Games like ABZU
If ABZU is your kind of game, the closest matches are A Short Hike, Beyond The Underworld and Guppy — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers single out its atmospheric, contemplative and relaxing. 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 →ABZÛ is a 2016 underwater exploration game developed by Giant Squid that invites players into a vibrant ocean environment. The game features free-roaming exploration across diverse aquatic biomes, interactive marine life, environmental storytelling, and optional collectible hunting. Players describe the experience as atmospheric, contemplative, relaxing, and whimsical, with exploration driven by curiosity rather than objectives. Reviewers highlight that swimming alongside giant sea creatures feels magical and that the visuals render marine life with unprecedented realism. Priced at $19.99, the game runs verified on Steam Deck and holds an 83 Metacritic score alongside 93% positive from nearly 10,000 Steam reviews. The short, chill experience unfolds in solo play and suits a relaxed sitting session.
About ABZU: From the art director of Journey®, ABZÛ is a beautiful underwater adventure that evokes the dream of diving. Immerse yourself in a vibrant hidden world bursting with color and life as you descend into the heart of the ocean. But beware as you swim deeper as dangers lurk in the depths.
Players who liked ABZU also play
Steam players who put hours into ABZU 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.
A Short Hike
WHY THIS
Shares a relaxing mood with ABZU.
Top pick for ABZU fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you make your way to the summit.
Beyond The Underworld
WHY THIS
Second-strongest match for ABZU fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
As you wake up as a different being with no memory of why you are here, you will explore a gorgeous underworld with spirits and unique creatures to help you find the way. Go from the red fields of The Crimson Zone to the vast beaches of The Silver Coast to the final run to Elysium.
Guppy
WHY THIS
Third-strongest match for ABZU fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Simulation with ABZU.
Guppy is a 2D watercolor fish simulation. Hide in the shade of lilies and venture carefully into the open in search of food. Try not to get eaten.
Koral
WHY THIS
Shares collectible hunting and an atmospheric mood with ABZU.
Ranked #4 for ABZU fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
Koral, a love letter to the ocean. Dive into the beautiful underwater world as a sea current. Solve puzzles to bring back to life coral reefs and spread the beauty of the oceans in different sea ecosystems.
Journey
WHY THIS
Ranked #5 for ABZU fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
Explore the ancient, mysterious world of Journey as you soar above ruins and glide across sands to discover its secrets.
Loddlenaut
WHY THIS
Shares a relaxing mood with ABZU.
Ranked #6 for ABZU fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
Play as an interstellar custodian sent to clean up a polluted ocean planet. Pick up trash, explore the vibrant waters, and take care of axolotl-like alien creatures!
Eastshade
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with ABZU.
Ranked #7 for ABZU fans by collaborative filtering across millions of Steam libraries. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
You are a traveling painter, exploring the island of Eastshade. Capture the world on canvas using your artist’s easel. Talk to the inhabitants to learn about their lives. Make friends and help those in need. Visit cities, scale summits, unearth mysteries, and discover forgotten places!
Reviewers mention these as similar to ABZU
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.
Subnautica
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with ABZU.
Reviewers of ABZU cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
Descend into the depths of an alien underwater world filled with wonder and peril. Craft equipment, pilot submarines and out-smart wildlife to explore lush coral reefs, volcanoes, cave systems, and more - all while trying to survive.
Firewatch
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with ABZU.
Reviewers of ABZU cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
Firewatch is a single-player first-person mystery set in the Wyoming wilderness, where your only emotional lifeline is the person on the other end of a handheld radio.
GRIS
WHY THIS
Reviewers of ABZU cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
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.
Sky: Children of the Light
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with ABZU.
Reviewers of ABZU cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
A breathtaking open-world adventure awaits! Explore magical realms, restore lost light, and form wordless bonds with players worldwide. Complete quests and solve puzzles in seasonal events that celebrate kindness, discovery, and heartfelt connection.
Sayonara Wild Hearts
WHY THIS
Reviewers of ABZU cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Casual with ABZU.
Sayonara Wild Hearts is a dreamy arcade game about riding motorcycles, skateboarding, dance battling, shooting lasers, wielding swords, and breaking hearts at 200 mph.
