Gryphon Knight Epic
Gryphon Knight Epic
Game
Game2026
Life Below
Developer Megapop
Life Below is a refreshing twist on the city-building genre, set beneath the waves. Shape thriving coral reefs, revive collapsing ecosystems, and grow a living seascape in a heartfelt narrative by Rhianna Pratchett. You are the ocean's final hope. From the Steam store page
168 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
85
LovedLoved
114 positive · 20 negative
95% range 78–90%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 114 | 20 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 10 | 0 | 23 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
118 of 138 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
85% recommend · 107 yes, 19 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 126 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (181 of 214 positive).
Players praise the game's serene atmosphere and beautiful graphics. [1][2][3] Some find hazards too punishing and poorly explained. [4][5][6] Many appreciate the unique twist on city building with an ecosystem focus. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [6]
The game design is FANTASTIC, and I had a lot of fun, so why the downside? There are SEVERE bugs and very bad choices of design, that can be found later on the game, and I'll list the two most important things that annoyed me a lot. 1) Performance problems: when you reach... let's say mid-game I guess? And you start to have 7-8 zones, the game begins to stutter heavily.. making playing the game very frustrating. 2) …
- [1]
The reviews about hazards being too hard are pretty goofy. My dad plays all the strategy games at a much higher level than I can. They hurt my brain. This game though, is so serene. If you take the time to read, use a bit of your brain, and have some patience... you can beat the hazards. I couldn't recommend this game more. This game isn't as indepth as some of the other giants out there, but it definitely has a …
- [7]
A fun, fresh, and colourful twist on the city builder genre. The gameplay feels engaging from the start and has surprising depth without becoming overwhelming. It strikes a great balance between accessibility and technical complexity, making it enjoyable even for players like me who doesn't usually play city builders. Double thumbs up!!
- [11]
10/5 PAWS!! I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I ADORE THIS GAME. I love city builders. I love ecosystems. I love plant, animal and aquatic life. This game has ALL of that AND MORE. The GREAT Other than everything? The story is amazing. The visuals are fantasic. The music sets the perfect mood. The progression makes sense. The challenges feel right. The experience is bar none. The LESS than GREAT I got nothing folks. I love …
- [2]
This is a fantastically refreshing take on the city building genre. One of the best thing about city builders in general is seeing your city come alive, and feel lived in. It feels artistic and beautiful. This game hits this feeling very well. As soon as you start having fish living in your coral reef, which is only about 30 minutes into the game, it feels like a thriving natural ecosystem. That's because this game …
Summarised from 34 of the 159 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Life Below sits at 85% positive across 134 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 168 · most liked firstThe game design is FANTASTIC, and I had a lot of fun, so why the downside? There are SEVERE bugs and very bad choices of design, that can be found later on the game, and I'll list the two most important things that annoyed me a lot. 1) Performance problems: when you reach... let's say mid-game I guess? And you start to have 7-8 zones, the game begins to stutter heavily.. making playing the game very frustrating. 2) The disasters that occur during the game, can literally destroy all you've…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →AAAA🪸LIFE BELOW IS OUT🪸🪸I HAVE SPENT 3.5 YEARS OF MY LIFE ON THIS GAME🪸PLEASE CHECK IT OUT🪸🪸🪸 #gamedev #indiedev #indiegames
positive · AI labelView post →The reviews about hazards being too hard are pretty goofy. My dad plays all the strategy games at a much higher level than I can. They hurt my brain. This game though, is so serene. If you take the time to read, use a bit of your brain, and have some patience... you can beat the hazards. I couldn't recommend this game more. This game isn't as indepth as some of the other giants out there, but it definitely has a place. Everyone should give it more of a chance before quitting after a hazard…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really love the art style and concept, but the dev team needs to balance some things. Random events kill your reef very quickly and the game does not explain clearly even what the hazard is or how to treat. I have tried playing on the lowest difficulty but still die repeatedly and quickly. I think there is a strong core game here that the devs can make great with some added tutorial steps walking through the UI and mechanics more. I would also recommend pushing the disaster events back…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fun, fresh, and colourful twist on the city builder genre. The gameplay feels engaging from the start and has surprising depth without becoming overwhelming. It strikes a great balance between accessibility and technical complexity, making it enjoyable even for players like me who doesn't usually play city builders. Double thumbs up!