Steam Link Spotlight - In Other Waters

Steam Link Spotlight is a feature where we look at PC games that play exceptionally well using the Steam Link. Our last entry was Might is Right. Read about how it’s a great mobile experience over here.

Practically every previous game we've covered using Steam Link has heavily featured turn-based combat, but In Other Waters by Jump Over the Age is different. This game is an undersea exploration mission where you try to learn more about the alien planet you're on and why you--a seemingly sentient AI diving suit--exist.

It's hard to describe In Other Waters's gameplay, mostly because it doesn't resemble most other games. The entire presentation is a minimal, abstract user interface for a futuristic underwater exploration apparatus, and you spend a lot of time charting out a safe path for your pilot, sending sonar pings to identify objects of interest, and taking samples of alien wildlife.

Being in such a hostlie alien environment, there are some survival mechanics at play here (i.e. air suppy, power management, etc.), but the core of the game really is in the exploration. Each new lifeform or place you uncover prompts your pilot companion to comment on what is happening, which ends up revealing a rather intriguing narrative that's worth digging into.

Using Steam Link, In Other Waters plays flawlessly. The UI's use of space may not feel particularly efficient on smaller screens, but everything is still easy enough to tap away at. The game also moves at a slow enough pace that you can pause to get your bearings if you have any trouble remembering which menu button does what.

In Other Waters could definitely be more playable as a native iOS app, but in its current form you should have no trouble making your way through it. So feel free to dive in. These waters are fine.