Subnautica: Below Zero is an open-world adventure game that follows the original game, Subnautica. You play a scientist on an alien planet searching for clues about the research team that vanished there. What develops is a light horror adventure where you must explore and survive the environments while completing objectives to advance the story.

Like the first game, you play mainly underwater. Here though, there are more land-based areas to explore. You find large structures to investigate both above ground and underwater which reveal the story and characters. The day-night cycle affects visibility and dynamic weather such as wind, snow, fog, and hail also hinder progress. You have a range of tools like the first game, with the addition of a Flashlight Helmet, Mineral Detector and Booster Tank.

You can play in different modes:

• Survival: Dealing with depleting health, hunger, thirst and oxygen. You can respawn if you die but lose items.
• Freedom: Hunger and thirst disabled but otherwise like Survival.
• Hardcore: If you die you have to restart from the beginning.
• Creative: Health and thirst are disabled. You also have access to all crafting without the need for resources.
• VR: The game can be played in VR mode with headsets such as the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift, with the additional input of a keyboard and mouse or game controller.