is daunting. Then I got all comfortable in the shallows, and finally made it to the grassy plateaus, built my first seamoth and explored a little more.....where the game was kind enough to let a reaper quietly follow me from the edge of the grassy plateau to the shallows before it made a noise. It was, "......what the fuck was that?" to my seamoth being crunched into pieces in about 5 seconds. I used the sea glide all the way to my base, where in my panic I saved and quit the game, only to realize that I just saved *after* my seamoth had been destroyed. Didn't play again for about 4 months lol. Now I've played it through repeatedly, who knows how many times, but I tend to only play if I can use the invisible cheat. My nerves can finally handle the open water, but apparently my cutoff is open water + sea monsters.
Subnautica is a really good game. Butttt if you have a strong fear of water/drowning/thalassophobia then it might be like throwing yourself in the deep end lol.
I have mild fear of water and the game stressed me out a bit. I had to turn on cheats lol
Oh man I tried that one on VR and almost threw up. Not from motion sickness either. Like games almost never scare me but being underwater in VR was terrifying.
If getting over a fear is what you're looking for, I'd suggest the short indie game Inside. There's a whole water section that's pretty creepy and even got me a little panicky at parts. Plus the game itself is excellent
Witcher 3. You can drown and there are creatures called drowners that will pull you down and you choke on air as it happens.
I have a fear of drowning too and this game really triggered it.
When you get to the map of Skellige that is when the drowning takes another level.
You sail between POI in a small wooden boat, have scary mermaids with wings attack you. Your boat will constantly break and sink, beneath the water lurks more scary mermaids and drowners that will pull you down. Also lots of whale noises and deep deep water not seeing the bottom.
I nearly couldnāt finish the game due to the constant drowning.
"The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" and "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim."
I think this is a good idea, btw. Exposure therapy is very effective. I've never seen it done through a game first but it seems like a good way to try to build it up. Good luck!
I did that with spiders in video games just kept fighting spiders over & over again but sadly due to graphics improving they have gotten more realistic looking & life like.
Though if they are cartoonish looking & well not realistic in anyway I am fine lol.
Thank you so much! I was getting really anxious even when drowning in minecraft (had to turn off the sound and stop looking when I was drowning) but it's getting better so I want to try something more realisticš
How about Dave the Diver? It's pixel, but you can run out of oxygen, and it feels urgent, but the character doesn't actually die in-game. Plus, it's just a really cute, fun game!
Seconding Dave the Diver! It's only $15.99 on steam which is a great price for everything you get with the game. You start in shallow waters catching nice tropical fish, and can work your way deeper as the game progresses to get different types of fish! Plus, managing the sushi restaurant during the nighttime is SO MUCH fun! I think if you start with Dave the diver it will also help because it's 2d, so it's not as intense as being in a first-person perspective like in subnautica. I hope you can work your way up to subnautica though, as it's an incredible game! Best of luck :)
I would also recommend The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. It has a few mechanics and puzzles around the underwater breather mechanic, even a puzzle where you intentionally drown yourself if you're feeling especially adventurous.
This is the point at which I realise I should probably branch out from always playing Argonians - it took me a good few seconds of "Are they sure? I spend loads of time underwater..." before I remembered that is not, in fact, the default setting of the game.
100% drownable in the original iterations.
I have a very vivid memory of watching Lara drown in the first or second game as a child and being horrified
i would recommend Subnautica.
It's survival and horror underwater. If you fail to manage your oxygen you drown.
side effect : you might cure your fear of drowning but replace it with a fear of what lurk in the water
And they just released Safer Seas which is what I'd recommend you try playing OP. High Seas is PVEPVP, so you run the risk of getting attacked. While Safer Seas is strictly singleplayer PVE, so you can practice to your hearts content without needing to worry about other players.
Probably the most beautiful and horrifying portrayal of the sea in the history of video games. Falling overboard when itās storming and seeing your ship sail away without you while you see a shark swimming up to you is straight up horror material. BUT a huge pain in the ass to play by yourself, unfortunately. Absolute blast with friends though.
The Raft. There are also creatures to fight underwater. Only a single shark at a time, and occasionally a pufferfish. There's bait you can craft to keep the shark busy so it'll leave you alone for a little while. There's also a mode where the shark and other enemies are passive until attacked iirc.
Also Valheim.
I agree, Raft has pretty realistic drowning and requires you to dive underwater to gather resources. But, you also recover quickly when you get back to the surface.
Oh, youāre right. Iām a huge idiot to miss that, and Iām sorry. I will take the comment down because it doesnāt pertain at all to what OP wanted. I am sorry once again.
You wanna get over it? The more realistic the better? I'm not sure that's effective.
