Below

BELOW on PC is a top-down action roguelike from Capybara Games, and it remains listed under the same title on its current PC storefront. The game sends a lone Wanderer into the underground labyrinths beneath a forbidden island, combining procedural exploration, skill-based combat, survival systems, crafting, and permadeath. It is a paid single-player game rather than a co-op dungeon crawler.

A Descent Built Around Discovery

The main loop begins when the Wanderer leaves the island's surface and enters The Depths. From there, you choose routes through an interconnected underworld filled with wildlife, monsters, traps, environmental hazards, hidden passages, and unexplained areas. The camera uses a distant top-down perspective, giving the character a small presence inside a much larger 3D underground world.

Below is intentionally economical with direction. There is no conventional tutorial structure constantly explaining objectives, and the game expects you to read the environment, test systems, and remember useful landmarks. Progress comes from understanding how the world behaves rather than simply following a quest marker from one location to the next.

Procedural generation changes the arrangement of the subterranean labyrinth between expeditions. That structure makes navigation part of the challenge: a familiar type of room may appear in a different position, while resources, threats, and opportunities can alter the safest route through a run.

Players who enjoy methodical dungeon crawling with a strong survival layer may also find useful mechanical overlap in top-down action roguelikes such as UnderMine, although Below is considerably more austere in presentation and places greater emphasis on isolation, atmosphere, and environmental uncertainty.

Combat, Resources, and Survival Pressure

Combat is deliberately direct. The Wanderer can use a sword, shield, bow, and other tools to deal with hostile creatures, but the character is fragile and mistakes can end an expedition quickly. Attacks, positioning, defensive timing, and awareness of nearby hazards matter more than building an oversized character through conventional RPG statistics.

Enemies are only one part of the danger. Traps and environmental threats can punish careless movement, while limited supplies make every detour a calculation. A promising side path may contain valuable materials or a secret entrance, but it can also consume the food, water, light, or health needed for the return journey.

Scavenged materials feed into crafting. Ingredients can be turned into remedies, food, soup, and practical survival tools. These items are not decorative extras; they determine how long you can remain below and whether an expedition can recover from injury or resource shortages.

The original ruleset, now presented as SURVIVE mode, is built around the harshest version of the game. Hunger, thirst, dangerous damage states, limited checkpoint convenience, and permadeath create a constant tension between pushing deeper and returning safely.

Explore and Survive Are Different Experiences

Current PC ownership includes two distinct ways to approach the same underlying world. SURVIVE mode preserves the original uncompromising design, while EXPLORE mode adjusts several systems for players who want to focus more on navigation, secrets, and atmosphere.

EXPLORE removes hunger and thirst, makes soups restore health, prevents one-hit deaths, and keeps campfires available after use until the character dies. Damage is also treated as bleeding, giving the player time to respond instead of always resolving a mistake immediately.

The differences are substantial enough that EXPLORE is not simply an easy difficulty toggle. Each mode has its own save slot, so progress is kept separately and players can switch between a forgiving exploration-focused run and the original survival challenge without overwriting the other mode.

This split is one of Below's most important current features. Players searching for a brutal roguelike can choose SURVIVE, while those more interested in uncovering the island's mysteries can use EXPLORE without removing the game's core combat, procedural structure, or dark tone.

Content, Editions, and Commercial Model

The PC storefront presents BELOW as a paid base game. The main purchase contains the complete playable experience, including both EXPLORE and SURVIVE modes, rather than separating the more accessible mode into a premium edition.

Current storefront content also lists three optional soundtrack products: BELOW - Soundtrack, BELOW Vol. 2 - Soundtrack, and BELOW Vol. 3 - Soundtrack. These are audio add-ons, not gameplay expansions, characters, or extra dungeon campaigns.

That makes the catalog structure straightforward. There is one core game with its two rule sets, plus optional soundtrack content. Players should not expect a season-pass model, recurring multiplayer content, or a large collection of paid gameplay packs.

PC Features and Localization

The current PC version is distributed through Steam and includes Steam Cloud, achievements, stats, and Family Sharing. Steam metadata also identifies full controller support, making a gamepad a practical option for a combat system built around movement, attacks, defense, and tool use.

Below is a single-player experience. The storefront does not advertise online multiplayer, local co-op, split-screen play, or competitive modes, and the game's design is structured around one Wanderer's expedition rather than a party or shared world.

The listed PC interface languages are English, French, Italian, German, Spanish from Spain, Russian, Polish, and Brazilian Portuguese. The storefront does not list full voice localization, so players should approach the game as an interface-focused localized release rather than a fully dubbed adventure.

Steam's current metadata also indicates that the game can run on SteamOS through Proton and has Steam Deck compatibility metadata. The distant camera and concise interface suit handheld play, although the game's small character scale and deliberately dark environments remain central to the visual experience.

Who Should Play Below?

Below is a strong fit for players who value atmospheric exploration, environmental storytelling, procedural labyrinths, and survival decisions over constant rewards. It is especially suited to people who enjoy learning through failure and prefer games that leave room for interpretation.

The game is less suitable if you want a guided narrative, generous checkpoints, character-build experimentation, or a relaxed co-op adventure. SURVIVE can be severe, and even EXPLORE keeps the combat, traps, darkness, and navigation challenges intact.

Its visual identity is supported by a moody electronic soundtrack from Jim Guthrie, while the isolated presentation keeps attention on sound cues, movement, and the next uncertain room. Players looking for a more combat-forward pixel-art action RPG may instead prefer fast, top-down exploration similar to Hyper Light Drifter, which offers a more immediately aggressive rhythm and clearer action feedback.

The central appeal is not endless loot or a traditional leveling treadmill. It is the gradual mastery of a hostile place: learning which risks are worth taking, making better use of scarce supplies, and reaching areas that were inaccessible or misunderstood during earlier attempts.

BELOW FAQ

Is Below still called Below on PC?

Yes. The current PC storefront lists the game as BELOW. The names EXPLORE and SURVIVE refer to its two gameplay modes, not a rebrand or replacement edition.

What is the difference between Explore and Survive mode?

SURVIVE keeps the original harsh rules, including hunger, thirst, severe damage, and less forgiving checkpoint behavior. EXPLORE removes hunger and thirst, prevents one-hit deaths, improves campfire persistence, and gives players more time to recover from damage.

Is Below multiplayer or co-op on PC?

No. Below is designed as a single-player action roguelike. The PC listing does not advertise online multiplayer, local co-op, split-screen, or competitive play.

Does Below support controllers?

Yes. Current Steam metadata identifies full controller support, alongside keyboard-and-mouse play on PC.

What languages does the PC version support?

The Steam listing provides interface support for English, French, Italian, German, Spanish from Spain, Russian, Polish, and Brazilian Portuguese. It does not list full audio localization.

Does the base game include gameplay DLC?

The current storefront lists the paid base game and three optional soundtrack add-ons. It does not present separate paid gameplay expansions, character packs, or a season pass.

What kind of progression does Below use?

Below is structured around repeated expeditions, discovery, resource management, crafting, route knowledge, and reaching deeper areas. It is not built around a conventional campaign with constant quest guidance or a large skill-tree progression system.