Alien ocean exploration game In Other Waters comes with a beautiful reference book

UPDATE 7TH MARCH: Good news! In Other Waters has sailed over its £22,000 goal with a day to spare. The current total is £24K and counting.

"I am literally speechless," wrote game creator Gareth Damian Martin in an update. "I just danced around my living room and let out the longest exhale of my life."

ORIGINAL STORY 5TH MARCH: Time is nearly up on the Kickstarter for intriguing alien ocean explorer In Other Waters - and it could use your help. It's raised £18,500 of £22,000 and has until Thursday 9am GMT to get there.

In Other Waters is about finding life, and a missing biologist, in an alien ocean, all while exploring the relationship between an AI - you - and another biologist called Ellery Vas. It looks simple (and ever so stylish) yet underneath there's oodles of narrative depth. Will Ellery Vas trust you, for example? She's your hands and eyes in alien waters but won't necessarily do as you say. How she responds depends on the decisions you make.

As you explore you'll come across new creatures, technology and possible upgrades - upgrades you'll need to go deeper and get the answers you seek. And, brilliantly, In Other Waters will document all this with its own companion book, A Study of Gliese 667Cc - a gorgeous compilation of paintings and sketches inspired by Wayne Barlowe's xenobiology book Expedition. If you back the game at £60 you get a hardback copy; any less and it's a digital copy.

In Other Waters is being made by a small team led by Gareth Damian Martin, who has written clever stuff for Eurogamer in the past. His three-pronged attack of writing, graphic design and game design suits In Other Waters well. He previously led design of Dreamhack Jam winning entry The Tower at Tortenna. He predicts around two years of work ahead to finish the game and book, and is targeting release on PC and Mac.

But you can get a taster now in a demo of In Other Waters' prologue (alpha) available to download and play for free now. This introduces you to the interface and to the pilot Ellery.