Choose Subnautica
Choose Subnautica if you want the VR Supported side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 96.9% positive across 177,256 reviews.
Subnautica vs Phoning Home
Subnautica and Phoning Home both land in Indie, Adventure on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam. Phoning Home (2017) is 1 year older than Subnautica (2018). Subnautica scores higher on Steam reviews (96.9% positive) than Phoning Home (67.8% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Phoning Home
Choose Phoning Home if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. Phoning Home launched in 2017.
Both Subnautica and Phoning Home sit in Indie and Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Subnautica |  Phoning Home | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Genres | Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 29.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 96.9% positive (177,256 reviews) | 67.8% positive (428 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Unknown Worlds Entertainment | ION LANDS |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- Phoning Home (2017) is 1 year older than Subnautica (2018).
- Subnautica scores higher on Steam reviews (96.9% positive) than Phoning Home (67.8% positive).
- Phoning Home is free; Subnautica is paid (29.99 USD).
- Subnautica is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Phoning Home has no Deck rating yet.
Subnautica vs Phoning Home — FAQ
- Which is better, Subnautica or Phoning Home?
- On Steam reviews Subnautica scores higher (96.9% positive) than Phoning Home (67.8% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Subnautica is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Subnautica or Phoning Home first?
- If you want chronology, Phoning Home (2017) came out before Subnautica (2018). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Subnautica and Phoning Home similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Adventure on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Is Phoning Home free?
- Yes — Phoning Home is a free-to-play Steam title. Subnautica is paid (29.99 USD).
- Does Subnautica run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Subnautica is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Phoning Home doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.