# FathomVerse — Explore the depths

> Immersive ocean exploration game that trains AI for scientific research. (iPhone/iPad app by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fathomverse/id6469854247 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute](https://appshunter.io/developer/997448509)
- Category: Education, Games, Adventure, Casual
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.64/5 from 88 App Store ratings · 49 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 284 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2024-04-29
- Data updated: 2026-07-19
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fathomverse/id6469854247/reviews.md

## What is FathomVerse?

The ocean covers more than 70% of our planet, yet most of the life within it remains undiscovered. FathomVerse is changing that, one dive at a time.

FathomVerse invites everyone to take part in real ocean exploration and discovery. Through interactive mini-games, FathomNauts identify animals in real underwater photos and contribute to a growing library of labeled images that helps scientists catalog and understand marine life. 

With FathomVerse, you can:
- Be among the first to review real imagery collected in the ocean.
- Learn to identify more than 70 groups of marine animals.
- Help train AI models by labeling animals in underwater images.
- Participate in quests, earn badges, and track your scientific contributions.
- Save and share your favorite ocean images in a personal gallery.

Whether you're a lifelong ocean lover or simply curious about what lives in the depths, FathomVerse makes it easy to contribute to meaningful scientific research.

## Key features

- Play minigames with real ocean imagery
- Identify over 50 groups of ocean animals
- Save and share favorite images
- Participate in quests and earn badges
- Unlock awards for gameplay contributions
- Customize soundscape with Ocean Radio

## What do users think of FathomVerse?

**Pros**

- 🌊 Relaxing and peaceful experience
- 🔍 Opportunity to contribute to ocean research
- 🌟 Stunning visuals and immersive environment
- 🧠 Educational content on marine life
- 🤝 Responsive and helpful development team
- 🕹️ Simple and intuitive gameplay
- 🎨 Customizable audio and visuals
- 🤓 Interesting citizen science adventure

**Cons**

- 🐛 Buggy and inconsistent user interface
- 🤔 Unclear instructions and onboarding process
- ⏱️ Slow and tedious core gameplay loop
- 🔍 Lack of ability to re-examine animal images
- 🧭 Inconsistent controls between different sections
- 🔍 Incomplete or lacking identification guides
- 🚫 Inability to progress or save progress

## Recent user reviews (10 of 49)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fathomverse/id6469854247/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Wow

*2025-09-15, version 1.2.2*

Found this through a DougDoug stream and it’s amazing! It’s fun and it makes a genuine impact in research and development!

### 5/5 — Cool app

*2025-09-14, version 1.2.2*

DougDoug brought me here. This is a very interesting concept and I would like to see this app develop further

### 3/5 — Great idea, needs work and better photos

*2025-07-28*

This is an awesome idea sort of similar citizen scientist activity as iNaturalist but ocean focused.  The photo resolution is pretty bad on most photos so far (just started using it a few hours ago).  Looks like thumbnails that have been blown up causing bad pixelation instead of high quality photos.  I’m using an 11’ iPad for reference.  Also there is a large info box over the top portion of the image that you can’t get rid of.  Oddly I don’t see that box on the sample images here.  If those issues could get resolved this would be pretty cool app.

**Developer response:** Thanks for downloading FathomVerse! The image resolution problem you mention is less of an issue on a phone than iPad for sure, but it's something we're trying to improve upon. With regards to the info box, that sounds odd. If you can email us at fathomverse@mbari.org and provide more detail, we will take a look. 

It's worth mentioning that we've released an update to the app today that's worth checking out. Thanks for your support! Onwards and downwards!!

### 5/5 — love it!

*2025-07-19, version 1.2.2*

it’s relaxing and very beautiful. you can learn about sea creatures with such ease too! i love it

### 5/5 — Love this game

*2025-06-19*

I love this game sm i played it a while ago on my other phone and i decided to redownload it again!

### 4/5 — Bug fixes please!

*2025-06-15*

App is a little buggy, it’s not letting me identify all the creatures I collected (after I finish there are so many that didn’t come up in the selection) and sometimes I’m not able to collect things on the dive.