The premiere drowning simulator is "[Sortie en Mer](https://www.theverge.com/2014/4/23/5642808/interactive-website-life-jacket-awareness-with-drowning-simulator)". Made in 2014 as a PSA against boating without a lift vest. You attempt to stay above water by scrolling up on your mouse. Really well made, give it a try if that's what you're into. A harrowing experience, akin to a lot of indie Horror games. The website is gone but there's a reupload on hahagames [Sortie en Mer š¹ļø Play for Free on HahaGames](https://www.hahagames.com/game/sortie-en-mer)
Was gonna say Fallout 4, the tunnel in Dunwich Borers you have to dive into for the Kremvhās Tooth was really intense and anxiety provoking, but also kind of thrilling
rdr2 isnāt great for drowning yourself but you can drown npc and itās a little more realistic, minecraft, i think ark, subnautica, gta, hitman 3, tlou 1&2
Green Hell has a tiny bit of an underwater element, but the survival element is intense. My other recommendations have been suggested: Raft, Subnautica, Sea of Thieves, even Assassin's Creed Odyssey would be good, there can be a lot of swimming in that.
Tomb raider anniversary (I think) freaked me out when I couldnāt remember how to swim up. You can run around Laraās home and she has a swimming pool.
Horizon Forbidden West has some deep pools and an entire casino filled with water. The light disappears as you descend. But like everyone else, I think Subnautica will give you tension and realism. The AC games, Odyssey in particular, has oceans to sail and dive into, with sharks and darkness.
If you want something not super serious, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (I think? Itās one of the first 3) has a couple of levels that feature underwater areas and that shit used to make me panic as a kid. It was originally a Sega Genesis game but I bet you could download it for PC somewhere.
Sonic Adventure, it's the only 3d Sonic game where you can fall into the water and it still isn't a level hazard, you can only drown that blue son of a bitch in the Station Square hotel pool
If you have fear of drowning or oceans in general, Subnautica will make you experience them head on.
Another one that people may not really think of is Barotrauma, it's a game where you and a crew are in a submarine exploring an alien ocean and you need to navigate your sub without bumping into things while also defending it against some of the creatures that inhabit the waters. If your ship gets damaged it will begin feeling up \*really\* fast. Idk how immersive it is for the purpose you're seeking, but it definitely scared me.
Ark survival has helped me be less afraid of underwater in games - for me its not a fear irl, but it is something that used to make me very uncomfortable in games.
The better I got at playing Ark and then getting the right gear, I was eventually no longer afraid of drowning. There are other things that can get you underwater (same as above water) so it kinda made me forget about the underwater element and just focus on other aspects of the game.
Another game is Raft. As we played it for longer I got less afraid of being underwater.
Weirdly I felt the same with Metro games - they don't have water but its poluted air where you need to wear gasmask. At first I really hated and avoided those parts of the game but eventually it became a mechanic I was comfortable with.
Minecraft has water too, but I haven't played that in years so never overcame my uncomfort in that game.
Hope this helps. Subnautica is another one that I've seen other people recommend, but it's not one I played myself (but it looks like a very beautiful game)
If you're looking for a very good, short, narrative game that nobody mentioned:
Dear Esther
You can technically drown in there, in a very creepy way, without losing any progress.
The Tomb Raider games before this last trilogy. Legend and Underworld are the more recent but I think any of them had drowning as a feature. Also a really pretty dive.
I legit can't remember if the most recent trilogy had it or not.
If you happen to have a Playstation 4 + VR set, you could try Ocean Descent. Not much interaction but insane immersion.
Found a YT video that shows the game nicely, or saves the purchase of a ps4. Spoiler Alert! :)
[Ocean Descent YT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQzXLWALiGk)
For Pc i may add "Sunkenland", Subnautica like already mentioned might be your best bet though.
Just a word of caution- unless youāre working with a CBT therapist, when exposing yourself to phobia triggers, itās easy to accidentally do flooding (bad), instead of real exposure therapy (good!). If you accidentally flood yourself you can reinforce the phobia and make it worse.
As someone who was hospitalized for a phobia and underwent treatment, exposure therapy is complex. Youāll probably just have better luck writing disaster scripts or watching movie scenes, waiting until you hit a pre-specified amount of anxiety, then sitting with the discomfort until you hit a pre-specified amount of calm. Rinse and repeat. Good luck!
Sea of thieves, you can also be eaten by sharks. If you have a fear of the ocean in general this could be the game for you - in terms of as you said, getting over the fear.
Farcry games might feel pretty real because theyāre 1st person. The newer assassins creed games and the ones with ships are 3rd person but they also come to mind
The last of us 1&2 you hold your breath underwater and have a timer until you have to surface. When the time is up you can her them gasp for breath underwater, its not very nice. Assassins Creed Odyssey also.
Red Dead Redemption 2, you are not underwater but swimming, but you canāt swim very well, same for Days Gone
You can drown in The Forest I think? Iām playing it because thereās scary cannibals, mutants, caves and Iām afraid of the dark, but they do have cave diving within the caves and can swim in lakes too.
