Subnautica: Below Zero

AdventureGoogle PlayApp Store

7.7~~/10~~

Our score

★ 4.5·10K+ installs

Reviewed by Editorial Team, ScoredApps editorial · updated 2026-09-19

Screenshots

Standing on the frozen surface with a snow-covered ridge and a sea creature on the ice

Swimming through a dark kelp biome with the on-screen joysticks and a depth reading of 257 m

Inside the Seatruck cockpit looking out at the blue Twisty Bridges

Yellow-green cave biome with a glowing plant in the foreground

Diving between large orange sea creatures with the scanner tool raised

A Shadow Leviathan-scale creature looming in blue water beside the player

About Subnautica: Below Zero

Subnautica: Below Zero on a phone is the full 2021 game, sold once — $9.99 on the App Store and $10.99 on Google Play when we checked — with no energy, no ads and no gacha. Playdigious ported it for Unknown Worlds and shipped it on March 10, 2026 with two mini-joysticks, MFi controller support and cloud saves. The catch is hardware: 2.4 GB on iPhone, iOS 15 or Android 10 as a floor, and a survival loop that expects hours, not minutes.

Game information

DeveloperUnknown Worlds Entertainment, Inc.

Version1.22.55047 (Android) · 1.0.3 (iOS)

Size2.0 GB (Android) · 2.4 GB (iOS)

Price / In-app$9.99

Contains adsNo

In-app purchasesNo

Content rating9+

Requires (Android)Android 10+

Requires (iOS)iOS 15.0+

Offline modeYes — single-player; only cloud saves need a connection

Interface languagesEN, FR, DE, IT, JA, KO + 5 more

Store rating4.5 from 118 ratings

Installs10K+

Updated by developer2026-04-13

Data checked2026-09-17

Specs come from the official store listings and were last checked on 2026-09-17. Developers change pricing and requirements — check the store page before installing.

Subnautica: Below Zero Review: A Full Premium Survival Game, Sold Once

One Price, No Shop: $9.99 on iOS, $10.99 on Android

There is no free tier and nothing to unlock later. The App Store lists the game at $9.99 and the Play listing at $10.99 on the date we checked, after a 10% launch discount that ran around the March 10, 2026 release; both stores carry no advertising badge. What you buy is the complete arctic sequel: crash-land on Planet 4546B, look for your sister, and survive freezing water with a cold suit, hot coffee and Thermal Lilies while you scavenge, craft and build habitats. Progression is the story and the tech tree, not a timer — the Seatruck is a modular submarine you extend piece by piece, and the Snowfox hoverbike opens the frozen surface. Prices are regional and the two stores already differ by a dollar, so check the listing before buying.

Mini-Joysticks, MFi Controllers and a Five-Second Scan

Playdigious rebuilt the interface for touch: two on-screen mini-joysticks for movement and camera, contextual buttons for the scanner and tools, and an inventory redrawn for a thumb. A March 2026 Play review with 43 helpful votes calls the joysticks the main improvement over the original Subnautica port. Unknown Worlds' announcement adds MFi controller compatibility, iPhone 15 optimisation and cloud saves between iOS and Android devices, plus Game Center and Google Play Games achievements. The complaints are specific: an August 2026 review reports that scanning requires holding for five seconds rather than a tap, that the Seatruck handles badly on touch, and that finding your way between Twisty Bridges, the Crystal Caverns and the Glacial Basin is harder without a mouse. The Shadow Leviathan is still terrifying; that part survived the port intact.

2.4 GB, iOS 15 or Android 10, and a Small Audience

The install is 2.4 GB on iPhone and the stores set iOS 15.0 and Android 10 as minimums, with the Play page warning buyers to confirm their device is supported before paying — a paid app cannot be tried first. Six months after launch the numbers are modest: over 10,000 installs and 1,100 reviews at 4.7 on Play, 118 ratings at 4.5 on the App Store, which is what a $10 premium port looks like next to free-to-play. Unknown Worlds is the developer of record on both stores and Playdigious handles support; cloud saves are the only online feature either company lists for a single-player game with no live events. If your phone is on the older side, the five-second scan is the least of it — the frozen surface and the Crystal Caverns are where a weak GPU shows.

Pros

One purchase, no ads, no in-app currency — the full Below Zero campaign
Two mini-joystick touch scheme plus MFi controller support
Cloud saves move progress between iOS and Android devices
No ads, no live events — cloud saves are the only online feature listed
Seatruck, Snowfox and every biome from the 2021 original are in

Cons

$9.99 on iOS and $10.99 on Android with no trial before buying
Scanning is a five-second hold and the Seatruck fights the touch controls
Needs iOS 15 or Android 10 and a GPU that can hold the Crystal Caverns
Navigation without a mouse is the most common complaint

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Verdict

A 7.7 for a rare thing: a complete premium game on a phone, sold once, playable offline, with no shop behind it. Take it if you want Subnautica's arctic sequel on the go and have a recent phone with 2.4 GB to spare and, ideally, an MFi controller. Skip it if you expect a free download, if your device is near the iOS 15 or Android 10 floor, or if you played the original mobile port and hated steering a submarine with your thumbs.

Gameplay8The complete arctic survival campaign — cold suit, Seatruck, Al-An — with no free-to-play timers in the way.

Controls6Mini-joysticks work, MFi controllers help, but a five-second scan and a clumsy Seatruck are real touch compromises.

Replay value7One story with an ending; base building and the tech tree extend it, nothing seasonal drags you back.

Graphics & sound8Twisty Bridges and the Crystal Caverns arrive intact in 2.4 GB; iPhone 15 optimisation is stated by Unknown Worlds.

Monetisation9$9.99 or $10.99 once, no ads, no shop — the rarest model on a mobile store.

7.7out of 10 · weighted average of the five scores above

Frequently asked questions

Can you play Subnautica: Below Zero offline?

Nothing in it needs a connection except cloud saves: it is a single-player game with no ads, no live events and no multiplayer, and cloud saves are the only online feature Unknown Worlds lists. Progress syncs between iOS and Android devices when you are connected; the 2.4 GB install holds the rest.

Is Subnautica: Below Zero free on mobile?

No. It is a paid app: $9.99 on the App Store and $10.99 on Google Play when we checked, after a 10% launch discount around the March 10, 2026 release. There is no in-app currency, no energy and no advertising badge on either store — the price is the whole cost. Prices vary by region and the two stores already differ, so check your listing.

What phone do you need for Subnautica: Below Zero?

iOS 15.0 or newer with 2.4 GB free, or Android 10 or newer; Unknown Worlds cites iPhone 15 optimisation, including the Pro Max. Because it is a paid download with no trial, the Play listing itself tells you to confirm your device is supported before buying. The open frozen surface and the Crystal Caverns are the heaviest scenes.

Can you play Subnautica: Below Zero with friends?

No. Like the PC and console versions, Below Zero is single-player only; there is no co-op, no multiplayer and no shared world. Cloud saves let one player continue the same game on another device, which is the closest the port comes to a social feature.

How long does Subnautica: Below Zero take?

It is a full survival campaign rather than a session game: the story, the tech tree and the Seatruck upgrades take hours across many sittings, and an August 2026 Play reviewer gave up after nearly three hours without finishing the opening. Plan for an evening at a time, and for the five-second scanner hold to slow every new discovery.