Ian Birnbaum of "PC Gamer" said "Subnautica" was an "underwater "Minecraft"", saying that "with an experienced developer at the helm and a limitless variety of the oceans to play with, it’s going to take a lot for "Subnautica" to go badly wrong. As the toolbox gets deeper and the shape of the end-game gets set, "Subnautica" will be a unique example of the ways survival can be tense, rewarding, and fun." Marsh Davies of "Rock, Paper, Shotgun" liked the rewarding nature of exploring the world of "Subnautica", but disliked that some of the in-game recipes were found by chance.