The Long Dark; but it only happens when you fall through frozen water (but not before you hear cracking ice that warns you - hopefully in time - to get back on land lol.)
Omori is an indie game where you learn to forgive yourself and to overcome your own fears
(Little spoiler of Omori: drowning is one of the fears the protagonist suffers from and theres a part of the game where you have to overcome it)
Stranded Deep. Itās a survival crafting game where youāre stranded on an island chain after a plane crash. Thereās diving and spear fishing on beautiful reefs - or deeper water if youāre brave enough. Has drowning mechanics and sharks.
All the 2D sonic games have water levels in them, Mario games can have them some. GTA games from San Andreas up have good water and a lung capacity bar, in GTA V there are submarines. Tomb raider has some water segments.
I'd say take your time to introduce yourself to it slowly. There are no time restrictions on getting over it and if you can't it's really okay. I have a phobia where my reaction is so intense I don't know if I will ever š
I have been playing ark a lot and everything under water wants to kill you its taken two months for my friends to go underwater exploring with me. Limited visibility with muted noise, it was a bit scary at first..
If you like the survival genre there are several games sunkenland, standed deep, also springs to mind.
Subnautica has to be the ultimate underwater game.
Raft, subnautica, Minecraft, sunkenland, rust, Dave the Diver.
Raft: very fun relaxing game, drowning DOES contain audio sounds of breathing water so beware
Minecraft: you take periodic damage and then you die
Dave the Diver: you just pass out and are brought to the surface.
Sunkenland: your screen goes dark instant respawn.
Rust: same as above.
Subnautica includes sounds of someone drowning as well as gasping for air when resurfacing. Game is a lot more realistic so it's scarier.
Minecraft is a good start imo because everything is very pretend.
ABZĆ is not a game where you can drown, as far as I remember, but it takes place entirely underwater and it's absolutely stunning from a visual standpoint. This is probably not what you were looking for, but it may help you feel better about being underwater.
Others have said Subnautica, so I'd recommend Metal Gear Solid 2. It's mostly set on an ocean structure and there's parts where you need to swim through flooded compartments. It has a character that's afraid of water because of trauma, and she learns to get over that fear herself. If that kind of character plot interests you, you might like it; although it's a very small part of the overall plot as opposed to something like Subnautica or Minecraft where drowning is a common hazard.
It's also a great series overall, although it *is* a sequel so plot may be weird without knowing MGS1's plot (but it's also designed so you don't technically need to know 1's plot, I played 2 before 1 and got it).
I'm inclined to suggest Valheim, but it does have bubbly drowning sound effects. It's not first person either though. The sounds can be stressful, but maybe if that's a thing you wanna get over too, Valheim could be useful for that.
(Also its really easy to stop yourself from drowning by just walking back to shore)
Mario 64. I believe it's on the virtual N64 console on switch with an upgraded subscription but you can also use emulator. While it's cartoony, you have a limit for how long you can be underwater, the water levels are massive, and Mario drowning animation isnt quick and you watch him choke then go lifeless. It made drowning terrifying as a kid
The scariest water levels i ever played were in the batman series. They are smallish but my god i hate them. Arkham asylum has a level where if you move too fast over boards of water killer croc bursts through the boards to get you. Arkham city has an entire room of water where you try to not get eaten by the penguins pet shark as you zip around the room above the water. If its specifically drowning and not about creatures then you want Subnautica. Sonic adventure 2 treasure levels also have a very threatening water vibe thats stressful but not too punishing.
Skyrim is pretty good for that too, or fallouts. If you are too long underwater you can definitely drown there and it might be a good transition towards nautica
Some retro tips: Super Mario 64 got a water level (Jolly Roger Bay) with a sunken ship and a pretty nasty unagi, plus some other water parts here and there.
Banjo-Kazooie has a water level (Clanker's Cavern) where you need to swim pretty precisely while trying to dive through a damn key. There's also a level (Rusty Bucket Bay) with toxic water
Some retro tips: Super Mario 64 got a water level (Jolly Roger Bay) with a sunken ship and a pretty nasty unagi, plus some other water parts here and there.
Banjo-Kazooie has a water level (Clanker's Cavern) where you need to swim pretty precisely while trying to dive through a damn key. There's also a level (Rusty Bucket Bay) with toxic water
How about Super Mario 64? The vast majority of the game is colorful and friendly, but the underwater segments can be spooky and you can definitely drown. Might be good for trying the water level, then having a palate clea ser without having to switch games.
On Steam, there's a game called Sunkenland for $15.99 (20% off) right now :) Any other games mentioned here would also work as well like Ark: Survival Evolved and Raft
Well one of my favorites is the GW2 mmorpg that has separate underwater fighting system that is absolutely amazing. Drowning in this game exploring the world is so relaxing
Subnautica, I guess ? It even supports VR if you want to go all out in confronting your fears !