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →8/10 – Finally, a city builder where I’m emotionally responsible for fish society. I arrived to fix reefs and accidentally became a coral landlord with shark tenants and crab chaos. The ocean is dying but my decorating skills are thriving. I’m basically underwater IKEA with bioluminescent anxiety. Gorgeous, calming, mildly stressful in a “don’t break the ocean” way. 🐠 Follow me for deep-sea chaos, coral capitalism, and games that prove fish have better city planning than humans. 🐠✨…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve sunk 37 hours into this game, and will happily spend at least another 100. Regarding some of the negative reviews….the game does have hazards. It’s based on real-life reef science, so you will have issues with water temp and ph. You’ll also have issues with jellyfish, lion fish, oil, and trash. The devs have made adjustments to ramp these down on “easy” mode, so you can choose how extreme they are - and there are tools to mitigate them in-game. I found them all to be just challenging…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tonight's video to pre-game #Iditarod2026 is Jessie on Life Below Zero a few years ago when he lived in Nenena, out looking for some deep snow to train his doggies. youtu.be/NMHMauzjPJk?... #MusherSky
neutral · AI labelView post →The game is definitely appealing to look at, and the gameplay is pretty enjoyable early on. However, the more you play, the more its flaws become apparent. -Building structures takes way too much time. I find myself tabbing out and playing a different game or watching a video as the little minions are getting stuff done. It really takes that long, even though I always play on max speed. -In order to deal with game-ending disasters, you need specific crabs and such, which are obtained by…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As of now I wouldn't buy this game until some balance changes happen. It is more annoying than fun. Really cool idea and it can easily hook you for a handful of hours but then its just one obnoxious thing after another. The hazards just don't add anything fun to the game. They are tedious obnoxious roadblocks that come at random and cause headaches. The main issue is that buildings which function to fix environmental imbalances are not immune to those same environmental effects. It is really…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I haven't finished the game yet but I did hit a plot point in the story that made me decide this is my GOTY 2026 thus far (Subnautica 2 is early access so it doesnt count). Life Below is a city builder for ocean nerds. Instead of towers, you have coral. Instead of people, you have sea critters. You also have to worry about temperature, pH balance, and food-to-fish ratios. The main character is the most gorgeous mermaid-jellyfish-alien thing I've ever seen, and the mentor dude is so cool.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wanted to enjoy this game, but my god does everything take ages! When you're spending most of the game in the highest speed setting & still getting bored for things to do, I'm afraid that points to it being a glacial paced slog.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a fantastically refreshing take on the city building genre. One of the best thing about city builders in general is seeing your city come alive, and feel lived in. It feels artistic and beautiful. This game hits this feeling very well. As soon as you start having fish living in your coral reef, which is only about 30 minutes into the game, it feels like a thriving natural ecosystem. That's because this game hits it's theme perfectly. You are essentially building a city with people.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →great game and many improvements to get better information at the start of the game would recommend quite relaxing to play :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Developer Megapop shared a social media trailer for their upcoming game Life Below, detailing some of the accessibility features players can expect on launch. We list the features mentioned in the trailer, and a few others we spotted in the video. caniplaythat.com/2026/03/13/m...
