Games like Iron Lung
If Iron Lung is your kind of game, the closest matches are Submergent, 7821 Akuji and Ocean Pressure — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers single out its atmosphere is immersive, concept is unique and spatial awareness is challenging. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
Get personalized picks →Iron Lung is a short indie horror game developed and published by David Szymanski, released in 2022 for $7.99. Players pilot a small submarine through environments with severely limited visibility, relying on camera surveillance to navigate and survive. The game features auto-save progression and supports achievement-hunting. Reviewers highlight that the atmosphere is immersive and the concept is unique, while players describe the spatial awareness challenges as compelling and the storyline as gripping. The game has earned a 92% positive rating from 8,104 Steam reviews and is playable on Steam Deck. Players describe the experience as bleak, tense, and unsettling throughout its short session length.
About Iron Lung: A short horror game where you pilot a tiny submarine through an ocean of blood on an alien moon.
Players who liked Iron Lung also play
Steam players who put hours into Iron Lung also tend to own these titles — a signal called collaborative filtering. imho.run cross-references millions of library ownership patterns to surface games whose real audiences overlap, regardless of whether their genre tags match.
Submergent
WHY THIS
Top pick for Iron Lung fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Adventure and Simulation with Iron Lung.
Explore and navigate an underwater cave in your submarine.
7821 Akuji
WHY THIS
Second-strongest match for Iron Lung fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
7821 Akuji is a first person liminal horror experience. Pilot a tiny, jury-rigged submersible to rescue a lost science crew.
Ocean Pressure
WHY THIS
Third-strongest match for Iron Lung fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
Ocean Pressure is a singleplayer game where you as an old scientist piloting your handmade submarine in the bottom of the ocean. Your mission is explore the ocean and collect required data with help of your submarine.
It Sleeps Below the Haar
WHY THIS
Ranked #4 for Iron Lung fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
A short exploration game, set in a secluded coastal village in North East Scotland. Explore Kellas Bay and it's surrounding forests, caves and ocean to uncover what lies beneath the fog-covered village.
Cold Abyss
WHY THIS
Ranked #5 for Iron Lung fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
COLD ABYSS is a relaxing and atmospheric exploration game where you repair internet cables on the bottom of the ocean. There are no enemies or other forms of danger down there. Just you.
Sonar Scout
WHY THIS
Ranked #6 for Iron Lung fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
Pilot your submarine to activate and reestablish a network of beacons while carefully utilizing your sonar to navigate the low-visibility depths of the ocean.
Transcendence in the Poolrooms
WHY THIS
Ranked #7 for Iron Lung fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Adventure with Iron Lung.
Transcendence in the Poolrooms is an adventure game where you will experience infinite relaxation. Fall into another world where you will explore haunting places beyond reality, a liminal space unlike any you have ever been to and may never escape.
AdventureSteam ↗The Liminal Dimension
WHY THIS
Ranked #8 for Iron Lung fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
You're trapped in an endless loop within a liminal dimension, where each loop leads to increasingly unsettling places. Will you find the way out of this psychological horror? The game offers a unique déjà vu experience that blurs the lines between reality and illusion.
Reviewers mention these as similar to Iron Lung
Surfaced from review text: when other players write 'if you liked X, try Y', we catch the name and resolve it back to a Steam game.
SOMA
WHY THIS
Shares an unsettling mood with Iron Lung.
Reviewers of Iron Lung cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
From the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent comes SOMA, a sci-fi horror game set below the waves of the Atlantic ocean. Struggle to survive a hostile world that will make you question your very existence.
Barotrauma
WHY THIS
Reviewers of Iron Lung cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Simulation with Iron Lung.
Barotrauma is a 2D co-op submarine simulator – in space, with survival horror and RPG elements. Steer your submarine, complete missions, fight monsters, fix leaks, operate machinery, man the guns and craft items, and stay alert: danger in Barotrauma doesn’t announce itself!
Nauticrawl
WHY THIS
Reviewers of Iron Lung cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Simulation with Iron Lung.
A stolen, enigmatic machine is your only way out. It's likely to kill you, but so will the hostile planet you're escaping. Pull levers, hack devices, and puzzle out how to pilot the Nauticrawl to freedom in this unusual atmospheric adventure... or die trying.
