Amid a sea of captivating Steam Next Fest demos, I've ended up finding peace in a blue and green-tinged life sim that has me building up a reef and ensuring it thrives – a wholesome little gem called Turquoise.
If you haven't seen Turquoise yet, it's one of those games that catches your eye immediately thanks to its oddly vibrant color scheme. While the colors grabbed my attention initially, it's the cozy core gameplay loop that's kept me hooked. It has all the calming, quiet open water vibes of survival titles like Subnautica, without any of the more horror-aligned adrenaline boosts. You're given an environment to decorate and shape – it's entirely chill.
And, I love it. Indie developer Low Flame Studio describes it on Steam as "a cozy collecting and building game that immerses you in the heart of a protected marine area," and yeah – that's about right.
You uncover new fish, but along the way, you're editing pretty much everything to suit your tastes. You can place corals, rocks, plants, and all sorts of themed objects to give your space the glow-up you'd like – and boy, did I decorate.
Amid all the decorating, though, is the collection of marine life. I adore getting to read about every fish that comes my way, but where Turquoise really shines is in its ability to simply… be.
I never feel any pressure, and I can literally just sit there and observe all of my beloved fishies going about their business. It's got the same sort of charm that Zoo Tycoon and Planet Zoo have for me, albeit with none of the stress.
"A calm, educational, and inspiring experience," as Low Flame Studio puts it. So, if you're anything like me and spent far too long staring at that Windows 98 aquarium screensaver as a child, don't hesitate to give this a go – Turquoise ticks all those dreamy waterscape boxes and so many more, with its focus on creativity and serenity.
I have a good feeling this is going to end up being one of those random games in my library with 100 hours clocked come its full April 14 launch.
Hoping to unwind even more after Turquoise? Browse through our big roundup of the best relaxing games out there available to play right now.
