The word ‘bugs’ keeps popping up—11 times in reviews—far outnumbering any other keyword. Ironically, the game still sits at 79% positive on Steam, where longer sessions correlate with overwhelming praise.
What it's about: Darkwater est un jeu d'extraction d'horreur coopératif pour 1 à 4 joueurs. Commandez un sous-marin piégé sous la glace d'une lune inconnue. Combattez des vaisseaux ennemis et des abominations des profondeurs sous-marines tout en cherchant des ressources. Faites tout ce qu'il faut pour survivre.
In-game
« The Devs advertising accurately shows you the gameplay of this game. Much fun, especially if you like Lethal Company style games. WORTH EVERY PENNY!!! »👍 anonymous review · 39 h played1« A mix of 1st Person Barotrauma with elements of FTL and Lethal Company in its scavenging sections, i think Darkwater is a fairly solid game for what it is. I just wish it was more recognized. »👍 anonymous review · 6 h played1« amazing game play if you love games like R.E.P.O or lethal company this is a game for you »👍 anonymous review · 13 h played1« this game is very fun with friends, not slop its more like a rougelite just needs more content but again very enjoyable runs great »👍 anonymous review · 6 h played1« Great game, a bit glitchy at times but the gameplay makes up for it, having great submarine warfare and emersive places such as oil rigs, factories, stores, mansions and many more. »👍 anonymous review · 14 h played1« Very fun game. It still has some kinks to work out, but of course it does. It's early access and still in development. It's a shame that more people aren't playing it, it's great with a full crew! »👍 anonymous review · 41 h played1
« This game is not worth getting if you're by yourself. It's extremely repetitive and there's not much to do. However it's decent enough with friends. »👎 anonymous review · 5 h played1« Definitely worth the $12, but the game lacks content, and the combat feels tedious and awkward, particularly in melee. However, the concept and foundation are certainly present. »👎 anonymous review · 12 h played« I enjoyed the session I played with friends, was a lot of repetitive stations with coral-infested enemies, I assumed it was early access, but surprised to see it was 1.0 and considered "content complete". »👎 anonymous review · 2 h played« no sense of difficulty curve. the first fight on easy was a one side wash with no chance of fighting back. »👎 anonymous review · 3 h played« Not what we expected, pretty bare bones and repetitive in a bad way »👎 anonymous review · 3 h played« Suprisingly deep for a solo dev FTL / Barotrauma mash up. Soloable buit very tough, but really fun with friends. »👍 anonymous review · 6 h played1
In players' words
« The Devs advertising accurately shows you the gameplay of this game. Much fun, especially if you like Lethal Company style games. WORTH EVERY PENNY!!! »👍 anonymous review · 39 h played1« This game is not worth getting if you're by yourself. It's extremely repetitive and there's not much to do. However it's decent enough with friends. »👎 anonymous review · 5 h played1« A mix of 1st Person Barotrauma with elements of FTL and Lethal Company in its scavenging sections, i think Darkwater is a fairly solid game for what it is. I just wish it was more recognized. »👍 anonymous review · 6 h played1« Definitely worth the $12, but the game lacks content, and the combat feels tedious and awkward, particularly in melee. However, the concept and foundation are certainly present. »👎 anonymous review · 12 h played« amazing game play if you love games like R.E.P.O or lethal company this is a game for you »👍 anonymous review · 13 h played1« I enjoyed the session I played with friends, was a lot of repetitive stations with coral-infested enemies, I assumed it was early access, but surprised to see it was 1.0 and considered "content complete". »👎 anonymous review · 2 h played« this game is very fun with friends, not slop its more like a rougelite just needs more content but again very enjoyable runs great »👍 anonymous review · 6 h played1« no sense of difficulty curve. the first fight on easy was a one side wash with no chance of fighting back. »👎 anonymous review · 3 h played« Great game, a bit glitchy at times but the gameplay makes up for it, having great submarine warfare and emersive places such as oil rigs, factories, stores, mansions and many more. »👍 anonymous review · 14 h played1« Not what we expected, pretty bare bones and repetitive in a bad way »👎 anonymous review · 3 h played« Very fun game. It still has some kinks to work out, but of course it does. It's early access and still in development. It's a shame that more people aren't playing it, it's great with a full crew! »👍 anonymous review · 41 h played1« Suprisingly deep for a solo dev FTL / Barotrauma mash up. Soloable buit very tough, but really fun with friends. »👍 anonymous review · 6 h played1
Anonymized excerpts from public Steam reviews — picked among those most voted "helpful" by the community.
What players say, by aspect
PositiveMixedNegative
Gameplay
80 % pos · n=95
Content / longevity
9 % pos · n=22
Stability / bugs
5 % pos · n=21
Multiplayer
71 % pos · n=14
Value for money
86 % pos · n=7
Interface / UX
0 % pos · n=6
Graphics / art
20 % pos · n=5
Audio / music
20 % pos · n=5
Performance
0 % pos · n=4
Story / writing
0 % pos · n=1
Detailed data (table)
Aspect
Mentions
Positive
Mixed
Negative
Gameplay
95
76
4
15
Content / longevity
22
2
2
18
Stability / bugs
21
1
0
20
Multiplayer
14
10
1
3
Value for money
7
6
0
1
Interface / UX
6
0
0
6
Graphics / art
5
1
1
3
Audio / music
5
1
0
4
Performance
4
0
0
4
Story / writing
1
0
0
1
Positive reviews by playtime
🎮 Players who like it have spent 12 h on median; those who dislike it: 2 h.
🪤 50 % of negative reviews come from players who left in under 2h — the game often disappoints right away.
<2h
18 % (n=45)
2-10h
77 % (n=116)
10-25h
91 % (n=81)
>25h
90 % (n=60)
Fixed or still broken? Sentiment over time
📉 Down since launch (-17 pts) — reception has worsened
% of positive reviews per month (months with ≥ 15 sample reviews).
of players have unlocked the rarest achievement — the upper bound of those who "100%'d" it. 14 achievements in total; the median achievement is unlocked by 2,9 % of players.
Core gameplay steals the show, with 76 positive mentions out of 95—an area where criticism is barely present.
Extended playtime rewards players: 91% of those logging 10–25 hours praise the experience, and the trend strengthens beyond 25 hours at 90%.
Co-op shine: 10 out of 14 mentions highlight fun with friends as a standout feature.
Price perceptions lean favorable, with 6 supportive mentions out of 7.
Weaknesses
Bugs disrupt the ride: 20 out of 21 mentions call out technical glitches as a major pain point.
Thin content draws fire: 18 out of 22 complaints target the lack of depth or replay value.
Interface woes land zero love—every UI-related mention (6 total) is negative.
Performance lags behind expectations, with all 4 technical reviews calling it underwhelming.
Who is it for?
If you crave a brisk, replay-friendly indie action-adventure to enjoy with friends, this delivers. Just brace for some rough patches early on.
Is Darkwater worth it in 2026?
Mostly yes, if its flaws don't put you off: 79% of 1,155 Steam reviews are positive (player score 73/100). Most-praised strength: Core gameplay steals the show. Current price: 9,99€.
Verdict
Darkwater’s engine stumbles, its systems feel sparse, and bugs bite hard. Yet the foundational gameplay hooks so many that, despite the flaws, 7 out of 10 players still walk away satisfied.
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