A Promising Game with Serious Rough Edges

DARKWATER shows a lot of promise, especially considering it's the work of a solo developer. The effort put into the game is clear, and there are several standout features. The submarine customization is a highlight, offering unique layouts and upgrades that set it apart from other survival games. The base also looks great and helps create a strong atmosphere. Visually, the game holds up well overall.

That said, the technical issues and design problems are hard to ignore. Performance is one of the biggest problems: firing the pistol causes the game to lag for a few seconds, pressing the M key also causes a huge stutter, and in general, the game just feels sluggish. Frame drops are frequent, and there’s no Vsync option. The graphics settings are too limited, and high settings seem to force motion blur with no way to disable it.

Combat is the weakest part of the game. Weapons like the sledgehammer don’t have any noticeable effect on enemies—there’s no stun, no reaction, and enemies often just walk behind you while ignoring hits. Fighting smaller enemies like the crab is frustrating because of the short range, you always take damage. The lack of crouching or jumping makes this worse. One enemy even walked through a closed cell, and another (a centipede) just missed its attack and went away. Enemies don’t even have death animations, most just stop moving.

There are also some missing or unfinished features. Lowering the water level in areas has no animation; it just happens instantly. Inventory sorting is not available, which becomes annoying quickly. The limited cargo space also becomes a problem, especially since fuel is so scarce. You end up spending nearly all your money on fuel at shops, which leaves little room for other upgrades or supplies.

DARKWATER has a solid foundation and some genuinely interesting ideas, but the current state of the game makes it hard to fully enjoy. With fixes to the combat, better performance, and some quality-of-life improvements, it could be something special. For now, it’s worth checking out if you’re curious, but be prepared for rough patches.

I really want to recommend this game but sadly, in its current state, I cant. Please keep working on the game, there is loads of potential there!

Definitely a hidden gem! Lots of fun with a group and scratches that Lethal Company itch.

It's got a huge amount of content for the price even in early access and I can already see lots of improvements since the playtest. Love the underwater setting.

I have received this game for free by the devs/publisher, just as a note! I would have gladly payed though!

Jester awards are appreciated. If you don't wanna have the steam points, I'll gladly take them off of you.

Darkwater can basically be described as a mix of Faster Than Light and Lethal Company, but with plenty of it's own ideas to make it unique. Playable in coop with up to 4 players or solo.
Setting is a frozen ocean in the 1930s, so don't expect modern equipment. Played in the first person view.
The vibe depends on you. You can either make this a terrifying experience with friends or solo, or you can just do tons of shenanigans.

Faster Than Light:
• Submarine combat and moving through the map is pretty similar, but not a copy. Repairs are needed on foot.
Lethal Company:
• While going through the map you can find different abandoned outposts to loot on foot. Randomly generated. Some items are usable, some make you MONEY.

Positives (including subjective stuff)
- VERY fast startup and load times.
- Gameplay loop is really fun. Every run is different.
- Many ways to customize the submarine.
- Many options for many playstyles. (more evasion? more dps? more focus on outposts?)
- Different types of enemies in outposts so you are never fully prepared.
- Parry mechanic works pretty well, takes skill to achieve and the reward (stunned enemy) is HUGE.
- Atmosphere is fantastic. In the sub (claustrophobic), in the stores (chill vibe) or in the outposts (spooky).
- Jumpscares come natural, no fully scripted nonsense.
- Submarine sounds are really nice and immersive!
- The effects are not too much (except outpost bomb) but the urgency that it requires my attention still comes though.
- So far it seems pretty balanced (income, player damage & sub damage).
- Soundtrack is brilliant.
- You got GUNS. Finally no running away once you're strapped.
- Very low price.

Negatives
- The game does not look great, and it doesn't have the best performance (yet, it's still an early access after all)
- Tutorial does not explain a few important gameplay features like parrying.
- Many rooms in the outposts look the same. Especially the shelves. So many of them.
- Player sounds are very low quality. Guns, smashing, walking, etc. The sub sounds great!
- RNG can mess you up real good, but that's just RNG I suppose. It's not the norm.

All in all, I can't recommend enough to get this. Doesn't matter if you play solo or if you are looking for a new title to play with mates. It is more fun IMO with mates, but more immersive solo. This game not only has the potential to be something amazing, it already is! The submarine fighting and the outposts are two gameplay elements that work together in harmony and it keeps things from getting boring too fast.