neutral · AI labelView post →The game is *painfully* balanced, I get that it's realistic that oil spills and trash is catastrophic to the ecosystem and that it's like part of the message but when it comes at the cost of gameplay in a GAME, then it's an issue. you get rapidly boxed in by the tech tree in how the story locks off upgrades that make progressing to said story beat a chore at times especially if you get bad spawns of rock outcrops to build on, and if you get REAL unlucky (like I did, you spend 2 and a half…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The demo was chill, so I decided to try the full game. Early in the full game you are hit with incessant hazards (I'm talking to you seaweed!) I was hoping for a relaxing game, but all I got was increased pulse rate. If you want a relaxing city builder under the sea, don't buy it. If you like the feeling of tachycardia and constantly fighting hazards go for it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I want to love this game but there are a number of shockingly poor design decisions that render it unplayable. The technology tree requiring that you successfully acquire xyz fish before many of the technologies is cool in theory, but as implemented it means that (for example) you have a very very good chance of having your reef obliterated by garbage that you probably have no way to clean up when the disaster hits. It is infuriating. Ditch the species requirements and the lure system to just…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excited to share BUFDIR awarded us a 500K NOK grant to boost accessibility in Life Below & future games! Huge thanks to @arevya.bsky.social & @specialeffect.bsky.social for their invaluable feedback💖 We hope this will lead to a better game, for every player!
positive · AI labelView post →Very pretty, can't complain about the underlying message... but as an actual GAME it's just frustratingly badly thought out. Trying to build up my reef, but I'm constantly short on power. Only power-generating structure is the Moon Coral. I expand into a volcanic region to exploit the volcanic vents there with Vent Corals, but I can't - the Vent Corals are arbitrarily locked behind story progression. I expand into an arctic region instead, since that provides a bonus to all power-generation,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is fun but it has its flaws. It's very easy to get resource locked even early in the game to the point where you have to load a previous save or start over. The alerts for events that kill your coral are minimal and do very little to let you know when it is happening. Maybe a patch or update would fix this. if you are careful though the game is very fun, colorful and well designed both gameplay and mechanics. The progress does sometimes drag between milestones but not overly…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Some Life Below ones I had running in the background while working :3 Wishlist Life Below! store.steampowered.com/app/2932150/... #gamedev
positive · AI labelView post →This is a city builder with an adorable twist. The game graphics are very pretty and the mechanics work well. If you plan well, check what research unlocks what carefully and monitor resources it can be fairly straightforward to overcome the hazards you are presented with. I actually like that there are hazards to overcome. It sure made me think about the impacts that happen. As with any game there is a learning curve so I'd recommend taking the time to really get to know how it works. I've…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm giving this game a positive review because I feel this game deserves visibility. I love the deep, interconnected systems and sense of progression you feel as you play. Sparse shelves of rock slowly becoming colonized by anchor species before exploding into more and more complex tiers of habitation and development is really awesome to see. It feels organic and as I go through my zones I cannot help but feel the art lends itself to creating a feeling of a truly thriving reef, despite knowing…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is easy to get into and hard to stop playing. A city builder with a fun twist, mechanics that are simple to understand, and resource management that gets more complex over time. It has been sometime for me personally that a city builder has been so much fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →'Life Below' First Impressions - Saving the Ocean with Corals #indiegame #videogamereview #lifebelow #coralreef www.nettosgameroom.com/2025/07/life...