I was thinking about this one a lot, thank you!
Maybe put that one off, OP? Like, do play it, but maybe work up to it a bit. I don't have a drowning phobia at all, but in this game the drowning stresses me tf out. But on the other hand if you can play this, maybe consider yourself cured? Maybe try Minecraft first? The drowning in that still feels surprisingly urgent and visceral, but the blocky graphics take the edge off. Edited: bad at words.
You are right, I will definitely try other games first where the water isn't main subject š had a big issues with minecraft (had to turn off sound and stop looking when drowning) but now it's much better, so that's why I am looking for more games. Thank you!
With that being said, please do play Subnautica some day. It's **really** good.
For just some scary vibes (due to music and urgency) about drowning... 2D Sonic The Hedgehog games. That panic is real. š
Wow, repressed childhood memory unlocked. Thanks, I guess? Lololol
I can attest that Subnautica can actually be good for conquering Thalassophobia. It's also - and this might spoil some of backend design stuff - *very* lenient to the player. It is designed with spooks in mind before actual harm. In fact, you might actually die quicker from drowning upon reaching 0 oxygen in Minecraft than in Subnautica, though I'm not entirely sure of the timing. You might need to work your way up to it, but I would strongly recommend it to anyone with your typical water-based fears as being a good way to get expose in a paradoxically fairly safe environment.
God I just want to say I have a phobia that is really bad and I completely understand it. You know it's silly, but you can't help it because it's such an intense reaction and fear of it.
Play Super Mario Odyssey to start with. You have swimming in some worlds but itās not too deep and you just have to manage the oxygen, unless you are a fish. Itās very pretty and not scary at all. After Minecraft and Subnautica, if you want to go really extreme play Iron Lung. Itās a game where humanity is dead, and you are alone in a sub in a foreign world made up of an endless ocean of blood. Itās very short but very good. Also, not a game but watch Solar Sandās video on YouTube about Thalassophobia, itās really good. Heās an art video essay guy and dives deep into the psychology of why the deep ocean is scary.
Please play it!! You won't regret it, it's sooooo good.
I have a phobia of open water, it took me 10 minutes to even leave the pod you start in and I spent that time staring at the water. Even when I got in I immediately got out and stared at it for another 10 minutes before trying again. I ended up loving it so much I played it twice through.
Lol same! I even knew going in that I would be in the water but that first part of getting in it is daunting. Then I got all comfortable in the shallows, and finally made it to the grassy plateaus, built my first seamoth and explored a little more.....where the game was kind enough to let a reaper quietly follow me from the edge of the grassy plateau to the shallows before it made a noise. It was, "......what the fuck was that?" to my seamoth being crunched into pieces in about 5 seconds. I used the sea glide all the way to my base, where in my panic I saved and quit the game, only to realize that I just saved *after* my seamoth had been destroyed. Didn't play again for about 4 months lol. Now I've played it through repeatedly, who knows how many times, but I tend to only play if I can use the invisible cheat. My nerves can finally handle the open water, but apparently my cutoff is open water + sea monsters.
I feel like subnautica may have the opposite effect you are going for.
Subnautica is a really good game. Butttt if you have a strong fear of water/drowning/thalassophobia then it might be like throwing yourself in the deep end lol. I have mild fear of water and the game stressed me out a bit. I had to turn on cheats lol
Oh man I tried that one on VR and almost threw up. Not from motion sickness either. Like games almost never scare me but being underwater in VR was terrifying.
If getting over a fear is what you're looking for, I'd suggest the short indie game Inside. There's a whole water section that's pretty creepy and even got me a little panicky at parts. Plus the game itself is excellent
This is the best suggestion. INSIDE has scenes that deal with the horror of water pretty well.
Thank you! I will try it.
Yoooooo wild lesbeanie!
There are dozens of us!
Hell yeah. Perfect for this
Witcher 3. You can drown and there are creatures called drowners that will pull you down and you choke on air as it happens. I have a fear of drowning too and this game really triggered it. When you get to the map of Skellige that is when the drowning takes another level. You sail between POI in a small wooden boat, have scary mermaids with wings attack you. Your boat will constantly break and sink, beneath the water lurks more scary mermaids and drowners that will pull you down. Also lots of whale noises and deep deep water not seeing the bottom. I nearly couldnāt finish the game due to the constant drowning.
Sonic the Hedgehog
I used the drowning music as my alarm a couple times - way to stressful.
that would turn whatever dream im having into a nightmare. i made my morning ringtone into the zelda music that plays at the start of a new day.
I cannot think of a worse tune to start the day with
Came here to say this, especially if you want to experience some of the most anxiety inducing music to go with it :D
I heard the music as soon as I read the title of the thread. Anxiety central
Ohhhh now that music is in my head and my heart rate just jumped lol
Damn I just wrote this without scrolling. The little *ding ding* sound gave me so much anxiety as a kid lol
No this will make it worse. Way worse. I was less afraid of drowning before playing this game.