**Developer response:** Thanks for downloading FathomVerse! This sounds odd. If you can email us at fathomverse@mbari.org, we'd like to learn more about the problem and see if we can resolve it for you.

It's worth mentioning that we've released an update to the app today that's worth checking out. Thanks for your support! Onwards and downwards!!

### 5/5 — Best. Game. Ever

*2025-06-01, version 1.2.2*

This game is so good, it’s my first ever game where I’m sooo invested! I highly recommend it to people who love the ocean, especially the deep sea!

### 5/5 — 😍😍😍

*2025-04-16, version 1.2.2*

🥹🦑🐋🪼🪸🌊

### 5/5 — amazing

*2025-04-09, version 1.2.1*

this game is amazing - it is difficult in a fun way. There are so many creatures to discover, no ads, etc etc.

### 5/5 — Very good game

*2025-04-06, version 1.2.1*

The team is doing great. Very informative about the various sea animals and their different species. A small adventurish type game for everyone.

Im kind of curious though, there are no way of saving your progress (as far as im aware) so I wish that there was a way to save your progress + or a way to transfer your account to a different device. 

Apart of that I do not have any further questions and no complaints about this game.

## Frequently asked questions about FathomVerse

### What is FathomVerse?

FathomVerse is an immersive mobile game that allows players to explore the ocean world. It uses real imagery collected by researchers to help train AI for identifying animals. Players can discover ocean animals, learn about them, and contribute to scientific discovery through gameplay.

### What are the key features of FathomVerse?

Key features include playing minigames with real ocean imagery, learning to identify over 50 groups of ocean animals, saving and sharing favorite images, participating in quests to earn badges, and unlocking awards that expand knowledge about ocean animals and AI training.

### Is FathomVerse free to play?

Yes, FathomVerse is a free-to-play game. The provided information indicates it does not have in-app purchases or ads, suggesting a completely free experience for users.

### What kind of scientific contribution does FathomVerse make?

By playing FathomVerse, users help train the AI that researchers use to find and identify animals in real ocean imagery. This citizen science approach accelerates scientific discovery and understanding of marine life.

### Can I learn about ocean animals with FathomVerse?

Yes, the game is designed to help you learn. You can hone your skills to identify more than 50 groups of ocean animals and unlock awards that expand your knowledge of marine life and how gameplay contributes to improving AI.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.0.0 — 2026-06-08

Join a new wave of ocean explorers to discover ocean life! In this update:

- Enjoy the new mini-game Filter.
- Unlock the new Denizen Mode and participate in data verification.
- Train for expeditions in Identify as well as Pulse.
- Unlock more levels, content, and badges.
- Dive into a smoother experience with bug fixes.

Update now and explore the wonders beneath the surface!

### 1.4.3 — 2026-06-03

Join a new wave of ocean explorers to discover ocean life! In this update:

- Enjoy the new mini-game Filter.
- Unlock the new Denizen Mode and participate in data verification.
- Train for expeditions in Identify as well as Pulse.
- Unlock more levels, content, and badges.
- Dive into a smoother experience with bug fixes.

Update now and explore the wonders beneath the surface!

### 1.2.2 — 2025-04-15

Several fixes and improvements. Dive in!

### 1.2.1 — 2025-03-27

New minigames (Identify and Bound), new data types (localization), in-app messaging, player reports, new awards, badges, and quests. Dive in!

### 1.2.0 — 2025-03-24

New minigames (Identify and Bound), new data types (localization), in-app messaging, player reports, new awards, badges, and quests. Dive in!

## More apps by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

- [Jellywatch](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jellywatch/id545501733)
- [BayCurrents](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/baycurrents/id1591997070)

All apps by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute: https://appshunter.io/developer/997448509

## Related topics

[fathomverse](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/fathomverse) · [monterey bay aquarium research institute](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/monterey-bay-aquarium-research-institute) · [marine biology](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/marine-biology) · [marine biology game](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/marine-biology-game) · [marine biology games](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/marine-biology-games) · [oceanaire](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/oceanaire)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-19.*