Grab the bubble gun, check the oxygen tank and try not to get distracted by the jellyfish. Shelldiver is a wonderfully odd incremental adventure in which you take control of a turtle, head beneath the waves in a submarine and make a living catching jellyfish for a rather unusual little shop. Better still, Xbox players can dive in from day one with Game Pass.
It may sound like a relaxing day at sea, but the deeper you go, the stranger the ocean becomes. Between dangerous jellyfish, useful resources, submarine upgrades and increasingly exotic underwater biomes, there is plenty to keep your flippers busy.
At A Glance
- Game: Shelldiver
- Price: Game Pass or £4.19
- Formats: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Play Anywhere
- Game Pass: Day One – Ultimate, Premium and PC
- Developer: Gagonfe
- Publisher: Gagonfe
- Genre: Incremental Adventure
A Turtle, A Submarine And A Lot Of Jellyfish
Shelldiver’s main idea is a super simple one. Jellyfish are the currency that keeps everything moving, and you’ll head into the ocean to capture as many as possible before bringing your haul back to the shop.
Your bubble gun is the tool of choice, allowing you to chase down different types of jellyfish. Not all of them are particularly friendly, either. There are electric varieties, mutant creations and even explosive jellyfish that would probably make for a rather awkward lunch.
The more you catch, the more money you can make, giving you the funds needed to improve your equipment and push further into the depths.
There Is More Down There Than Jelly
Jellyfish might be the star of the show, but the ocean floor is packed with other useful materials. Your laser blaster can be used to break down human rubbish, crystal rocks, mushrooms and other strange components, turning underwater junk into valuable resources.
Those materials can then be funnelled back into your submarine and tools, helping you become better equipped for your next expedition.
And this is where the incremental side of Shelldiver starts to make sense. Each trip gives you something that can make the next trip more productive, encouraging you to venture a little further and see what is waiting below.
Build The Turtle Of Your Dreams
Progress isn’t simply about making your submarine stronger. Shelldiver features a sizeable branching skill tree, allowing you to pick the perks that best suit the way you want to play.
Want more oxygen? You can work towards it. Prefer a larger shop? There’s room for that too. The system gives you plenty of freedom to shape your expeditions around the things you find most useful.
Naturally, oxygen is something you’ll need to keep a close eye on. The ocean may be full of resources, but staying down there forever isn’t an option.
The further you progress, the more varied the underwater world becomes. Shelldiver includes multiple biomes and depths to explore, with volcanic waters and crystalline caverns among the environments waiting beneath the surface. Each area brings its own resources and challenges, giving you another reason to keep upgrading your submarine and expanding what your turtle is capable of doing.
There is also a gentler side to proceedings. Alongside building the business and exploring the ocean, you’ll be helping the local turtle population – although, naturally, even an industrious underwater entrepreneur needs to find time for a well-earned nap.
Dive In With Game Pass
Previously on Steam (where it’s picked up some Overwhelmingly Positive reviews), Shelldiver now arrives on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC, priced at £4.19, with Xbox Play Anywhere support allowing you to take your progress between compatible devices.
Most importantly for subscribers, it is a day-one Game Pass release for Ultimate, Premium and PC tiers, making this a particularly easy one to try if you’re already part of the service. Make your way over to the Xbox Store.
With its combination of resource gathering, exploration, progression and an extremely charming turtle protagonist, Shelldiver looks like the kind of game where a quick dive could easily turn into just one more expedition.
Just remember to check that oxygen gauge.