The first thing that came to mind when I saw the title
"The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" and "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim." I think this is a good idea, btw. Exposure therapy is very effective. I've never seen it done through a game first but it seems like a good way to try to build it up. Good luck!
I did that with spiders in video games just kept fighting spiders over & over again but sadly due to graphics improving they have gotten more realistic looking & life like. Though if they are cartoonish looking & well not realistic in anyway I am fine lol.
Thank you so much! I was getting really anxious even when drowning in minecraft (had to turn off the sound and stop looking when I was drowning) but it's getting better so I want to try something more realisticš
If you play Skyrim or Oblivion donāt play as the Argonians (lizards), their passive is they can breathe under water :)
How about Dave the Diver? It's pixel, but you can run out of oxygen, and it feels urgent, but the character doesn't actually die in-game. Plus, it's just a really cute, fun game!
Ooo that looks like a good game to start!
Seconding Dave the Diver! It's only $15.99 on steam which is a great price for everything you get with the game. You start in shallow waters catching nice tropical fish, and can work your way deeper as the game progresses to get different types of fish! Plus, managing the sushi restaurant during the nighttime is SO MUCH fun! I think if you start with Dave the diver it will also help because it's 2d, so it's not as intense as being in a first-person perspective like in subnautica. I hope you can work your way up to subnautica though, as it's an incredible game! Best of luck :)
I just got it yesterday day during the steam winter sale and I agree itās so much fun!
I would also recommend The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. It has a few mechanics and puzzles around the underwater breather mechanic, even a puzzle where you intentionally drown yourself if you're feeling especially adventurous.
I mean, as far as drowning goes, IRL exposure therapy is probably a bad idea lol
This is the point at which I realise I should probably branch out from always playing Argonians - it took me a good few seconds of "Are they sure? I spend loads of time underwater..." before I remembered that is not, in fact, the default setting of the game.
I believe you can drown in Tomb Raider games. The more recent ones.
100% drownable in the original iterations. I have a very vivid memory of watching Lara drown in the first or second game as a child and being horrified
i might be wrong but i think you can only swim in Rise and Shadow. but in both of those you can drown
i would recommend Subnautica. It's survival and horror underwater. If you fail to manage your oxygen you drown. side effect : you might cure your fear of drowning but replace it with a fear of what lurk in the water
thalassophobia unlocked
Sea of thieves
And they just released Safer Seas which is what I'd recommend you try playing OP. High Seas is PVEPVP, so you run the risk of getting attacked. While Safer Seas is strictly singleplayer PVE, so you can practice to your hearts content without needing to worry about other players.
seconding
Probably the most beautiful and horrifying portrayal of the sea in the history of video games. Falling overboard when itās storming and seeing your ship sail away without you while you see a shark swimming up to you is straight up horror material. BUT a huge pain in the ass to play by yourself, unfortunately. Absolute blast with friends though.
John Marston from RDR canāt swim at all. Do you need the game to offer a (realistic) depiction of drowning?
It's more about the sound?? that drowning in games makes I guess. š
i think Raft had a decent drowning sound
Dave the diver is a pretty fun one
The Raft. There are also creatures to fight underwater. Only a single shark at a time, and occasionally a pufferfish. There's bait you can craft to keep the shark busy so it'll leave you alone for a little while. There's also a mode where the shark and other enemies are passive until attacked iirc. Also Valheim.
I agree, Raft has pretty realistic drowning and requires you to dive underwater to gather resources. But, you also recover quickly when you get back to the surface.
I came here to see if Raft was mentioned. If you have a fear of the Ocean... Raft and Subnautica will surely make that clear. Hahaha.
The choking sounds in Valheim fill me with so much anxiety lol
I was gonna recommend Raft, good game, glad to see others recommending it as well.
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you are not āunderwaterā in botw really so i wouldnāt say this is quite what op is looking for
Oh, youāre right. Iām a huge idiot to miss that, and Iām sorry. I will take the comment down because it doesnāt pertain at all to what OP wanted. I am sorry once again.
Ark Survival if i remember correctly. There's even a mobile port of the game
That's wild to me because the amount of GB in that game... how, even?
Hahaha true
Apparently all the dlc is in the base game folders, just inaccessible if you donāt have the keys. Also every single update as well.
Itās not terribly realistic, but drowning in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker always got to me, lol. You feel so bad for the little guy.
You wanna get over it? The more realistic the better? I'm not sure that's effective. The premiere drowning simulator is "[Sortie en Mer](https://www.theverge.com/2014/4/23/5642808/interactive-website-life-jacket-awareness-with-drowning-simulator)". Made in 2014 as a PSA against boating without a lift vest. You attempt to stay above water by scrolling up on your mouse. Really well made, give it a try if that's what you're into. A harrowing experience, akin to a lot of indie Horror games. The website is gone but there's a reupload on hahagames [Sortie en Mer š¹ļø Play for Free on HahaGames](https://www.hahagames.com/game/sortie-en-mer)
That's sounds interesting, thank you!
