Off the AppStore - Going deep and onward in Azurion Depths

• The alien waters of Azurion are awaiting your exploration
• The submarine is ready to start and never stop, unless by force
• Control the elevation, torpedoes, and how far you're willing to plunge

Welcome to Off The AppStore, a weekly feature with a twist. Namely, that while these - as with all the games we cover here - are games that you can play on your phone, they're ones that operate outside of the realms of the big two ways to play: The Google Play Store and the Apple AppStore.

That means that there might be a bit of work required in downloading alternative AppStores or  APKs, or that the games can simply be played in your phone browser. We'll make sure to detail that for each game though. Anyway, read on to find a new game or experience to play Off The AppStore.

You think space is scary? That can't be right, because you've obviously heard the claim that we now know more about space than we do about the oceans on Earth. That's right; there are still so many depths that we haven't even come close to reaching because we haven't made anything that can survive the pressure (which is just the human condition, am I right?). But we're getting close with all the different types of curvy, circular submarines that seem able to endure the crushing power of all that water. Script Muffin has made their own submarine to plunge into the Azurion Depths and is inviting you along for the ride.

You have been chosen as pilot for an experimental submarine that is being driven through the depths of an alien planet. Fortunately, this planet's aquatic properties seem similar enough to Earth's that our submarines can survive in them… At least for now. We have no idea what lurks in this alien planet's watery depths, and there's no telling whether we'll be prepared to face it. Still, someone's got to be brave enough to helm the submarine as far and as deep as it will go, push through the pressure, and blast any obstacles in the way.

The submarine works by keeping moving, sort of like a shark. If the sub stops, the mission stops too, because water pressure will pull it down and crash or crush it. The propulsion will get the sub moving forward, but it's on you to keep it stable. You must control the sub's elevation so that it can resist the pressure and keep moving through the geographic features of this watery environment. Avoiding such dangers and obstacles is the first step, but you've been given a hefty supply of torpedoes to remove anything blocking your way forward and down.

Azurion Depths is a 2D auto-runner about guiding a submarine through the watery depths on an alien planet. The sub will handle pushing things forward, while you'll handle whether it goes high or low and whether you'll blow up part of the planet to make sure that you can go deeper. Multiple levels test your timing, reaction, and ability to thread the needle as the depths get darker, narrower, and, of course, much more dangerous. Earth's oceans remain a terrifying mystery, so we should desensitize ourselves by plunging into Azurion's depths first.

Azurion Depth is free to download and play on its itch.io page.