NAUTUS will enter Early Access in 2027 for PC via Steam. Developed by Magic Design Studios, the team behind Have a Nice Death and Unruly Heroes, and published by Arc Games, the underwater adventure supports up to four players in online co-op. The surface acts as a relatively cozy sanctuary, while each dive sends the crew into far more dangerous waters. It can also be played solo, letting players investigate the same mystery without forming a group.
Expeditions lead through coral reefs, sunken pirate ships, and underwater anomalies that even the local scientists refuse to approach. Players pilot an upgradeable submarine that can be fitted with specialized modules, protective equipment, and weapons, opening access to deeper trenches and giving the crew better tools against aggressive mutant marine life. The journey also involves fighting and capturing strange creatures while gathering resources and rare artifacts from the seabed.
The central mystery concerns the disappearance of the protagonist’s uncle, Bernard Torpedo, as well as what happened to the N.A.U.T.U.S. research team. Ancient relics and hidden clues gradually connect those questions. Back on the surface, players meet eccentric amnesiac inhabitants, including a tanning-obsessed diver and an expedition chief. Helping them with different projects and recovering lost artifact stones can address their bizarre fear of the ocean and reveal more about who they really are.
Between dives, a secluded tropical outpost becomes a customizable home base. Materials brought back from the depths can be refined through crafting machinery, while new infrastructure prepares the crew for future expeditions. NAUTUS therefore connects submarine upgrades, resource gathering, base development, exploration, and four-player online co-op around a single underwater mystery. Its Steam Early Access launch is currently planned for 2027, with no more specific date announced.
