After crash-landing on a mysterious planet, you find you’re the only human in sight. The really bad news? The planet is covered in water. Thankfully, the sea is loaded with goodies waiting to be moulded into a sustainable habitat. Welcome to Subnautica!

First released in 2018 on console and PC, this survival-adventure game made waves for its beautiful open-world design and creative storytelling. And it’s just as deep on iPhone and iPad, packed to the gills with biomes to build and creatures to frantically paddle away from. Here’s what lurks in its depths:

As the quick-thinking Ryley Robinson, your primary goal is to simply eat, build and stay alive. But what begins as a game of survival expands into an epic sci-fi tale. Subnautica masterfully reveals its plot in drips, slowly uncovering this alien world’s fascinating secrets.

Think great white sharks are deadly? Try diving with Ampeels and Crabsquids! The creatures of Planet 4546B can be aggressive, but they’re also helpful. (Chow down on a Bladderfish, for example, to replenish a bit of oxygen.) Spy a Leviathan? Maybe swim the other way.

At its heart, Subnautica is about exploration and creation – and there’s no shortage of cool things to create. Use your escape pod’s fabricator to make basics such as flares and an oxygen tank; in time, you’ll create impressive oceanic bases and sleek submersibles for plumbing untold depths. Plus, excellent touch controls and full gamepad support make building elaborate pipe systems a breeze.