neutral · AI labelView post →Potentially a really great game but i found it far too easy on challenging mode. I think it's probably overpriced too hence why sales are a bit low. If it get's more love could be great
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great twist on a genre I already love! Since it's more "abstract" than a normal city builder, it's taking some time to get into but I'd definitely recommend.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a super beautiful game and I think it has a novel concept. A city management game where you build reefs out of coral and sealife becomes your citizens. The only issue is that the game becomes very tedious very quickly. Balancing energy consumption against resource production is less of a fun game mechanic and more of a chore in this game. There's not really any strategy, just put down as many moon corals as possible. Refining harvested resources into processed materials later in the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Having fun under the sea with Life Below. Thank you #keymailer and devs for letting me play this. I happily recomend this game if you like city builders, the ocean and nature. The music is super chill too! #twitch #pngtuber #queenievt
positive · AI labelView post →It is definitely easier and more streamlined than most city builders - disasters have very clear counter-plays and are close to trivially easy to resolve on Normal Mode, and not even that challenging on Hard; and there isn't a lot of the placement synergy or logistics that makes some city builders have very complex strategies. All that said, if you're really into city builders, you won't find much depth here. But it is a nice story that is fun to play through and the mechanics probably would…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very cute, lively, and wholesome experience. Very colourful and pretty graphics, and chill relaxing music. Gameplay is fairly solid, if a bit on the casual side, it is still very enjoyable and has plenty of depth once you start unlocking more research branches.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10/5 PAWS!! I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I ADORE THIS GAME. I love city builders. I love ecosystems. I love plant, animal and aquatic life. This game has ALL of that AND MORE. The GREAT Other than everything? The story is amazing. The visuals are fantasic. The music sets the perfect mood. The progression makes sense. The challenges feel right. The experience is bar none. The LESS than GREAT I got nothing folks. I love this game too much to have a single thing to complain about. In Summary…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve played games from @kasedogames.bsky.social and have thoroughly enjoyed Filament. Life Below looks like such a relaxing and gorgeous underwater world builders. Check out this trailer and wishlist the game today! youtu.be/r1LbOA-4ack?... #Steam #gaming #games #indiegames
neutral · AI labelView post →Okay, Games fun and chill. Its worth a play if your into these kinds of games. But to the Devs I have two major nittpicks that made this game stupidly hard for no reason. Firstly... The Lures. Its not clear enough that not selecting a lure type is a lure. Or that you can pick the Large/Shiny/Gold Variants either. You need to have all options as a box with one of those boxes ALWAYS highlighted to show which one your going to craft. I was in T3 zones before I found out I had to click Shiny…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is good, despite this review giving it a thumbs down (please steam we need a 'mixed' review option), its art is charming and really fun, the music is WONDERFUL, it's fun to watch the actual fish swimming around and makes the reef feel more alive. These seem small because this section is tiny compared to the problem section below, but they nearly make it a recommend despite said problems. The problems: -The game has mini-events called Hazards, they range from 'oh no the water is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beautiful, serene experience! Really nice vibe
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solid game, maybe a tad pricey
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The evolution of Life Below🪼🫧 from idea to (almost) finished game! Want to give it a wishlist? Here is the link: store.steampowered.com/app/2932150/...
positive · AI labelView post →We played the #LifeBelow demo during Steam Next Fest and enjoyed exploring the potential this underwater city builder holds! Dev. @megapopgames.com Pub. @kasedogames.bsky.social
positive · AI labelView post →Next up we've got Siv talking about the importance of applying accessibility from the beginning, and how working on the game Life Below changed their perspective on accessibility!
neutral · AI labelView post →I don't regret buying this game, but it needs some adjustments: Smoother transition from the tutorial - the game seems to imply that you should follow the progression/quests, but it actually expects you to start progressing the research tree independently in the meantime. So if you haven't done that, you can end up being hit by a hazard that you were unprepared for. Performance - the game is way too taxing, considering the graphics. I imagine that once your colony grows bigger, the worse it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overall, the game leaves a positive impression. Pos: + Calm and leisurely atmosphere with quests centered around wildlife. + Pleasant and clean visual interface. + Good music. + The game perfectly sets the mood for rest, peace, and relaxation. + It’s bright and positive (sometimes even a bit too positive). Cons: - The biggest issue for me is the design of the corals — they look too fantastical. Since the game uses real coral names, it really should include a glossary with photos of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I honestly prefer this to a lot of other city builders, in that it focuses on nature. There are some well thought out designs and synergies that attempt to convey how things in nature are interconnected in an ecosystem. The size of reef you can build ends up being pretty large as you expand into different zones. My chief caveats with the game are: how it is balanced as well the need for a few additional QoL features. The disasters can strike pretty hard if you aren't prepared for them; some…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a very chill city building game, with a persistent map that allows you to expand your reef out to other sections, which have their own resources and challenges. It's basically about restoring dead coral reefs and balancing ph levels and water temperatures, with "disasters" coming in the form of acidic/alkaline and hot/cold spikes. I loaded it up just to try it and already spent about 3 hours on it. No bugs or issues so far! Having a blast with this one, seems to be another indie gem on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The indie game Life Below is right around the corner! Prepare to build your reef and save the ocean, by giving us a wishlist🪼🪸 Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/2932150/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Gonna be playing Life Below tonight. An underwater city builder where you revive collapsing ecosystems and remind ourselves to PROTECT THE OCEAN twitch.tv/eoghanlugh *Pop in later to ask about the name change, I bloody dare ya!
