Call of Cthulhu is the best game to play after Deep Siren if you want cults, detective work, cosmic horror and a sanity system. Choose The Sinking City Remastered instead for a larger, half-submerged world with boats, diving, branching investigations and mental-health management. Deep Siren itself is not yet a full release: its free demo arrived on September 27, 2026, and the complete game is planned for Q2 2027.
Deep Siren occupies an unusual space: a planned Lovecraftian World War II horror game built around a lone naval survivor, an encounter with a mermaid and a descent into supernatural terror beneath the sea. Its Steam listing describes it as “a Lovecraftian World War II horror fairytale,” with underwater exploration, puzzles, alien technology, hostile creatures and a psychological question at the center of play: can Alexander Calder tell what is real while keeping his sanity?
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Because the full game is still scheduled rather than released, the most useful alternatives depend on which part of that premise attracts you. Call of Cthulhu is the closest match for investigation, cults, cosmic horror and mental-state pressure. The Sinking City Remastered is the better choice for an explorable maritime setting, open-ended cases and travel through a city partly swallowed by water. Neither is a World War II game, and neither reproduces Deep Siren’s exact combination of a wartime submarine-adjacent setting, underwater fairy-tale imagery and alien machinery.
What makes a good follow-up to Deep Siren?
The comparison is more useful when it separates the game’s individual hooks instead of treating “Lovecraftian horror” as one genre. The relevant questions are:
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- Call of Cthulhu is a tabletop roleplaying game based upon the worlds of H. P. Lovecraft.
- This is a game of secrets, mysteries, and horror. Playing the role of steadfast investigators, you travel to strange and dangerous places, uncover foul plots, and stand against the terrors of the Cthulhu Mythos. You encounter sanity-blasting entities, monsters, and insane cultists. Within strange and forgotten tomes of lore you discover revelations that man was not meant to know. You and your companions may very well decide the fate of the world.
- This book, the Keeper Rulebook, contains the core rules, background, guidance, spells, and monsters of the game.
- This is intended for use by the Keeper of Arcane Lore (the Keeper) - that player who will present the adventure to the other players.
- Call of Cthulhu, 7th edition, is backwards-compatible with all other available Chaosium titles.
- How directly does the game use Lovecraftian ideas? Look for cults, forbidden knowledge, cosmic entities, unreliable perception and human beings confronting forces they cannot understand.
- Does the setting provide wartime or maritime tension? Deep Siren’s identity comes from its World War II context and the isolation of being adrift at sea. A game can match the Mythos but still feel very different if it takes place on land in another era.
- What does the player do? Investigation, dialogue and puzzle solving produce a different kind of fear from weapon-focused combat.
- How does the mind under pressure work? Sanity or mental-health mechanics can alter perception, decision-making or the risks attached to exploration.
- How much freedom is there? A linear investigation concentrates its story and atmosphere; an open world gives you more control over routes, cases and discovery.
The two released recommendations below cover those trade-offs from different directions. The table places them beside Deep Siren so you can see which design priorities each one shares.
At-a-glance comparison
| Game | Lovecraftian focus | Historical or wartime atmosphere | Maritime or underwater presence | Primary play style | Sanity or psychological pressure | World structure | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Siren | Cosmic horror, creatures, alien technology and uncertainty about reality | World War II; a lone USS Siren survivor | Underwater exploration and a supernatural sea setting | Puzzles, exploration and horror encounters | Retaining sanity while questioning what is real | Not established for the full release | Free demo released September 27, 2026; full game planned for Q2 2027 |
| Call of Cthulhu (2018) | Explicit Mythos vocabulary, cults, conspiracies and cosmic horror | 1924 period setting rather than wartime combat | Isolated island and coastal atmosphere; not an underwater game | Detective work, dialogue, stealth, choices and investigation | Sanity and psychosis are central themes and systems | Structured investigation | Released October 29, 2018 |
| The Sinking City Remastered (2021) | Open-world adventure inspired by H. P. Lovecraft | 1920s setting rather than World War II | Half-submerged Oakmont, with travel by foot, boat and diving suit | Case solving, exploration, weapons and player-directed investigations | Mental health must be managed | Open world with cases that can resolve in several ways | Remaster released February 26, 2021 |
Call of Cthulhu: the closest direct match for investigation and sanity
Why it follows Deep Siren so well
Cyanide Studio’s Call of Cthulhu, published by Focus Entertainment, is the strongest recommendation when the words “Lovecraftian,” “investigation” and “unreliable mind” matter more to you than a specific ocean setting. You play private investigator Edward Pierce in 1924, investigating the deaths of the Hawkins family on isolated Darkwater Island. The official page frames the game around conspiracies, cultists, cosmic horrors, sanity, psychosis, stealth, choices and detective work, and identifies the classic Chaosium Call of Cthulhu tabletop role-playing game as its inspiration. View the official Steam listing for Call of Cthulhu.