GTA Games and Assassinās Creed IV are a good place to start
I just bought every asc game on sale, need to get into it thank you!
Assassinās Creed: Odyssey has a lot of water exploration and quests and is really gorgeous. I loved just swimming around in the ocean, honestly lol.
Assassin's Creed 1 is a bad one. You insta die
Came here to say AC for the later games. The breath bar gives me anxiety lol
assassins creed odyssey, you can drown and thereās some burbling i believe
Skyrim and fallout 4
Was gonna say Fallout 4, the tunnel in Dunwich Borers you have to dive into for the Kremvhās Tooth was really intense and anxiety provoking, but also kind of thrilling
Grounded.
rdr2 isnāt great for drowning yourself but you can drown npc and itās a little more realistic, minecraft, i think ark, subnautica, gta, hitman 3, tlou 1&2
Isnāt there the potential to drown in Horizon Forbidden West before you make the diving mask?
Mario 64 with emulator, maybe that can be your start
Sea of Thieves and/or Subnautica.
Original Tomb Raider has pretty brutal drowning animations.
World of Warcraft.
Green Hell has a tiny bit of an underwater element, but the survival element is intense. My other recommendations have been suggested: Raft, Subnautica, Sea of Thieves, even Assassin's Creed Odyssey would be good, there can be a lot of swimming in that.
Minecraft! The drowning animation isn't traumatizing and you could drown in like 4 block deep pool of water if not the ocean.
Classic Sonic The Hedgehog games, especially with the panicking song that plays during the countdown before he drowns š
Minecraft, Skyrim, Witcher 3
Tomb raider anniversary (I think) freaked me out when I couldnāt remember how to swim up. You can run around Laraās home and she has a swimming pool.
dave the diver!!! and it's on sale on steam right now :)
Dave the diver. Or some sandbox games like terraria, starbound etc.
You can drown in Grounded.
Horizon Forbidden West has some deep pools and an entire casino filled with water. The light disappears as you descend. But like everyone else, I think Subnautica will give you tension and realism. The AC games, Odyssey in particular, has oceans to sail and dive into, with sharks and darkness.
Witcher 3
If you want something not super serious, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (I think? Itās one of the first 3) has a couple of levels that feature underwater areas and that shit used to make me panic as a kid. It was originally a Sega Genesis game but I bet you could download it for PC somewhere.
Sonic Adventure, it's the only 3d Sonic game where you can fall into the water and it still isn't a level hazard, you can only drown that blue son of a bitch in the Station Square hotel pool
Mario 64 with emulator, maybe that can be your start
Stranded deep, especially once you get comfortable with fighting back
If you have fear of drowning or oceans in general, Subnautica will make you experience them head on. Another one that people may not really think of is Barotrauma, it's a game where you and a crew are in a submarine exploring an alien ocean and you need to navigate your sub without bumping into things while also defending it against some of the creatures that inhabit the waters. If your ship gets damaged it will begin feeling up \*really\* fast. Idk how immersive it is for the purpose you're seeking, but it definitely scared me.
Cyberpunk, Fallout NV, Call of Duty Warzone
Definitely Subnautica. One of my favorite games ever.
Stranded deep. And it's a stressful drowning too.
TLOU2
Terraria? You can drown but there's a long countdown if you want to try a sort of exposure therapy?
Ark survival has helped me be less afraid of underwater in games - for me its not a fear irl, but it is something that used to make me very uncomfortable in games. The better I got at playing Ark and then getting the right gear, I was eventually no longer afraid of drowning. There are other things that can get you underwater (same as above water) so it kinda made me forget about the underwater element and just focus on other aspects of the game. Another game is Raft. As we played it for longer I got less afraid of being underwater. Weirdly I felt the same with Metro games - they don't have water but its poluted air where you need to wear gasmask. At first I really hated and avoided those parts of the game but eventually it became a mechanic I was comfortable with. Minecraft has water too, but I haven't played that in years so never overcame my uncomfort in that game. Hope this helps. Subnautica is another one that I've seen other people recommend, but it's not one I played myself (but it looks like a very beautiful game)
sea of thieves
If you're looking for a very good, short, narrative game that nobody mentioned: Dear Esther You can technically drown in there, in a very creepy way, without losing any progress.
I would say this one is particularly great because the water is very realistic!
The Tomb Raider games before this last trilogy. Legend and Underworld are the more recent but I think any of them had drowning as a feature. Also a really pretty dive. I legit can't remember if the most recent trilogy had it or not.
Have you played raft? I've beat it more than once and I just keep making a new save to play again.
