Imagine Subnautica collided with Space Invaders in a claustrophobic, underwater trench. That’s the elevator pitch for Sub-Species, a tense 2.5D shooter from Howling Hamster Entertainment. The demo is out now—here’s why you need to play it.
The ocean has always been the perfect setting for horror. It is vast, crushing, and largely unexplored—the closest thing we have to an alien planet right here on Earth. But what happens when you add actual aliens to the mix?
You get Sub-Species, a 2.5D multidirectional action-adventure shooter that asks players to pilot a lone submarine into the blackest depths of a world gone wrong. Developed by the Galway, Ireland-based indie studio Howling Hamster Entertainment, this retro-inspired yet thoroughly modern title has just surfaced on Steam with a playable demo.
Released on Wednesday, January 21, the demo offers the first tangible taste of a game that blends the physics-based maneuvering of classic titles like Sub-Terrania with the dread-inducing atmosphere of deep-sea sci-fi cinema. If you have ever wanted to feel the weight of water while blasting extraterrestrial threats in 360 degrees, your dive starts now.
The Concept: Subnautica Meets Space Invaders
The “high concept” pitch for Sub-Species is as intriguing as it is descriptive: “Subnautica meets Space Invaders.”
At first glance, these two influences seem disparate. Subnautica is a slow-burn survival game about resource management and terror; Space Invaders is a twitch-reaction arcade shooter. However, Sub-Species finds the sweet spot in the middle. It takes the claustrophobic, thalassophobia-inducing setting of the former—where the darkness is as much an enemy as the creatures—and marries it to the precise, multidirectional combat of the latter.
Set beneath Earth’s oceans following a devastating alien outbreak, the game tasks players with navigating a hostile world where humanity’s lost technology lies rusting in the deep, guarded by things that should not exist.
Gameplay: 360 Degrees of Freedom (and Danger)
The defining feature of Sub-Species is its movement. In a standard side-scroller, “up” is up and “down” is down. In Sub-Species, “up” is wherever your nose cone is pointing.
Players pilot a heavily armed submarine capable of rotating freely in all directions. This 360-degree freedom changes the fundamental logic of navigation and combat. You aren’t just moving left to right; you are thrusting, drifting, and pivoting through complex cavern systems. Physics plays a massive role here. The game simulates the weight and momentum of piloting a submersible vehicle. You don’t stop on a dime; you drift. You have to fight inertia as much as you fight the aliens.
This mechanic creates a unique rhythm to the gameplay. Combat is not just about having the biggest gun; it’s about positioning and visibility. The deep ocean is dark, and your lights only illuminate a cone in front of you. Enemies can approach from any angle—above, below, or behind. Success requires you to read the space, manage your momentum, and pivot your strategy to meet threats before they breach your position.
As the developers note, combat is shaped by the environment. Navigating claustrophobic caverns and abandoned structures means you often don’t have the room to simply circle-strafe. You have to use the terrain, take cover behind wreckage, and carefully time your thruster burns to avoid crashing into the walls while dodging alien projectiles.
The Demo: A True Vertical Slice
Demos are a lost art in modern gaming, often reduced to a simple 5-minute tutorial. Howling Hamster Entertainment wanted to buck that trend.
“We wanted the demo to feel like a complete experience, not just a tutorial,” said Manus Burke, Creative Director at Howling Hamster. “It’s designed to let players feel the weight of the submarine, the tension of navigating hostile spaces, and how combat unfolds when every direction matters. By the end, you should have a real sense of what Sub-Species is about – and why going deeper is both tempting and dangerous.”
The demo, available for download on Steam, offers a substantial 25–40-minute playthrough. It is structured as a two-level “vertical slice” that walks the player through the core loop:
- Level 1: The Descent. The first section focuses on onboarding. It allows players to get comfortable with the unique controls—learning how to thrust, rotate, and interact with the environment. It emphasizes navigation and puzzle-solving, teaching you how to use the sub’s manipulator arms to move objects and salvage wrecks.
- Level 2: The Fight. Once you have your sea legs, the demo throws you into the deep end. The second level introduces combat, water pressure mechanics, and hostile encounters. This is where the tension spikes, forcing you to apply your piloting skills to survive skirmishes with the alien outbreak.
Atmosphere-Driven Storytelling
One of Sub-Species’ standout features is its commitment to environmental storytelling. You won’t find endless text logs or exposition dumps pausing the action here. Instead, the narrative is embedded in the world itself.
The demo hints at a wider mystery through the ruins you explore. Why are these structures abandoned? What is this lost technology? The goal is to establish a tone of intrigue. The ocean floor is littered with the remnants of human industry, now twisted by an alien presence.
This “show, don’t tell” approach is reminiscent of the game’s retro inspirations, specifically Ecco the Dolphin. Like that classic Sega title, Sub-Species understands that the ocean is scary enough on its own. The isolation of the deep, combined with the eerie bioluminescence of alien flora (and fauna), creates a thick atmosphere of dread that pervades every moment of gameplay.
Retro Roots, Modern Tech
While the game is built for modern PCs with crisp 2.5D graphics (3D models on a 2D plane), its DNA is undeniably retro. The developers cite Sub-Terrania, the classic 1994 Genesis shooter, as a key inspiration.
Sub-Terrania was famous for its difficulty and its gravity-based multidirectional gameplay. Sub-Species modernizes this formula. It preserves the precision and challenge while adding modern quality-of-life features, such as a detailed level map and spatial audio cues. It blends the “just one more try” addictive nature of arcade shooters with the immersive, atmospheric depth of a modern adventure game.
About the Developers
Howling Hamster Entertainment is a name you might want to remember. Based in the scenic city of Galway, Ireland, the independent studio was founded by Manus Burke and Trevor Burke. Their philosophy is simple: create distinctive, handcrafted games that blend classical mechanics with modern storytelling.
Sub-Species represents a significant step up for the team, showcasing a level of polish and atmospheric design that punches well above its indie weight class.
How to Play
The Sub-Species demo is available now on Steam for PC. It is free to download and works well with a controller (recommended for 360-degree movement) or a mouse and keyboard.
The full game is currently in active development, with no release date set just yet. However, the demo serves as a perfect appetizer for what is shaping up to be one of the most unique shooters of 2026.
So, strap in, check your oxygen levels, and power up your sonar. The depths are waiting, and they are not empty.
Download the Demo & Wishlist on Steam: Sub-Species Steam Page
