Hello! So I’m currently working on a horror game (partially psychological), where players must survive for a certain time (I’ll probably change the gameplay as I find it too boring) in an underwater facility.
Here is a screenshot of the map, feedback is highly appreciated!
I’m currently working on survival mechanics and polishing of movement, because in my opinion the default ROBLOX swimming system feels unnatural.
I don’t recommend you to develop underwater levels because of this kind of levels/games are the most non playable games due to people phobias. If you want to continue with that ill choose the second lightning settings and also you should add some spotlights to mark players some important points, try to guide the player using lights is a good game design point.
Good luck! 
I don’t think that justifies not making a game underwater outright. There are plenty of phobias in the world and Thalassophobia isn’t any more special.
Besides, it’s a bit of a horror game.
Depends, in terms of sales, water-themed video games have the lowest sales by far compared to other genres. They are also the most disliked in terms of phobias and even in terms of control differences from the others. I’m not saying it’s only that, but there’s a combination of factors that make them this way, but its not a reason to not do it, if you like this games and you want to do it just go ahead!
Do you have any viable sources for this? Games like Subnautica, Subnautica: Below Zero and others such as Iron Lung have grown significantly in popularity within their respective niche markets. Subnautica: Below Zero itself reached #1 on Steam upon early-access release as stated here.
I myself suffer from thalassophobia, and have problems with anxiety related to it even when playing games like Sea of Thieves, yet I still find the ocean & games related to it interesting. With that being said, it is also extremely doubtful that a large handful of the population suffer from crippling thalassophobia to the point where making games related to the ocean shouldn’t be recommended.
Anyways, with that being said, I much prefer the ‘Dark’ lighting. It gives off a sense of unease as naturally, a darker environment provokes the mind into thinking they’re not alone in that scenario, especially in a horror game.
I work on the game industry so here we all know a little about this kind of games, of course there are such a good games, but the probabilities of getting rejected from publishers and so on si so big. Here a post that talk about it a little: https://www.gamegrin.com/articles/gaming-with-phobias-how-does-it-feel-to-be-a-gamer-with-thalassophobia/#:~:text=What%20is%20Thalassophobia%3F,large%20bodies"%20by%20Biology%20Online.
i prefer the second one, it shows what underwater looks like accurately, especially that deep blue color.
though you might want to lessen the shadows as light travels slower in water
Whilst the post makes sense, it doesn’t feature any specific data to back up your claim of being more susceptible of being declined by publishers & featuring a lower playerbase. It is simply an anecdotal article that has stated it was exaggerrated for the purpose of entertainment.
Every single game adheres to its specific niche market. There has never been a game that has targetted a mass market. Such is the case for games centred around the ocean.
With your prior thinking, if it isn’t recommended to create content that generates fear in people, why does the horror genre exist & why is it constantly evolving in popularity, especially on the Roblox platform? Why are humans typically more drawn to content that generates a sense of fear within them?
For a darker, colder feeling, go for the dark blue, for a more tropical feeling, go for a lighter blue. Things like caustics, coral, algae growth, paint stripping, rust, marine snow, and animal life also help.
Because horror games produce fears, terror etc that is produced for the perception of danger. It’s not the same sensation than a phobia can produce, like anxiety etc. Horror games play with jumpscares and so on, but a phobia is a permanent fear about something.
Horror themes also play on phobias. The most common you’ll be able to find is plays on irrational fears of the dark, the unknown, and more that are present within this article. Horror games also commonly trigger responses and emotions similar to what you have stated for phobias, especially anxiety. There have been multiple case studies into this, such as this one.
I think a mix of both would be good I like the glare from the sun on the first one and the colors of the second even though I feel there a little too vibrant for a horror game also I think you should increase the fog as I feel the player can see too far especially since there underwater
im pretty sure Thalassophobia is the whole point of this game