Silent Hunter® III
WHY THIS
Reviewers of Iron Lung cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Simulation with Iron Lung.
The king of submarine simulations returns with an all-new 3D engine, new crew command features, and more realistic WWII naval action than ever before. The movie-like graphics and simple, tension-filled gameplay make this the perfect game for the realism fanatic and the casual gamer.
DEATH STRANDING
WHY THIS
Reviewers of Iron Lung cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Adventure with Iron Lung.
From legendary game creator Hideo Kojima comes an all-new, genre-defying experience. Sam Bridges must brave a world utterly transformed by the Death Stranding. Carrying the disconnected remnants of our future in his hands, he embarks on a journey to reconnect the shattered world one step at a time.
SIGNALIS
WHY THIS
Shares an unsettling mood with Iron Lung.
Reviewers of Iron Lung cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
A classic survival horror experience set in a dystopian future where humanity has uncovered a dark secret. Unravel a cosmic mystery, escape terrifying creatures, and scavenge an off-world government facility as Elster, a technician Replika searching for her lost dreams.
SUBMERSIBLE
WHY THIS
Reviewers of Iron Lung cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
1st person, Singleplayer, Ocean exploration, Horror game
Prey
WHY THIS
Reviewers of Iron Lung cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Adventure with Iron Lung.
In Prey, you awaken aboard Talos I, a space station orbiting the moon in the year 2032. You are the key subject of an experiment meant to alter humanity forever – but things have gone terribly wrong. The space station has been overrun by hostile aliens and you are now being hunted.
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below Iron Lung at current Steam store prices.
POSTAL 2
WHY THIS
Priced ~88% under Iron Lung on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
Live a week in the life of "The POSTAL Dude"; a hapless everyman just trying to check off some chores. Buying milk, returning an overdue library book, getting Gary Coleman's autograph, what could possibly go wrong?
Buckshot Roulette
WHY THIS
Priced ~63% under Iron Lung on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Simulation with Iron Lung.
Play Russian roulette with a 12-gauge shotgun. Four enter. One leaves. Roll the dice with your life. Good luck!
GRIS
WHY THIS
Priced ~53% under Iron Lung on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
Gris is a hopeful young girl lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience in her life. Her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants new abilities to better navigate her faded reality.
The Test
WHY THIS
Priced ~75% under Iron Lung on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
You will answer a series of questions that will reveal truths from deep within. These questions may make you uncomfortable, but with great knowledge comes great sacrifice. Can you make it all the way through The Test, and if you do, are you sure you want the answers you seek?
Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk
WHY THIS
Priced ~81% under Iron Lung on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
A short story about what sort of challenges everyday little things can be. Help the girl buy milk, be the first not to disappoint her.
Blood and Bacon
WHY THIS
Priced ~88% under Iron Lung on Steam right now. Shares Adventure with Iron Lung.
This Co-op Shooter , has Day and Night levels, multiple maps, players will take on 25 enemy types and numerous bosses, like Gargantuan Monsters and Minibosses every 10 days as you explore, shoot and run for your life against the onslaught of porcine monstrosities.
Crypt of the NecroDancer
WHY THIS
Priced ~63% under Iron Lung on Steam right now. Shares Indie with Iron Lung.
Crypt of the NecroDancer is an award winning hardcore roguelike rhythm game. Move to the music and deliver beatdowns to the beat! Groove to the epic Danny Baranowsky soundtrack, or select songs from your own MP3 collection!
A Short Hike
WHY THIS
Priced ~50% under Iron Lung on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you make your way to the summit.
Free alternatives
Free-to-play games that recommended players of this title also tend to enjoy.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Iron Lung.
The Literature Club is full of cute girls! Will you write the way into their heart? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.
Life is Strange - Episode 1
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Adventure with Iron Lung.
Episode 1 now FREE! Life is Strange is an award-winning and critically acclaimed episodic adventure game that allows the player to rewind time and affect the past, present and future.
Ultimate Custom Night
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Iron Lung.
Welcome to the ultimate FNAF mashup, featuring 50 selectable characters and custom difficulties!
