Norwegian studio Megapop has announced Life Below, a city building game that has players planning reefs rather than cities. Set in a near-future Earth, the ocean is no longer what it used to be. What does that mean? I don’t know! But Life Below was written by Rhianna Pratchett, so that’s cool! We should probably watch the trailer and figure out what’s going on in Life Below, a game being published by Kasedo Games.
Ever since I was a kid, cartoon characters have been telling me to move or stay under the sea. Megapop is now giving us that optioon with Life Below. The trailer kicks off with a nice little gut punch as a sea turtle swims right through a plastic six-pack holder before swimming off-screen. Hopefully, the turtle isn’t swimming to it’s death but only time will tell.
As the camera progresses forward, we’re met with who I assume is the voice of nature that guides the player throughout the game, Thalassa, guardian of the sea. Tasking various sea creatures to gather trash floating along the surface, they bring the trash to the bottom and create coral structures. It’s a pretty neat idea, and I love a good city-builder.
Coral is dying and ecosystems are collapsing. The player’s job is to protect the Heart of the Reef and kick off more life in the deep before it’s too late. Life Below‘s announcement comes paired with the announcement of a partnership between Kasedo Games and Megapop. Jørgen Tharaldsen, CEO of Megapop had this to say about the collaboration;
We are thrilled to be joining forces with Kasedo Games. As fans of IXION, we know Kasedo’s background of nurturing innovative titles. We’ve been incredibly lucky and we’re grateful to be supported by our publishing partner Kasedo, as well as Creative Europe, the Norwegian Film Institute and Viken Filmcentre with funding to allow us to make Life Below what we envisaged.
Life Below also boasts some serious accessibility chops. Stating that Life Below aims to be one of the most accessible city builders to date, being developed along with consultant Arevya. Likewise, the physical disability charity SpecialEffect are involved in evaluating accessibility features and advising on implementation of said features. Lise Hagen Lie, Game Director of Life Below had this to say about accessibility;
We are hoping all players can have fun playing Life Below, in a chill but also strategic setting where you can get quickly into the world but need to think and use every aspect in the reef to reach the goal – a stable reef. We want this game to be about hope, about what can be, and about how we’re all connected, not doom and gloom. In the real world, life below water is struggling, and a key part of solving that will be for more people to know, care and appreciate problems facing the environment. So while I hope players will find the game a fun and interesting strategic challenge, I also hope that they feel hopeful for the future of life underwater.
Life Below Key Features
- Navigate the push and pull between expansion of the reef and the challenges they will need to grow and evolve new solutions to.
- Seek out new wildlife through the crafting and luring systems, while maintaining habitats and food resources.
- The rules underwater have changed rapidly. Find solutions with the aid of the corals of the reef as well as permanent and visiting wildlife.
- Navigate heatwaves, increased acidity, garbage clouds, jellyfish migrations and other constantly changing hazards.
- See the reef from three perspectives – close to the wildlife, classic top-down and the whole playable map.
- Experience the spectacle of life underwater, collecting species in the collection book as you go.
- Narrative written by award-winning video games writer Rhianna Pratchett.
- One of the most accessible city builders ever. Developed in conjunction with consultant Arevya and the charity Special Effect UK to evaluate accessibility features for the game and how we can implement these in impactful ways.
Megapop is aiming to have Life Below release on Steam in 2026. A demo will be available on June 8th to coincide with World Ocean Day and persist through Steam Next Fest. If you want to show interest in Life Below, there’s no better way than adding it to your wishlist and checking out their Steam Page. Stay tuned to MonsterVine for continuing coverage on Life Below, Megapop, and Kasedo Games.
