Achluophobia / Nyctophobia – Fear of the dark

• Trigger: Deep ocean zones with little to no natural light (e.g., the Lost River or void biomes)

• Why: Darkness underwater is even more disorienting than on land, making it hard to see incoming threats or navigate safely.

Acousticophobia / Phonophobia – Fear of loud or sudden sounds

• Trigger: Sudden roars, Reaper Leviathan screams, base breaches, or hull damage alarms

• Why: Subnautica’s sound design uses jarring audio cues to signal danger, heightening tension and startle responses.

Agoraphobia – Fear of wide or open spaces

• Trigger: Swimming in vast, open ocean with no land in sight

• Why: The scale and emptiness of the ocean can feel overwhelming, evoking helplessness in the face of an expansive, unknowable space.

Asthenophobia – Fear of weakness or being helpless

• Trigger: Running out of oxygen, food, or energy in hostile biomes

• Why: The game emphasizes player vulnerability — especially when far from safety — which can induce panic or anxiety in stressful survival situations.

Autophobia – Fear of being alone

• Trigger: Total solitude on an alien planet with no other humans

• Why: Subnautica builds an atmosphere of extreme isolation, where you’re constantly reminded that no one is coming to help.

Bathophobia – Fear of deep places (specifically deep water)

• Trigger: Descending into trenches or abyssal zones like the Void or Lava Lakes

• Why: The sensation of sinking into the unknown, with nothing below or around, is deeply disturbing for many players.

Claustrophobia – Fear of confined spaces

• Trigger: Navigating tight cave systems, wreck interiors, or base tunnels

• Why: These areas can be disorienting and difficult to exit, especially if you’re running low on oxygen, adding to the sense of being trapped.

Hemophobia – Fear of blood

• Trigger: Injuries from creatures, red lighting or fluids during creature attacks

• Why: While not graphic, implied trauma or damage from Leviathans or crush depth incidents can trigger this fear.

Ichthyophobia – Fear of fish

• Trigger: Aggressive aquatic life like Reaper Leviathans, Bone Sharks, or Crabsquids

• Why: Subnautica’s alien fish are massive, hostile, and often designed with exaggerated or grotesque features, making encounters terrifying.

Megalohydrothalassophobia – Fear of large underwater creatures in vast water spaces

• Trigger: Encounters with Leviathans, especially in open biomes like the Dunes or the Void

• Why: The size difference between the player and these creatures, paired with the openness of the ocean, creates a primal feeling of dread.

Mysophobia – Fear of germs or contamination

• Trigger: The Kharaa bacterial infection subplot

• Why: The game introduces a planet-wide infection affecting both you and the ecosystem, which can cause discomfort for those with contamination fears.

Scopophobia – Fear of being watched

• Trigger: Sensing Leviathans nearby, hearing sounds without seeing the source

• Why: Constant ambient noise, sonar pings, or creature tracking creates the impression that something is observing you from the dark.

Submechanophobia – Fear of submerged man-made objects

• Trigger: Exploring sunken wrecks, derelict bases, and the crashed Aurora

• Why: The eerie silence and haunting presence of submerged structures can feel uncanny or disturbing to players with this fear.

Thalassophobia – Fear of the deep ocean

• Trigger: Almost every biome past the starting safe shallows — especially the Void, Dunes, Blood Kelp Zone, and the Inactive Lava Zone

• Why: Subnautica is one of the most well-known games to provoke this fear due to its immersion in vast, alien oceanic depths full of unknown threats.

Thanatophobia – Fear of death

• Trigger: Being attacked by Leviathans, drowning, or dying due to poor preparation

• Why: The fear of helplessness and permanent loss in dangerous underwater zones contributes to anxiety around player death.

Trypophobia – Fear of clusters of small holes or irregular patterns

• Trigger: Coral textures, mushroom forest terrain, or alien skin designs

• Why: Certain environmental textures — especially those involving coral or hive-like structures — may resemble hole clusters that can disturb sensitive players.