ENA: Dream BBQ
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
Experience surreal environments and inexplicable characters as ENA in a new wild world.
Indigo Park: Chapter 1
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
Explore the abandoned childhood wonder of Indigo Park! Guided by Rambley the Raccoon, help restore power to the destroyed amusement park while you run from the reason it shut down.
The Looker
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie with Iron Lung.
You wake up, alone, on a strangely familiar island full of puzzles that will frustrate and annoy you.
missed messages.
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Simulation with Iron Lung.
‘goth gf’s iPhone’ airdrops you - accept or decline? A love/horror story about life, death, & memes.
Narrow it down
Head-to-head comparisons
More from David Szymanski
Other recommendable Steam games by David Szymanski, ranked by review count so the studio's hits land first.
DUSK
WHY THIS
Shares a bleak mood with Iron Lung.
Another title from David Szymanski, the studio behind Iron Lung. Shares Indie with Iron Lung.
Battle through an onslaught of mystical backwater cultists, possessed militants & even darker forces as you attempt to discover just what lurks beneath the Earth in this retro FPS inspired by the '90s legends.
Gloomwood
WHY THIS
Shares a tense mood with Iron Lung.
Another title from David Szymanski, the studio behind Iron Lung. Shares Indie with Iron Lung.
Trapped in a dark, Victorian city consumed by an ancient curse, you must plan your survival and daring escape using nothing but stealth, an arsenal of eccentric weapons, and your wit in this haunting adventure inspired by the immersive sims and survival horror greats of the late 90s and early 2000s.
Chop Goblins
WHY THIS
Another title from David Szymanski, the studio behind Iron Lung. Shares Indie with Iron Lung.
A fast-paced micro FPS in which The Chop Goblins are loose, chopping their way through time itself in their ravenous quest for cheese. And THE CHOP WILL NOT STOP.
Squirrel Stapler
WHY THIS
Shares an unsettling mood with Iron Lung.
Another title from David Szymanski, the studio behind Iron Lung.
Hunt squirrels, staple them to a corpse, and meet god.
Butcher's Creek
WHY THIS
Shares a grim mood with Iron Lung.
Another title from David Szymanski, the studio behind Iron Lung.
A first person melee horror game where you use rusty tools to brutalize a gang of serial torturers in the remote Appalachian Forest.
The Moon Sliver
WHY THIS
Shares a bleak mood with Iron Lung.
Another title from David Szymanski, the studio behind Iron Lung. Shares Adventure with Iron Lung.
You are on a bleak, cold, windy island. And you seem to be alone... but fires and candles still burn. As you explore, a story of guilt, loneliness, and faith begins to take shape. And it becomes obvious that something is hunting you...
The Pony Factory
WHY THIS
Another title from David Szymanski, the studio behind Iron Lung.
Winston thought he could use heavy machinery and power from the depths of hell to transform sinful men into magic ponies. Winston was wrong.
Dread X Collection 2
WHY THIS
Shares an unsettling mood with Iron Lung.
Another title from David Szymanski, the studio behind Iron Lung. Shares Indie and Adventure with Iron Lung.
Explore 12 horror games made in 10 days connected by a meta narrative experience you didn't expect. Step into a world of darkness and discover the secrets you didn't know were right beneath the surface. Find the tapes and unlock the mystery inside the Dread X Collection 2.
Frequently asked about Iron Lung
- Does Iron Lung run on Steam Deck?
- Iron Lung is rated Playable on Steam Deck — it runs, but expect some manual adjustments (control remapping, text size, or graphics settings) for the best experience.
- How much does Iron Lung cost?
- Iron Lung is listed on Steam at 7.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
- What games are most similar to Iron Lung?
- Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside Iron Lung are Submergent, 7821 Akuji, Ocean Pressure.
- Who developed Iron Lung?
- Iron Lung was developed by David Szymanski.
imho.run ranks Steam game alternatives using a mix of collaborative filtering (ALS / iALS / EASE / LightGCN), content scoring over genres, categories, Steam tags, developers, and publishers, plus AI-extracted vibes mined from review text. The page above is generated in seed mode anchored on Iron Lung.
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