Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗Aphotic Descent
Broiled Squid Studios · Published by Broiled Squid Studios
Mixed — 63% positive (80 reviews) · 9 achievements
Last updated 27 Sept 2026
In Aphotic Descent, you play as a diver whose submarine crashed at the bottom of the ocean. With no other option for survival, you must make your way to a nearby underwater research facility facing terrifying creatures, all while descending deeper and deeper...
Action, Adventure, Indie, Free To Play · 2023 · More free games
Explore the eerie underwater world as you navigate through dangerous corridors in Aphotic Descent. Developed by Broiled Squid Studios, this 2023 indie action-adventure game challenges you to make your way to an underwater research facility while battling monstrous foes.
About this game
A mobile research facility exists deep down in the ocean where scientists from all over the world study the ecology of creatures ranging from the euphotic zone down to the aphotic zone to carve the path open to deep sea exploration and understanding. After not hearing from the facility for months, a rescue team is sent by submarine to investigate. When the team finds a lead, the submarine is hit by a sudden force. A lone diver manages to escape through a bathysphere and crashes down onto the sea floor...
Explore the Depths
Descend into the ocean, where you’ll journey through various zones, from the sunlit surface zone to the twilight zone and finally the aphotic zone where monstrosities of the deep exist.
Revelations from Within
Your only company are the scattered documents found throughout revealing the true nature of the world engulfing you. Gather information about the horrific experiments conducted and creatures lurking in the dark watching your every move.
Suit Up
Equipped with a powerful flashlight and your trusty diving knife, you’ll illuminate the dark waters around you, while using the blacklight feature to reveal hidden clues and solve puzzles, and destroy key objects to complete encounters.
Prey vs Predator
Face a diverse range of creatures, where every encounter presents a unique challenge that requires you to adapt your skills and equipment in order to survive in tense environments and escape the pursuit of aggressive predators.
NOTE: Aphotic Descent was developed by a team of students, and we greatly appreciate any feedback you may have!
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- OS: Windows 10 64-Bit
- Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9750H CPU @ 2.60GHZ (12CPUs), ~2.6GHz
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 6 GB available space
Recommended
- OS: Windows 11 64-Bit
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 6-Core Processor, 3800 Mhz, 6 Core(s), 12 Logical Processor(s)
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 6 GB available space
Supported Languages
*languages with full audio support
Latest news
Patch NotesOfficial
Aphotic Descent Balance Patch Update
Holy shrimp! The Balance Patch Update is o-fish-aly here!On May 5th, Aphotic Descent turned 3 years old! We’re very grateful for the continued support and feedback we received from players. For its birthday-anniversary, this major update is a culmination of adjustments focusing on improving the game’s overall experience through certain adjustments and quality-of-life fixes. HighlightsSupporting More Screens: Most game screens now automatically adjust to 16:9 resolution, regardless of the native aspect ratio.Nerfed Early Game Enemies: The infamous gatekeepers, the FreakFish and the Eel, have been adjusted to revamp the game’s overall difficulty.Improved Puzzles: A handful of puzzles have been changed to account for future levels and bosses to introduce certain interactions sooner.Edits to Cutscenes: Some 3D cutscenes have been changed to clarify objectives, story events, and hints.Level Adjustments: All levels received improvements with either terrain edits and/or collision adjustments.And much more…! Dive right in to see all the changes! ChangesSubmarineMoved the Flashlight/Blacklight from the first room to the second roomExpanded tutorial text hitboxesCorrected “Bathysphere” spelling errorKelp MazeAdded blacklit kelp blocking the Bathysphere exitMoved collectible Zooplankton to be in front of the BathysphereAdded a new tutorial hint for the Blacklight and Knife in front of the Kelp MazeMoved Kepler’s corpse to the entrance of the Kelp MazeKelper’s skull now rolls off his body when the player walks near itAdded new SFX to Kepler’s skull animationAdded dry kelp in the Kelp Maze entrance that can be cut with the KnifeAdded ambient SFX in Kelp MazeKelp shakingWater pulsingFixed an issue where FreakFish would clip and swim through large rocksLowered FreakFish’s attack radius to be more forgiving and allow more exploration of the Kelp MazeAdjusted FreakFish’s damage to be 2 hits instead of 1 for deathAdded new FreakFish eating animation to play after he damages the playe...Read full article on Community Announcements (Gracie)Patch NotesOfficial
Bug Fixes
Boss Fixes Map Fixes UI FixesRead full article on Community Announcements (Broiled Squid Studios)
