To survive and complete objectives, player must collect raw materials from the environment and craft equipment, vehicles, shelters, and food. Players collect resources, construct tools, build bases and submersibles, and can interact with the planet's wildlife. Like its predecessor, the player's goal is to explore the environments and survive in an alien environment while also completing objectives to advance the game's plot.

Subnautica: Below Zero is a survival adventure game set in an open world environment and played from a first-person perspective. It received generally positive reviews from critics. The physical versions of the game were published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Introduced in early access via Steam and the Epic Games Store in January 2019, Subnautica: Below Zero was released for macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on May 14, 2021. Subnautica: Below Zero is an open-world survival action-adventure video game developed and published by Unknown Worlds Entertainment.