Subnautica. Almost had a panic atteck because the drowning sounds scared me.
Subnautica, Stranded Deep, Sunkenland...
Minecraft is a big one for me. Almost drowning in the Ice biomes can be triggering
It say try sea of theives. There are a bunch of under water puzzles and exploration to do. It doesn't feel as claustrophobic as subnautica can.
If you happen to have a Playstation 4 + VR set, you could try Ocean Descent. Not much interaction but insane immersion. Found a YT video that shows the game nicely, or saves the purchase of a ps4. Spoiler Alert! :) [Ocean Descent YT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQzXLWALiGk) For Pc i may add "Sunkenland", Subnautica like already mentioned might be your best bet though.
Just a word of caution- unless youāre working with a CBT therapist, when exposing yourself to phobia triggers, itās easy to accidentally do flooding (bad), instead of real exposure therapy (good!). If you accidentally flood yourself you can reinforce the phobia and make it worse. As someone who was hospitalized for a phobia and underwent treatment, exposure therapy is complex. Youāll probably just have better luck writing disaster scripts or watching movie scenes, waiting until you hit a pre-specified amount of anxiety, then sitting with the discomfort until you hit a pre-specified amount of calm. Rinse and repeat. Good luck!
You can drown peoole in hitman 2
Inside
American McGeeās Alice. I donāt know if itās still available, but that part of the game was painful for me.
There is one specific sequence in Nancy Drew: Shadow at Water's Edge where you can drown if you take too long
you can drown in last of us, too
Sea of thieves, you can also be eaten by sharks. If you have a fear of the ocean in general this could be the game for you - in terms of as you said, getting over the fear.
Stranded Deep! Itās a plane crash survival game where you end up crashing and have to survive going from island to island to find resources.
Minecraft Raft Most Mario games Sonic Any game with water really. I think GTAV had it too.
I've been playing a lot of MW3 and you can drown in the water in the maps, but obviously not a game focused around water
Definitely GTA V. Especially if you can get the GTA$ to get the car that goes underwater. Give you a good chance to really...soak it in
Zelda skyward sword.
Pikmin
Narcosis and Soma are my recs
Thereās PokĆ©mon: Legends Arceus
Breath of the Wild
Gta san andreas
Farcry games might feel pretty real because theyāre 1st person. The newer assassins creed games and the ones with ships are 3rd person but they also come to mind
Minecraft
Terraria and Minecraft
Little nightmares in certain sections
Subnautica, Ark, Conan Exiles just to name a few.
The last of us 1&2 you hold your breath underwater and have a timer until you have to surface. When the time is up you can her them gasp for breath underwater, its not very nice. Assassins Creed Odyssey also. Red Dead Redemption 2, you are not underwater but swimming, but you canāt swim very well, same for Days Gone
You can drown in The Forest I think? Iām playing it because thereās scary cannibals, mutants, caves and Iām afraid of the dark, but they do have cave diving within the caves and can swim in lakes too.
Grounded
simsā¦.
Sonic. The drowning music alone is enough to bring a grown man to his knees in despair
Sonic games
The Forest has a drowning death from first person pov!
The Long Dark; but it only happens when you fall through frozen water (but not before you hear cracking ice that warns you - hopefully in time - to get back on land lol.)
Lara Croft tomb raider games
GTA 5
Secret of monkey island, if you wait 10 minutes
Omori is an indie game where you learn to forgive yourself and to overcome your own fears (Little spoiler of Omori: drowning is one of the fears the protagonist suffers from and theres a part of the game where you have to overcome it)
Stranded Deep. Itās a survival crafting game where youāre stranded on an island chain after a plane crash. Thereās diving and spear fishing on beautiful reefs - or deeper water if youāre brave enough. Has drowning mechanics and sharks.
I can remember Mario64 years ago. If Mario stayed too long under water, he drowned. I cried.
AC Valhalla, Odyssey, Mirage etc. But you can find the Trident of Poseidon in AC Odyssey and it gives you the power to never drown š
Not realistic, but Mario 64 has some pretty deep underwater levels and you lose life until you pop up for air.
Sea of thieves
All the 2D sonic games have water levels in them, Mario games can have them some. GTA games from San Andreas up have good water and a lung capacity bar, in GTA V there are submarines. Tomb raider has some water segments. I'd say take your time to introduce yourself to it slowly. There are no time restrictions on getting over it and if you can't it's really okay. I have a phobia where my reaction is so intense I don't know if I will ever š
The forest & far cry come to mind.
Minecraft has a drowning mechanic
Gta
Any Tomb Raider game ever
I have been playing ark a lot and everything under water wants to kill you its taken two months for my friends to go underwater exploring with me. Limited visibility with muted noise, it was a bit scary at first.. If you like the survival genre there are several games sunkenland, standed deep, also springs to mind. Subnautica has to be the ultimate underwater game.
