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Paleo Dive

Explore five prehistoric oceans on desktop or in VR. Photograph 48 species from three perspectives, collect DNA samples, and expand your walk-in aquarium. Upgrade your equipment and return to base before your oxygen runs out.

Developer
Publisher
Release
September 4, 2026
45 days ago
Steam Reviews
Positive43 reviews88.4%
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Updated: Sep 24, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
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About the Game

Paleo Dive

Explore lost oceans and study a world that vanished millions of years ago.

Paleo Dive is an atmospheric diving adventure for desktop and VR that takes you through more than 500 million years of Earth’s history. Explore five handcrafted underwater environments—from a Cambrian lagoon to colorful reefs, dense kelp forests, and the darkness of the deep sea.

Swim. Discover. Survive.

In VR, move your arms naturally to swim through the water. Reach for discoveries or pull yourself along suitable surfaces. In desktop mode, explore the underwater world using a keyboard and mouse or a controller.

Keep an eye on your oxygen and return to the research base in time. On Normal difficulty, dangerous creatures can attack. If a dive fails, the collectibles, photographs, and DNA progress earned during that expedition are lost. On Easy, creatures do not attack and your progress is preserved if you drown.

Your display shows your oxygen, depth, water pressure, and remaining collectibles. A holographic map and an unlockable finder help you navigate.

Photograph and research 48 species

Photograph prehistoric animals with your underwater camera. Capture each species from three clearly different perspectives to unlock a rotatable 3D specimen in the archive. Your photographs are stored in a personal gallery.

Use the DNA scanner to collect additional research samples. Once you have completed both the photographic and DNA research for a species, you can add the animal to your walk-in aquarium.

Expand your expeditions

Collect fossil and map fragments, coins, and rare Moon Rocks. Discoveries and completed research objectives unlock new diving areas, while coins let you improve your swimming performance, oxygen capacity, and research equipment.

Choose your loadout from the camera, DNA scanner, headlamp, finder, and oxygen bottle. Collected Moon Rocks also unlock a night mode for each area.

Features

  • Playable on desktop and in VR

  • Keyboard/mouse and controller support in desktop mode

  • Natural arm-based swimming in VR

  • Five handcrafted diving areas from different geological eras

  • 48 species to document

  • Underwater camera with a persistent photo gallery

  • Research through three photographic perspectives and DNA samples

  • Animal archive with information and rotatable 3D specimens

  • Walk-in aquarium for fully researched species

  • Collecting, equipment, and upgrade systems

  • Holographic map and unlockable finder

  • Unlockable night mode for every area

  • Two difficulty settings and three save slots

Desktop or VR – OpenXR

Paleo Dive can be played on a monitor with a keyboard and mouse or a controller. VR mode requires a compatible PC-VR headset, motion controllers, and an active OpenXR runtime.

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