Underwater Citybuilder Opens Curated Playtest Access for Patreon Supporters!

 

Independent developer Tense Games has opened a curated playtest access for Patreon supporters to test major new systems in its upcoming underwater city-builder, Seabed Settlers. This limited playtest allows a small group of players to experience the newly added city-wide oxygen simulation and deep-sea biome, offering direct community feedback as development continues.

City-wide Oxygen System
Oxygen is now the core resource that determines life or death in the colony. Each habitat tracks its own oxygen reserves, replenished by nearby markets that source fresh air from Aircatcher facilities. A new global oxygen bar has been added to the interface, allowing players to monitor their city’s atmosphere at a glance.

When oxygen levels drop below three units, citizens begin to asphyxiate — and if it reaches zero, total habitat loss occurs. This new mechanic ties the health of the population directly to the city’s infrastructure, giving every design choice weight and consequence.

The new oxygen system adds a level of flavour to the game that fits the setting, said lead designer Thomas van den Essenburg. Oxygen being your primary resource means that it will always be on your mind while playing, to keep your population breathing.

Surviving the Deep
The newly added deep-sea biome introduces harsher conditions, rich resources, and new challenges for resource management. High-pressure environments now double the rate of structural collapse, while buildings take minor random stress damage over time to simulate environmental strain.

Deep regions also restrict agriculture — farms producing Seawheat, Aquaberries, and other crops cannot survive under the crushing pressure. Players must instead import these resources from shallower colonies, creating new logistical layers to city management. Fires have also become more dangerous, consuming oxygen until habitats run out of air, extinguishing both flame and life simultaneously.

Lighting, atmosphere, and visuals have been reworked to enhance the mood of these extreme environments, while the main menu now includes shortcuts to test specific biomes — from dark abyssal zones to magma-filled regions.

Five Tiers, Endless Depth
Seabed Settlers currently features five functional habitat tiers, each enabling new resources for your population as well as new demands and increased consumption. The development team continues to refine and balance these systems as development progresses.
 While much of the foundation is complete, additional work is needed to polish the game’s missions, visual effects, and late-tier balance. The project’s scope has been refined to reflect its progress, and the studio is now seeking a publishing partner to help finalize development and bring the title to release.

Playtest Access for a Select Group
Patreon supporters can now try out the latest build via https://www.patreon.com/seafloorcolonists. Supporters gain early insight into ongoing development and can help test new features, providing direct feedback that shapes future updates by playing the game. This will not be a polished final version of the game by any means: it is a work in progress that those select players can help shape. Their support helps refine the experience ahead of full publisher-backed development.

This limited access may be discontinued once a publisher is on board, as testing transitions to dedicated QA groups. Early supporters will be thanked in the game’s credits and receive a complimentary copy at launch as a token of appreciation for their feedback and involvement.