Key Preview Takeaways:
- It is basically Jacques Cousteau by the use of The Adventures of Flapjack.
- Nautus feels, in some ways, like a cautious mash-up between Steamworld Dig and Subnautica.
- Gameplay above the floor is cozy, however if you take your submersible beneath the ocean, it turns into a Metroidvania-inspired survival-action sport.
To be a comfortable sport is to embrace all issues chill and atmospheric, discovering consolation in routine and bonding with a rising neighborhood of characters, taking it someday at a time. With the upcoming Nautus from developer Magic Design Studios, it is bringing these chill vibes to a tropical island setting the place the waters under disguise long-held secrets and techniques, and a few quirky pals will provide help to uncover them. It is a delightfully bizarre idea with some attention-grabbing concepts, all channeled within the model of a basic Cartoon Community animated present that brings the world to life.
Simply forward of Gamescom 2026 and the upcoming closed-beta launch, we acquired some hands-on time with Nautus and its offbeat aquatic world stuffed with deep-sea wonders. Together with some strong playtime, we additionally acquired to talk with sport designer Damian Carmona concerning the making of Nautus, and the way they’re following up on Have a Good Dying’s cutesy-gothic setting of the afterlife with a brand new world that is a bit extra folksy and tropical and has many underwater secrets and techniques to uncover.
Nautus and its colourful aquatic survival crafting journey is actually Jacques Cousteau by the use of The Adventures of Flapjack. Taking over the function of a younger explorer of the deep, you are dropped at the seemingly tranquil faraway island in quest of your misplaced uncle. After assembly the strange-but-totally-chill locals who’re attempting to get their neighborhood again on its toes, you are quickly given entry to an underwater submersible that may steadily discover the waters under. However to achieve the bottom depths to uncover the thriller of the island and the underwater world, you may must energy up your mini-submarine and empower the neighborhood on the floor to make it occur.
The developer’s earlier work on the cult-hit 2D action-roguelike Have a Good Dying – one other sport with an enthralling, cartoon-inspired visible model – was one thing of a stepping stone for his or her flip to Nautus, however principally for the brand new alternative to go for one thing extra colourful and upbeat. Talking with sport designer Damian Carmona throughout our playthrough, he defined why the shift to a tropical island setting made for a compelling change of tempo.
“We’re happening very completely different adventures with Nautus, with regards to tone and all that. We’re very happy with Have a Good Dying, however we wished to alter it a bit bit from the gothic model and the black and white visuals to go for one thing a bit extra colourful, and the ocean is a really colourful setting,” mentioned the sport director. “We mentioned, ‘Hey, let’s make a sport on this ocean setting.’ It simply got here to life with a number of interactions with the world, and naturally for the survival, crafting, and exploration gameplay as effectively.”
Diving into Nautus, I used to be instantly taken in by the island’s floor world, a colourful, stylized setting that felt like stepping right into a residing cartoon collection. I used to be additionally shocked to see that the sport feels, in some ways, like a cautious mash-up between Steamworld Dig and Subnautica. It takes to the survival-crafting construction effectively, with the necessity to accumulate wooden and different sources to construct crafting benches and meet different must preserve the floor HUB in working order, whereas additionally making certain you are ready to dive. There is a sure craft — actually on this sport’s case – to discover the depths under, and you will want to organize to make that transition.
Throughout the opening missions I performed, Nautus actually leans into increase a neighborhood of quirky islanders whereas additionally powering up my submersible to achieve depths under with out it being crushed by strain. Very similar to Steamworld Dig, the core focus in Nautus is to empower your protagonist’s suite of instruments and community of pals. With higher instruments, crafting expertise, and other people to lean on for perception and a few witty one-liners, you may change into extra of a succesful explorer of the deep. Considered one of my favourite characters was Umiko, the aged mechanic who duties you with repairing the submersible station and likewise offers you greater targets. She could be a bit aloof, however she’s considered one of your greatest allies within the journey, and when you assist get her listening to help again that sank into the waters under, then you definitely’ll get on her good facet.
It was attention-grabbing to be taught that, along with cartoons, the builders have been additionally impressed by The Workplace TV collection when it got here to fleshing out a bizarre forged of characters orbiting your protagonist. Together with Umiko and Mitchell – a carefree islander who runs the undersea gear store – you additionally get to satisfy the traditional island deity that may grant you the required upgrades to outlive the depths under. Coming again to the floor after dives felt like returning to a protected however oddball haven the place aloof inhabitants go about their chill lives, all whereas lengthy, darkish secrets and techniques lie hidden under. That is the place Nautus’ core gameplay takes a wierd however attention-grabbing flip because it shifts right into a survival expertise.
When controlling your submersible, Nautus transitions to a Metroidvania-inspired survival-action sport the place it’s important to fastidiously navigate hazardous zones and face off towards hostile aquatic life. Whereas this is not an enormous tonal shift like Dredge or Subnautica, which tapped into sudden horror parts, Nautus nonetheless goals for an eerie vibe on its undersea jaunts. Along with the hostiles, you may nonetheless need to handle your submersible’s vitality, together with oxygen to your diver when they should go solo. This, in fact, ties into your aim: discover the underwater world as deep as you’ll be able to to search out misplaced artifacts and clues about the place your misplaced uncle went.
I actually loved exploring the undersea world of Nautus, and most of the floor world parts construct as much as the moments if you’ll take these dives. It is eerie to discover, but in addition alluring and colourful, with completely different biomes transitioning into barely extra alien-like seascapes. It brings the expressive and detailed visible model to a brand new degree, and Nautus’ undersea worlds are among the most charming locales I’ve seen in a survival-crafting sport.
For the builders, the making of this undersea world was all about holding the floor’s inviting ambiance, but in addition making certain that it was a transparent distinction to it to make for an alluring setting to discover – one you can steadily discover at your personal tempo.
“We like to think about Nautus as combining the joys and thriller of submarine exploration you would possibly discover in one thing like Subnautica with a way more relaxed floor expertise, the place the participant can put together and progress at their very own tempo,” mentioned Carmona. “The expertise we’re aiming for is admittedly that rhythm between the 2 – to take your time on the floor, put together for an expedition, then dive again into the depths to discover someplace stranger and extra harmful than earlier than.”
From this early hands-on with Nautus, I could not assist however be impressed with the attention-grabbing steadiness that developer Magid Design Studios is pulling off. Survival-crafting video games will be considerably difficult to search out your groove with, particularly for the long run, however I used to be actually taken in by how chill and comfortable Nautus’ tone was. It isn’t simply an expressive, cartoon-inspired world that feels inviting and enjoyable to take a seat with; it additionally has some actually intelligent, well-developed survival-action parts that really feel thrilling to get in keeping with.
Should you’re in search of a brand new survival-crafting sport, then you definitely will not have to attend too lengthy, because the closed beta take a look at will kick off on August 31, with sign-ups beginning now on Steam. Nautus’ cartoon world is a compelling journey to soak up, and I wish to see extra of it within the full launch.
Whilst you’re right here, take a look at these previews of different massive upcoming video games we have performed not too long ago!
Alessandro Fillari is a longtime video games media skilled. Discuss video video games with him on BlueSky at @afillari.bsky.social.