What Remains of Edith Finch
WHY THIS
Shares environmental storytelling and an atmospheric mood with ABZU.
Reviewers of ABZU cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
What Remains of Edith Finch is a collection of strange tales about a family in Washington state. As Edith, you’ll explore the colossal Finch house, searching for stories as she explores her family history and tries to figure out why she's the last one in her family left alive.
Sable
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with ABZU.
Reviewers of ABZU cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
Embark on an unique and unforgettable journey and guide Sable through her Gliding; a rite of passage that will take her across vast deserts and mesmerizing landscapes, capped by the remains of spaceships and ancient wonders.
RiME
WHY THIS
Shares an atmospheric mood with ABZU.
Reviewers of ABZU cross-mention this title as a similar play. Shares Adventure with ABZU.
A land of discovery stretches out before you. Explore the beautiful, rugged world of RiME. Armed with your wits and a will to overcome—and the guidance of a helpful fox—you must explore the enigmatic island, reach the tower's peak, and unlock its closely guarded secrets.
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below ABZU at current Steam store prices.
Garry's Mod
WHY THIS
Priced ~75% under ABZU on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Simulation with ABZU.
Garry's Mod is a physics sandbox. There aren't any predefined aims or goals. We give you the tools and leave you to play.
Lethal Company
WHY THIS
Priced ~50% under ABZU on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
A co-op horror about scavenging at abandoned moons to sell scrap to the Company.
People Playground
WHY THIS
Priced ~50% under ABZU on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Simulation with ABZU.
Shoot, stab, burn, poison, tear, vaporise, or crush ragdolls in a large open space.
Vampire Survivors
WHY THIS
Priced ~75% under ABZU on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Casual with ABZU.
Mow down thousands of night creatures and survive until dawn! Vampire Survivors is a gothic horror casual game with rogue-lite elements, where your choices can allow you to quickly snowball against the hundreds of monsters that get thrown at you. Be the bullet hell!
PEAK
WHY THIS
Priced ~60% under ABZU on Steam right now. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
PEAK is a co-op climbing game where the slightest mistake can spell your doom. Either solo or as a group of lost nature scouts, your only hope of rescue from a mysterious island is to scale the mountain at its center. Do you have what it takes to reach the PEAK?
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 and Casual with ABZU.
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 ABZU.
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 ABZU.
Welcome to the ultimate FNAF mashup, featuring 50 selectable characters and custom difficulties!
Bongo Cat
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Simulation with ABZU.
Bongo cat needs your help. Bongo cat needz more hatz!!! Every time you press a key, Bongo cat will punch your taskbar. Type, click, play, work to collect more points. Which hats will you find?
ENA: Dream BBQ
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
Experience surreal environments and inexplicable characters as ENA in a new wild world.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
WHY THIS
Free-to-play pick from the same recommendation pool — no purchase to try it. Shares Indie and Simulation with ABZU.
Sonic the Hedgehog...was murdered!? Get to the bottom of the mystery in this brand-new adventure!
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 ABZU.
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.
Narrow it down
Head-to-head comparisons
Plays great on Steam Deck
Valve-Verified or Playable picks from the similar pool — ready to go on Deck out of the box.
A Short Hike
WHY THIS
Shares a relaxing mood with ABZU.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
Hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you make your way to the summit.
Loddlenaut
WHY THIS
Shares a relaxing mood with ABZU.
Deck Verified — runs on Steam Deck out of the box. Shares Indie and Adventure with ABZU.
Play as an interstellar custodian sent to clean up a polluted ocean planet. Pick up trash, explore the vibrant waters, and take care of axolotl-like alien creatures!
Frequently asked about ABZU
- Is ABZU verified for Steam Deck?
- Yes — ABZU is Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve has confirmed it runs well on the Deck with full controller, text legibility, and default configuration support.
- How much does ABZU cost?
- ABZU is listed on Steam at 19.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
- What games are most similar to ABZU?
- Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside ABZU are A Short Hike, Beyond The Underworld, Guppy.
- Who developed ABZU?
- ABZU was developed by Giant Squid and published by 505 Games.
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 ABZU.
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