That combination makes it the best bridge from Deep Siren’s promise of a protagonist trying to determine what is real. Both games place a vulnerable investigator in contact with forces that resist ordinary explanation. The difference is the form of vulnerability: Pierce’s story is a land-based detective investigation on an island, while Calder’s is a planned wartime descent into underwater horror.
What you actually do
- Investigate a family death: The Hawkins case gives the story a concrete mystery before the wider supernatural implications emerge.
- Read people and places: Evidence gathering, conversations and detective work are as important as surviving direct encounters.
- Make choices: Dialogue and decisions shape how you approach the investigation and its consequences.
- Use stealth when force is not the answer: The official description includes stealth alongside investigation, so the game is not structured as a continuous combat shooter.
- Confront cults and cosmic horror: The Mythos elements are not merely visual decoration; they drive the story’s conspiratorial and psychological pressure.
If you want a game in which discovering information can be as dangerous as fighting a creature, this is the most focused option of the two recommendations. It also gives you the clearest introduction to the vocabulary that Deep Siren signals: cult activity, forbidden knowledge, cosmic scale and a protagonist whose perception cannot be taken for granted.
Rank #2
- Will you stand against the horrors of the night?
- Whether learned professor, nosy journalist, or hard-hitting detective, investigators need all the help they can get. Let this book be your guide.
- The Investigator Handbook is an essential player s aid for the Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition roleplaying game.
- Written for those who will be playing the roles of investigators, the Investigator Handbook contains expanded rules for creating players characters, a wealth of over 100 occupations and skill descriptions, as well as guidance on getting the most from the game. What’s more, there’s a range of organizations for your investigator to belong to, detailed information about the classic 1920s setting, equipment, and weapons for both the 1920s and modern day, and expert tips and advice for all budding investigators.
- No self-respecting investigator of the Cthulhu Mythos should be without it!
Where it differs from Deep Siren
Call of Cthulhu is not a World War II story. Its 1924 setting places it between the wars, and the central location is Darkwater Island rather than an underwater environment. The official material emphasizes a conventional detective structure, so do not buy it expecting free-roaming ocean travel, submarine operations or the specific mermaid-and-alien-technology premise of Deep Siren. Its strength is concentrated narrative investigation rather than a simulation of naval survival.
Price and release information
The game released on October 29, 2018. The Steam page displayed a price of 19.99€ in the storefront region checked for this guide; Steam prices change by country and promotion, so treat that figure as a regional snapshot rather than a universal price. Check the current Steam price and system details before purchasing.
The Sinking City Remastered: the best choice for open-world maritime investigation
Why it matches the seafaring side
Frogwares’ The Sinking City Remastered is the better follow-up when the attraction is a place shaped by water. Its open-world Oakmont is half submerged, and the official description allows travel on foot, by boat or in a diving suit. The game is presented as an adventure and investigation experience inspired by H. P. Lovecraft, with cases that can be solved in several ways and different endings. View the official Steam listing for The Sinking City Remastered.
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That makes it the closest structural analogue to Deep Siren’s maritime isolation. You are not simply walking through a normal city while a horror plot happens around you: water changes the geography, the available routes and the mood of every investigation. The remaster also adds Unreal Engine 5 lighting and visual upgrades, which are relevant if you want a newer presentation of an older game rather than a wholly new story.
How its investigation works
- Explore a city altered by flooding: Oakmont’s submerged districts create a setting in which boats and diving equipment are practical parts of traversal.
- Choose how to solve cases: The official description states that investigations can be resolved in several ways, with different endings.
- Manage mental health: Psychological stability is an ongoing concern rather than a one-time story beat.
- Use period weapons: The arsenal is rooted in the 1920s, reinforcing the historical setting without turning the game into a military shooter.
- Balance exploration and danger: The open world gives you room to pursue cases and discover locations, while the setting’s supernatural threats make that freedom costly.
This is the choice for players who want to decide where to go next and how to approach an investigation. It offers more geographic agency than a tightly staged detective story, but that freedom also means its pacing and case structure feel less like a single, controlled descent than Deep Siren’s planned survival narrative.
What it does not provide
The remaster is not set during World War II. Its 1920s weapons and atmosphere establish a different historical frame, and its horror is centered on a flooded city rather than an isolated naval survivor. It also does not promise the specific underwater fairytale imagery of a mermaid, nor does the available description establish that it uses the same question-reality mechanic described for Deep Siren. Choose it for traversal, branching investigation and a water-dominated world, not as a literal substitute for the upcoming game’s plot.
Price and release information
The Sinking City Remastered released on February 26, 2021. The Steam page displayed a promotional price of 26.70 zł against a regular 178.00 zł price in the checked storefront, with the offer ending October 31. Those amounts are regional and temporary; the current price can differ when you open the listing. Check the current Steam price, promotion and requirements.
Which game should you choose?
