It’s surprising that there aren’t more games about deep-sea diving. There are more games than I can count where you’re placed in danger while you’re underwater, but there are relatively few where you’re simply there to appreciate the sights.

Beyond Blue, conversely, is a playable nature documentary. As Dr. Mirai Soto, a freediver and marine biologist, you try to figure out what’s happened to a local pod of whales. There’s a mystery to solve but no danger to speak of, even when you’re surrounded on all sides by reef sharks. It’s a deliberately educational experience, but more importantly, it’s surprisingly relaxing.

Each chapter of Beyond Blue sends you to a small piece of the ocean floor, which you can explore at your leisure. The developers, who also made Never Alone, collaborated with a team of science consultants to create a simple but realistic depiction of the ocean floor—with all its evocative color and particular rhythms.

Mirai’s got a sub filled with near-future tech, including a fancy, next-generation rebreather. You never have to worry about your oxygen supply, and you’re free to swim around for as long as you like. The fish are all content to pretend you aren’t there, which gives you the opportunity to scan them for your in-game collection. There are a few dozen species you can find and photograph, from sharks to whales to octopi, and none of them are interested in a fight. 

Beyond Blue’s story is primarily a tale about the strange beauty of the ocean. I’m particularly fond of the missions where you simply swim with the whales, recording the strange songs they sing to one another and studying them with Mirai’s drone. It’s the world’s biggest fantasy aquarium.

Once you’ve cleared Beyond Blue’s story mode, you’re free to go back in and explore its ocean. This enables you to collect extra costumes for Mirai, complete your collection, and hang out with the fish for as long as you want.

In a strange way, Beyond Blue was ahead of the curve. It came out in the summer of 2020, which was right before the “cozy games” trend really kicked into high gear. By now, the word cozy is almost a genre in itself, thanks to other recent releases like Fae Farm and My Time at Sandrock. Beyond Blue, with its chill beats, broad vistas, and calming pace, offers a similar feeling with different mechanics. Maybe the next big cozy trend ought to be underwater exploration games.

Beyond Blue is available on the Epic Games Store.