neutral · AI labelView post →But there’s still a bit of time to play our Norwegian neighbour’s game before the show opens. Go Life Below!!
neutral · AI labelView post →@lifebelow.net is announced! Please wishlist the game💙 Life Below is a refreshing twist on the city-building genre, set beneath the waves. Shape thriving coral reefs, revive collapsing ecosystems, and grow a living seascape. store.steampowered.com/app/2932150/... www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbPl...
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is essentially a cozy aquarium builder. You manage multiple sectors with different biomes, forcing you to balance the different water temperature and pH values while providing food and shelter for the various animals you want to house. While this might sound complicated, the mechanics are actually quite simple. The game does feature occasional "disasters" that require immediate attention, but they are not that hard to manage. Because of its slow pace, it rarely demands full…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lovely little game - strong story, strong concept. A little hungry on system resources but I'm hardly running a modern rig any more. It does have flaws (resource ticking being at a fixed time) but definitely worth a play
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This was such a surprise game for me, best cozy citybuilder I've found in ages. And the theme is a very cute twist on the genre. I absolutely love it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solid game, rather fun. It's basically a game of balance-the-meters. Every building increases or decreases the meter for energy, pH, and/or water temperature, and your goal is to keep those in balance while increasing biodiversity by attracting fish (which then need food, and both the fish and the food buildings further affect those meters). Could use some TLC and adjustment to mechanics, though. There are a number of areas in the game that either should have tooltips added, or the tooltips…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A hidden pearl, had a lot of fun with it. Maybe a bit too easy, and after the story ended it felt like I was done with it and haven't played more so far. Might pick it up again in the future.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Why isn't this selling? This game deserves more attention! It reminds me of how I was playing StarCraft for the first time. Just build more buildings, no aggression. Beautiful game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →BUILD THE REEF. SAVE THE REEF. PROTECT THE FISHIES! I came for the experience and left emotionally attached to approximately 1847 fishies..
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you're looking for an easier learning curve, choose the new "relaxed" difficulty option. This game is a nice break from my usual RPGs and ARPGs, and I'm a former Marine/Environmental student so the visuals brought me some nostalgia for non-game related reasons. Recommended if you like city builders and marine biology :)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This week we discussed: -- Life Below -- The Last Cat in the Universe -- Spirit Crossing -- Summer Games Fest 2026 -- Guild Wars 3 -- Path of Exile II aggronaut.com/2026/06/07/a... www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rMc...
neutral · AI labelView post →Waited for the review till I finished the campaign and I'm positively amazed. Game starts small and progressively builds complexity, the underwater ecosystem building/defence theme is well fleshed out on top of having an awesome atmosphere. Version 1.0 of the game is a complete product with no major bugs.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun city building game, can tell there was a lot of love that was put into this game. I normally don't play city builders at the 1x speed, but i found myself playing it at that speed, just enjoying the visuals and how the fish interact with the environment. I look forward to seeing what they continue to do with this game, as it is definitely worth replaying more then just the one time.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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