Game Overview
Europa’s frozen crust becomes the frontier for a tense, choice-driven science-fiction drama about building humanity’s first foothold on Jupiter’s moon. Lies Under Ice places you in charge of a fragile 2079 colony where every expansion project, scientific breakthrough, and diplomatic concession can reshape the future of an entire world. The atmosphere balances hard-science ambition with political paranoia: alien life waits in the black ocean below, while human factions may prove just as dangerous inside the habitat. As a fully text-based interactive novel, it trades visuals and action sequences for a detailed 200,000-word narrative shaped by your decisions.
Leadership involves far more than selecting dialogue options. You choose a professional identity, from marine biologist to aerospace engineer, then direct settlement priorities such as worker welfare, research, luxury construction, ice-tunnel development, and terraforming. Expeditions beneath Europa’s surface send you through lethal waters in a submarine, where discoveries can become scientific miracles, ecological disasters, or fuel for rival political agendas. Decisions also reach into practical ethical questions: whether to introduce Earth animals, rely on artificial life, exploit unfamiliar organisms, pursue romance, and even campaign for a role in the colony’s emerging government. Character creation supports male, female, and nonbinary protagonists along with varied sexual and relationship identities, giving role-playing choices room to matter beyond simple flavor.
What stands out is the way settlement management, speculative biology, and factional intrigue feed into one another rather than operating as separate systems. Europa is not merely a backdrop for a mystery; it is an environment whose ecosystem, resources, and potential transformation force difficult decisions about colonialism and survival. The absence of graphics makes it best suited to players willing to read closely and imagine the alien landscapes for themselves, much like Choice of Games-style adventures or a political sci-fi novel with branching routes. Fans of narrative-heavy space exploration, morally uncertain leadership, and replayable alternate outcomes find plenty to investigate beneath the ice.
Screenshots
Installation
- Click the green button below to be redirected to UploadHaven.
- Wait 15 seconds, then hit “Free Download.” (Free downloads may be slower — upgrade to UploadHaven Pro for faster speeds.)
- Once downloaded, right-click the .zip file and choose “Extract to Lies Under Ice.” (You’ll need 7-Zip for this.)
- Open the extracted folder and run the game as administrator.
- Enjoy! 🎮 If you see missing DLL errors, check the _Redist folder inside and install what’s needed.
Setup Guide & Troubleshooting
How do I fix missing DLL errors for Lies Under Ice?
After extracting Lies Under Ice, navigate to the _Redist or _CommonRedist folder inside the game directory and install DirectX, Vcredist, and any other dependencies included.
What should I do if the downloaded file is corrupted?
The full archive is 139.70 MB — make sure your download completed fully before extracting. Use 7-Zip to extract the files. If you still see a "file corrupted" error, re-download and try again.
Why should I run the game as administrator?
Right-click the game executable and select "Run as Administrator" to avoid save file issues and permission errors. This is especially important on the first launch.
How do I update my GPU drivers for this game?
The game won't launch — what should I try?
Try running in compatibility mode, install the latest DirectX runtime, or install the All-in-One VC Redist Package.
My antivirus is blocking the game — is it safe?
Antivirus false positives are common with pre-installed games. Temporarily pause your antivirus during extraction to prevent it from quarantining game files. You can re-enable it after the extraction completes.