Choose Call of Cthulhu if you want detective horror first
Pick Call of Cthulhu when your priority list starts with cults, conspiracies, clues, dialogue, stealth and a protagonist’s deteriorating grasp on reality. It is the more direct answer to “I want a horror game with investigation, cults and an unreliable mind.” Its 1924 island setting keeps the focus on an unfolding case, so it suits players who prefer a guided narrative with supernatural escalation rather than a large map.
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Choose The Sinking City Remastered if you want a world to investigate
Pick The Sinking City Remastered when you want to steer your own route through a location transformed by water. Boat travel, diving, an open-world map, multiple case solutions and different endings make it the more appropriate option for players who value agency and environmental discovery. Its mental-health management and Lovecraftian premise preserve the psychological angle, even though the story is set in the 1920s rather than during a war.
Wait for Deep Siren if the exact wartime-underwater mix is non-negotiable
Neither released recommendation combines all of the defining elements listed for Deep Siren. If you specifically want World War II, a USS Siren survivor, underwater exploration, alien technology and the mermaid encounter, the closest match is still the source game itself. Its free demo became available on September 27, 2026, while the full release is planned for Q2 2027. The schedule is a plan, not a guarantee of a completed release on that date, so use the demo to judge whether its atmosphere and controls appeal to you rather than treating it as a finished product. Open the official Deep Siren Steam page.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the three games compare by the questions readers usually ask
“Are there any Lovecraftian World War II horror games?”
Among the games covered here, Deep Siren is the one explicitly positioned as Lovecraftian World War II horror. The other two use earlier settings: 1924 for Call of Cthulhu and the 1920s for The Sinking City Remastered. They can supply the Mythos atmosphere and investigative structure, but they do not replace the wartime context.
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Deep Siren is the direct answer because underwater exploration is part of its stated design. The Sinking City Remastered provides the nearest released alternative through a half-submerged city, boats and diving suits. That is aquatic traversal and flooded urban horror, not the same as descending beneath the sea into alien technology. Call of Cthulhu offers an island and coastal atmosphere but is not described as an underwater game.
Best Value
- Call of Cthulhu Starter Set: Contains everything needed to start playing Call of Cthulhu, the tabletop roleplaying game of mystery and horror.
- Players take on the role of investigators, uncovering dark secrets, encountering strange monsters, and thwarting sinister cults.
- Create and develop a story in which each character plays a leading role, foiling dastardly plots or stopping horrors from beyond space and time.
- Roleplaying gaming is a social pastime, with everyone working together in a team, each playing an investigator character.
- Dice and rules determine the success or failure of character actions, propelling players into dramatic and nerve-tingling situations.
“Which one has the strongest sanity mechanics?”
Call of Cthulhu puts sanity and psychosis at the center of its official description, making it the clearest choice for a game where mental deterioration is tied directly to the investigation. The Sinking City Remastered requires mental-health management as part of its open-world casework. Deep Siren describes retaining sanity and questioning reality as a core mechanic, but the full implementation can only be judged from the demo and eventual release because the complete game is not yet available.
“Which is more open-ended?”
The Sinking City Remastered is the open-world option, with multiple routes through Oakmont and cases that can end in different ways. Call of Cthulhu is the more structured investigation. The available Deep Siren description establishes exploration and puzzles but does not specify a comparable open-world format.
A practical play order
- Start with the Deep Siren demo if your main interest is its World War II maritime premise. It lets you sample the planned game without waiting for Q2 2027, while remembering that a demo is not evidence of every feature in the finished release.
- Play Call of Cthulhu next if the demo makes you want more explicit Mythos investigation, cult conspiracies and sanity pressure. Its case-based structure gives you a concentrated detective-horror experience.
- Move to The Sinking City Remastered if you want to spend longer in a water-shaped world and make more of the investigative decisions yourself. Its open-world design and branching case outcomes offer a broader follow-up after a linear investigation.
You can reverse the last two steps if open-world exploration is more important than a tightly controlled story. The order does not change the central distinction: Call of Cthulhu matches the investigative psychology most closely, while The Sinking City Remastered matches the waterlogged exploration loop.
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Buying and availability notes
- Check the storefront region: The recorded prices for the two released games were displayed in euros and Polish złoty on a particular Steam storefront. Steam converts prices by country, and promotions can end or change.
- Do not treat a planned date as a guarantee: Deep Siren is listed for Q2 2027, but only its demo is available as of the dates given above.
- Use the official listings for current details: The Steam pages are the authoritative places in this guide for each game’s current availability, price, system requirements and updates.
- Match the purchase to the experience you want: A lower price or newer remaster presentation does not make one game a substitute for another game’s setting or structure.
Bottom line
If you want one answer, buy Call of Cthulhu for the closest released combination of Lovecraftian investigation, cults, cosmic horror and sanity effects. Choose The Sinking City Remastered when boats, diving, an open-world map and branching cases matter more. Try the Deep Siren demo now if the defining appeal is a World War II survivor descending into underwater horror, then reassess when the planned Q2 2027 full release arrives.
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