By Steven Andrew 
The wait is almost over. DIVE or DIE – Children of Rain, a 2D Lovecraftian underwater roguelite from French indie studio Drop Rate Studio, is launching July 21st, 2026 on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. A fresh gameplay trailer dropped during Midsummer Night’s Scream and AG French Direct, and yes, it looks exactly as bleak as you’d hope.
The premise is appropriately grim: after years of an apocalyptic “Black Rain” drowned civilization, humanity’s last survivors have a deadline. An Eldritch Divinity called the Rainmaker has given them 40 days to retrieve sacred idols from the Abyssal Pool below, or face extinction. No pressure.
You’ll manage two layers of gameplay. Topside, you’re running a desperate camp of survivors, assigning roles, rebuilding infrastructure, and upgrading your diving gear. Below, you’re making oxygen-starved descents into the abyss, balancing resource gathering against physical injury, encroaching madness, and whatever nightmares lurk in the darkness. Every choice is a calculated trade-off between immediate survival and long-term viability. Standard roguelite fare, except the thematic weight actually matters here.
Drop Rate Studio and publisher Dear Villagers are offering a Steam demo right now if you want to test the waters before launch. Fair warning: if you’re already feeling the existential dread, DIVE or DIE won’t help.
You can grab the demo on Steam. For the full rundown, hit their official website.
Only three weeks until the final Flood.
Aimee Rogers