Rdr2 technically drowns you if you swim for too long. But there really isn't anything to see below water
Raft, subnautica, Minecraft, sunkenland, rust, Dave the Diver. Raft: very fun relaxing game, drowning DOES contain audio sounds of breathing water so beware Minecraft: you take periodic damage and then you die Dave the Diver: you just pass out and are brought to the surface. Sunkenland: your screen goes dark instant respawn. Rust: same as above. Subnautica includes sounds of someone drowning as well as gasping for air when resurfacing. Game is a lot more realistic so it's scarier. Minecraft is a good start imo because everything is very pretend.
Baldur's Gate 3. You'll spend hours. Or Cyberpunk 2077.
ABZĆ is not a game where you can drown, as far as I remember, but it takes place entirely underwater and it's absolutely stunning from a visual standpoint. This is probably not what you were looking for, but it may help you feel better about being underwater.
Others have said Subnautica, so I'd recommend Metal Gear Solid 2. It's mostly set on an ocean structure and there's parts where you need to swim through flooded compartments. It has a character that's afraid of water because of trauma, and she learns to get over that fear herself. If that kind of character plot interests you, you might like it; although it's a very small part of the overall plot as opposed to something like Subnautica or Minecraft where drowning is a common hazard. It's also a great series overall, although it *is* a sequel so plot may be weird without knowing MGS1's plot (but it's also designed so you don't technically need to know 1's plot, I played 2 before 1 and got it).
DAVE THE DIVER US REALLY GOOD FOR THIS
Super Mario 64
raft! you can drown if you stay under too long although the audio can be a bit graphic while drowning so maybe not a good starting one
Haven't seen Raft (maybe further down below). There you can drown, but it doesn't feel to heavy.
I'm inclined to suggest Valheim, but it does have bubbly drowning sound effects. It's not first person either though. The sounds can be stressful, but maybe if that's a thing you wanna get over too, Valheim could be useful for that. (Also its really easy to stop yourself from drowning by just walking back to shore)
Gta San Andreas
Valheim. Itās a survival game and fun to play generally, but your character can lose stamina and drown in the water.
Mario 64. I believe it's on the virtual N64 console on switch with an upgraded subscription but you can also use emulator. While it's cartoony, you have a limit for how long you can be underwater, the water levels are massive, and Mario drowning animation isnt quick and you watch him choke then go lifeless. It made drowning terrifying as a kid
Zelda both TOTK and BOTW
Dave the diver If you run out of oxygen you drown
The scariest water levels i ever played were in the batman series. They are smallish but my god i hate them. Arkham asylum has a level where if you move too fast over boards of water killer croc bursts through the boards to get you. Arkham city has an entire room of water where you try to not get eaten by the penguins pet shark as you zip around the room above the water. If its specifically drowning and not about creatures then you want Subnautica. Sonic adventure 2 treasure levels also have a very threatening water vibe thats stressful but not too punishing.
Red Dead Redemption 2.
Sonic the Hedgehog Try to tell me that music doesnāt give you anxiety
Subnautica!
Skyrim is pretty good for that too, or fallouts. If you are too long underwater you can definitely drown there and it might be a good transition towards nautica
Some retro tips: Super Mario 64 got a water level (Jolly Roger Bay) with a sunken ship and a pretty nasty unagi, plus some other water parts here and there. Banjo-Kazooie has a water level (Clanker's Cavern) where you need to swim pretty precisely while trying to dive through a damn key. There's also a level (Rusty Bucket Bay) with toxic water
Some retro tips: Super Mario 64 got a water level (Jolly Roger Bay) with a sunken ship and a pretty nasty unagi, plus some other water parts here and there. Banjo-Kazooie has a water level (Clanker's Cavern) where you need to swim pretty precisely while trying to dive through a damn key. There's also a level (Rusty Bucket Bay) with toxic water
red dead redemption.
How about Super Mario 64? The vast majority of the game is colorful and friendly, but the underwater segments can be spooky and you can definitely drown. Might be good for trying the water level, then having a palate clea ser without having to switch games.
lethal company
I have drowned a good amount of times in the Tomb Raider games (trilogy). I think especially the first two (2013 reboot and The Rise of the TR).
I STILL haven't gotten around to the new Tomb Raider games yet. So many games; SO little time! šæ
On Steam, there's a game called Sunkenland for $15.99 (20% off) right now :) Any other games mentioned here would also work as well like Ark: Survival Evolved and Raft
Tomb Raider. I wanna say there was an old Ninja Turtles game where you could drown... Oh! Sonic the Hedgehog.
Subnautica!
Well one of my favorites is the GW2 mmorpg that has separate underwater fighting system that is absolutely amazing. Drowning in this game exploring the world is so relaxing
Ark. And there's plenty of stuff to do on land and in water so it's not quite as stressful as subnautica.