Developed by an all-women Berlin studio, Echoes of Mora is an atmospheric underwater adventure that combines time-bending puzzles with emotional storytelling. Playable in both VR and standard PC modes, the game lets you explore a sunken village to reunite two siblings.
Echoes of Mora is a narrative-driven underwater adventure game developed by Selkies Interactive, a six-person all-women indie studio based in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 2023, the team built their debut title for both PC and PC VR, offering seamless switching between the two modes within the same play session. The game’s Steam demo has been available since August 2025, carrying a 96% positive rating from 30 user reviews.
What Is Echoes of Mora About?
The story follows a young girl named Mora whose brother Dario disappears near a cursed violet lake. Determined to find him, Mora dives into the lake’s waters. Soon after, the water level rises without warning and submerges the entire village. Players explore this flooded, abandoned settlement, collecting clues, solving environmental puzzles, and activating mysterious time portals called “Echoes.”
Each Echo reveals a moment from the village’s past, before the flood. Inside these portals, you can hear villagers’ conversations, witness key events, and communicate directly with Mora. Your choices shape where Mora searches next and ultimately determine the game’s ending, including whether the flood can be averted entirely.
Why Does the Player Act as an Invisible Guide?
Rather than controlling Mora directly, the player takes on the role of an unseen guardian communicating across time. In an interview with Press Play Media, the developers explained this wasn’t the original plan. They found that conventional cutscenes felt dull in VR and wanted players to feel genuinely present during story events. The solution was to let the player share discovered clues with Mora and influence her decisions, making the narrative feel participatory rather than passive.
The sibling story at the heart of the game draws from the developers’ own childhood experiences. Set in 1960s Italy, it explores the complicated dynamics between an older and younger sibling, generational tensions, and the clash between tradition and the desire to break free. European folklore, particularly superstitions meant to keep children safe (like warnings about cursed lakes), adds another layer to the narrative.
How Does VR Swimming Actually Work?
Echoes of Mora started as a VR-only project before the team introduced a standard PC mode during production. In VR, players swim using motion-tracked arm movements. The studio deliberately avoided teleportation and joystick locomotion because those methods often feel artificial and can trigger motion sickness. Physical swimming supports embodiment, the feeling that the virtual body is your own, because your real movements match what you see on screen.
The team went through multiple iterations of the swimming system, testing approaches ranging from pre-recorded movement samples to real-time vector calculations for swimming direction and speed. UploadVR’s hands-on impressions described the movement as “not a seamless swimming simulator” but noted that the “compelling narrative beats and dreamy world design” provided more than enough reason to keep playing. The PC mode, meanwhile, focuses on atmosphere and ease of exploration using keyboard, mouse, or controller.
A Real Sunken Village Inspired the Entire Setting
The game world isn’t purely fictional. Selkies Interactive drew direct inspiration from the lone church tower rising out of Lake Reschen (Reschensee) in South Tyrol, Italy, a real submerged village. That striking image became the foundation for the entire setting. Rather than building a standard diving simulator, the team used this visual as a springboard for emotional storytelling, creating a flooded village filled with secrets, personal histories, and supernatural elements.
The game features multiple explorable areas, each with its own atmosphere and challenges. The demo includes a forest area, a lake region, and Mora’s house. The full game will contain 20 Echo portals, with the demo offering five of them. Additional “Traces,” optional dialogue scenes that provide deeper lore without requiring puzzle-solving, were added in a later demo update.
Is Echoes of Mora Like Subnautica?
Some players have called it a “cozy Subnautica,” and the developers have embraced the comparison. However, the similarities are mostly surface-level. Subnautica centres on survival mechanics, resource gathering, and base building. Echoes of Mora has none of that. There are no survival threats, no crafting systems, and no combat. The entire focus is on atmosphere, discovery, and the emotional connection between Mora and the player.
The puzzle design reflects this philosophy. Players find glowing purple orbs called Fragments and place them into Echo portals. Once activated, these portals turn gold and open a window into the past. UploadVR’s preview noted that the “approachability doesn’t take away from the sense of achievement, especially as the reward of precious lore adds to the process,” while also cautioning that players looking for a “testing, enigma-filled VR experience” might want more challenge.
System Requirements and Platform Details
Echoes of Mora requires Windows 10 (64-bit) at minimum, with an Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 5700 graphics card. DirectX 12 support is required, and the game needs 12 GB of storage space. VR support covers Steam VR and Meta Quest Link, with confirmed compatibility for Meta Quest 2/3 and HTC Vive headsets.
The game supports 11 languages. English has full audio, interface, and subtitle support. German, Polish, Spanish (Spain), and Ukrainian offer interface and subtitle support. Full audio is English-only.
Why Was the Release Date Pushed Back?
Echoes of Mora was originally set to launch on 29 April 2026. On 9 April, the Steam release date changed to “Q3 2026.” Selkies Interactive posted a statement on Discord explaining that they are in discussions with publishers, describing the situation as “incredibly exciting” for a debut title. If a publishing deal goes through, the extra time would allow further polish before a new launch date is set.
UploadVR reported on the delay, noting that the VR-supported demo remains available on Steam. For a small independent studio, securing a publisher could significantly expand the game’s reach and marketing resources.
Questions Players Are Asking
Do I need a VR headset to play Echoes of Mora?
No. The game is fully playable on a standard PC with keyboard, mouse, or controller. VR is an optional mode that adds physical swimming and deeper immersion. You can switch between VR and non-VR at any point during a session without losing progress.
Is there combat or survival in the game?
Echoes of Mora has no combat, no survival mechanics, and no resource management. It is a narrative exploration game focused on puzzle-solving, clue-finding, and emotional storytelling. The pace is deliberately unhurried and relaxing.
Does the story have multiple endings?
Yes. While the overarching narrative follows a clear path, the player’s decisions, such as where to begin the search for Dario, directly shape the game’s endings. The developers describe the branching as focused on character dialogue and meaningful choices rather than sprawling narrative trees.
How much content is in the free demo?
The demo includes a tutorial section, three explorable areas (forest, lake region, and Mora’s house), and five of the game’s 20 Echo portals. It also features optional Traces, dialogue scenes that offer additional backstory. Both VR and PC modes are available in the demo.
What Makes This Indie Debut Stand Out
Selkies Interactive emerged from Berlin’s DE:HIVE game design programme and made their public debut at Gamescom 2025 in the Home of Indies booth. The team’s iterative approach is notable: they attend trade shows with notebook in hand, collecting feedback and reworking systems based on player reactions. The swimming mechanic was rebuilt multiple times before reaching its current form.
The dual-platform approach is also unusual for a small indie team. Starting as a VR project, the PC mode was initially created for debugging but proved compelling enough to become a full play option. This decision broadened the potential audience considerably while giving players complete freedom in how they experience the underwater world.
Echoes of Mora stands out in the underwater game space by prioritising emotional storytelling and accessibility over survival tension. The combination of time-bending narrative, a haunting real-world inspiration from South Tyrol, and the flexibility of VR and flatscreen play makes it one of the more distinctive indie adventures heading into 2026. The free Steam demo is available now for anyone curious to dive in.
