--- key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diving type: mechanic id: game-mechanics--gm-diving lang: en title: Diving summary: >- Descending beneath the surface opens a vertical space to explore. The player plans depth, air supply and a safe return route. updatedAt: '2026-10-21' status: active url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diving/' jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diving.json markdownUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diving.md aliases: - Diving underwater tags: - Game design techniques - Movement - Stealth sourceIds: - source-0557080fa1b44311 - source-7c5b546061923ba1 - source-ff264c17da80a992 - source-e850ab3b8707a301 - source-483fe1619c16d723 - source-79e4f0f9188b474e - source-7c9d672bf47ec9f7 - source-6f8250ddd8c8d836 - source-590c769a420bcde2 - source-8437a32fb35ea916 - source-b814cdb8386d412d - source-4e22a7f341a5d0ce sources: - id: source-0557080fa1b44311 title: 'Game Mechanics: Diving' url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving' verifiedAt: null - id: source-7c5b546061923ba1 title: Tomb Raider (1996) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/tomb-raider' verifiedAt: null - id: source-ff264c17da80a992 title: Gothic (2001) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/gothic' verifiedAt: null - id: source-e850ab3b8707a301 title: 'Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)' url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/tomb-raider-underworld' verifiedAt: null - id: source-483fe1619c16d723 title: Far Cry 3 (2012) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/far-cry-3' verifiedAt: null - id: source-79e4f0f9188b474e title: 'Assassin''s Creed IV: Black Flag (2013)' url: >- https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag verifiedAt: null - id: source-7c9d672bf47ec9f7 title: Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/rise-of-the-tomb-raider' verifiedAt: null - id: source-6f8250ddd8c8d836 title: Sea of Thieves (2018) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/sea-of-thieves' verifiedAt: null - id: source-590c769a420bcde2 title: 'Tom Clancy''s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint (2019)' url: >- https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-breakpoint verifiedAt: null - id: source-8437a32fb35ea916 title: Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 (2021) url: >- https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/sniper-ghost-warrior-contracts-2 verifiedAt: null - id: source-b814cdb8386d412d title: Dying Light 2 Stay Human (2022) url: 'https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/dying-light-2' verifiedAt: null - id: source-4e22a7f341a5d0ce title: Subnautica url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/264710/' verifiedAt: null relations: [] placements: - catalogId: game-mechanics id: gm-diving title: Game design techniques url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/game-mechanics/#gm-diving' categoryIds: - gm-category-stealth - gm-category-movement supersededBy: [] attributes: preview: updatedAt: '2026-10-21' title: Diving underwater description: >- Descending beneath the surface opens a vertical space to explore. The player plans depth, air supply and a safe return route. image: src: images/mechanics/subnautica-diving.webp width: 1440 height: 810 game: Subnautica sourceUrl: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/264710/' originalUrl: >- https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/264710/ss_9fdfcc7572ae22b4afa21e6de3b23c962ca5bb55.1920x1080.jpg?t=1777456112 credit: Unknown Worlds Entertainment rights: © Unknown Worlds Entertainment. All rights reserved. caption: The underwater world below the lit surface alt: >- Subnautica: sunlight passes through the water overhead, above a submersible and a seabed covered in red plants. markers: - x: 57 'y': 25 label: The lit surface above the player - x: 32 'y': 80 label: The seabed and underwater landmarks tips: - Help players judge the return route before their air runs out. - Distinguish air limits from depth hazards. examples: - title: Subnautica url: 'https://store.steampowered.com/app/264710/' endsAt: null provenance: >- Editorial reference index based on the 199 public Game Mechanics pattern pages checked on 2026-10-20. Original concise RU/EN definitions by gamemechanics.pro; pattern names, category associations and game-reference URLs retained from gamemechanics.org. The source gallery includes a film analogy. Linked materials retain their original rights; references are upstream attributions, not independent verification. license: CC-BY-4.0 codeLicense: MIT attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors catalogKey: catalog/game-mechanics --- # Diving id: game-mechanics--gm-diving type: mechanic key: mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diving lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/game-mechanics--gm-diving/ Descending beneath the surface opens a vertical space to explore. The player plans depth, air supply and a safe return route. ## At a glance ![Subnautica: sunlight passes through the water overhead, above a submersible and a seabed covered in red plants.](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/subnautica-diving.webp) [Subnautica](https://store.steampowered.com/app/264710/) · © Unknown Worlds Entertainment. All rights reserved. 1. The lit surface above the player 2. The seabed and underwater landmarks - Help players judge the return route before their air runs out. - Distinguish air limits from depth hazards. - [Subnautica](https://store.steampowered.com/app/264710/) ## How it works The character travels below the water surface. ## Variants ### How the technique works - The character travels below the water surface. ## Context and limits All 199 Game Mechanics entries at the check date: player actions, systems, presentation techniques and contested patterns. Entries are grouped by their first source-card category; all categories appear in their descriptions. Definitions use original wording. References link to game-specific galleries; images and videos remain at the source. ## Connected materials ## Sources and provenance Editorial reference index based on the 199 public Game Mechanics pattern pages checked on 2026-10-20. Original concise RU/EN definitions by gamemechanics.pro; pattern names, category associations and game-reference URLs retained from gamemechanics.org. The source gallery includes a film analogy. Linked materials retain their original rights; references are upstream attributions, not independent verification. - [Game Mechanics: Diving](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving) (id: source-0557080fa1b44311) - [Tomb Raider (1996)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/tomb-raider) (id: source-7c5b546061923ba1) - [Gothic (2001)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/gothic) (id: source-ff264c17da80a992) - [Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/tomb-raider-underworld) (id: source-e850ab3b8707a301) - [Far Cry 3 (2012)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/far-cry-3) (id: source-483fe1619c16d723) - [Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2013)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag) (id: source-79e4f0f9188b474e) - [Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/rise-of-the-tomb-raider) (id: source-7c9d672bf47ec9f7) - [Sea of Thieves (2018)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/sea-of-thieves) (id: source-6f8250ddd8c8d836) - [Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Breakpoint (2019)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-breakpoint) (id: source-590c769a420bcde2) - [Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 (2021)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/sniper-ghost-warrior-contracts-2) (id: source-8437a32fb35ea916) - [Dying Light 2 Stay Human (2022)](https://gamemechanics.org/patterns/diving/game/dying-light-2) (id: source-b814cdb8386d412d) - [Subnautica](https://store.steampowered.com/app/264710/) (id: source-4e22a7f341a5d0ce) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors