Iron Lung

Last checked: October 15, 2026

Iron Lung is a one-hour, single-player submarine horror game from David Szymanski that runs on almost any Windows PC and installs in about 200 MB. It has no multiplayer, no crossplay and no official ESRB or PEGI rating. All figures on this page are dated so you can tell when a patch or price change might have moved them.

How long to beat

Length is the question I get asked most about this game, so it sits first. Iron Lung is deliberately short. One blind run, with a pause to read the opening text and a few wrong turns in the blood ocean, lands close to an hour for most players. Community averages from HowLongToBeat-style trackers cluster around the figures below, checked in October 2026.

A speedrun with memorised coordinates drops well under 30 minutes, since the submarine moves at a fixed pace and the route never changes. I cover run times and pacing in more depth in the dedicated “iron lung length” page, which also explains why a second playthrough is faster than the first.

File size and storage

The Steam listing asks for 200 MB of available space, and the installed folder sits in that range because the game is a small Unity build with low-resolution textures and a handful of audio files. There are no large content patches to account for; updates since the March 2022 launch have been small fixes measured in megabytes, not gigabytes. For comparison, this is less than a single texture pack for most modern shooters, and a fraction of what readers searching “many gb is minecraft” usually expect from an indie title.

PC system requirements

Szymanski’s own requirements text is a joke, and it is also accurate. The minimum spec on Steam reads “Any made within the last decade” for both processor and graphics, lists 1 MB of RAM, and closes with the note “You can run this”. The only hard requirement is a 64-bit processor and operating system. The recommended block repeats the 64-bit line and nothing else, so there is no meaningful gap between the two tiers.

In practice, any laptop with integrated graphics sold since the mid-2010s runs the game at its native low resolution without dropping frames. The visuals are intentionally crunchy, with a vertex-wobble effect and dithered images, so a stronger GPU buys you nothing. Steam Deck shows a Verified badge at my last check; confirm the current badge on the store page, because Valve re-tests builds after updates. There is no native macOS or Linux build, but the game runs through Proton on Linux desktops and Deck without configuration.

Crossplay and cross-progression

Crossplay does not apply because there is no online mode. The game has one pilot, one submarine and one save per profile, so the usual questions about account linking and platform pairing are moot. If you came here from a general interest in “cross-platform gaming“, the short version is that Iron Lung has nothing to link. Steam Cloud carries your save between your own Windows PCs and a Steam Deck, which is the only form of cross-progression on offer.

Multiplayer, co-op and offline

Steam lists Iron Lung as single-player only, with no co-op and no multiplayer flags, and that matches the design. You play alone in a sealed sub, navigating by numeric coordinates and a proximity sensor, taking photographs of points of interest for a crew that never speaks back. The entire game works offline. Steam’s offline mode launches it without trouble, and the itch.io version is DRM-free and needs no client at all. The store data I have does not list official controller support, so expect mouse and keyboard as the default input.

Age rating

Iron Lung carries no ESRB or PEGI rating. Steam’s required-age field is set to zero, which reflects the absence of a formal certificate rather than a judgement that the content is mild. The game involves an ocean of blood, implied death, body horror in the still images, and sustained psychological tension. Third-party listings such as DLCompare record the game’s ratings as PEGI 16 and ESRB Teen for blood and horror. Readers comparing this with a formally rated game can look at the “batman arkham knight rating” page for how descriptors are actually written.

Release dates and platforms

The game launched on Steam on March 9, 2022, published directly by David Szymanski under his own name, alongside a DRM-free copy on itch.io. Steam’s platform data in October 2026 still lists Windows only. I have not confirmed a live PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch storefront listing, so console availability is marked not confirmed below rather than guessed at. A live-action film adaptation written, directed by and starring Mark Fischbach (Markiplier) reached cinemas in early 2026 and later moved to digital, which is why many Google results for the title now mix film and game details.

Price, editions and subscriptions

Steam lists Iron Lung at $7.99 as of October 2026. There is a single edition, no deluxe tier, no season pass and no DLC. The game is not part of Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, Ubisoft+ or “ea play pro“, and it has never been bundled into a subscription catalogue that I can confirm. Steam seasonal sales regularly discount it, and the itch.io page is priced to match the Steam listing. For context among games that get called short, seven minutes of play per dollar is roughly what you get at full price.

FAQ

How long does Iron Lung take to finish?

About one hour for a first run, and roughly one to two hours if you chase all seven Steam achievements across repeat playthroughs.

Can my PC run Iron Lung?

Almost certainly yes. The listed minimum is a 64-bit Windows system, any CPU and GPU from the last decade, and 200 MB of free space.

Is Iron Lung on consoles?

Yes. Beyond Windows, Iron Lung is available on Nintendo Switch (December 19, 2022), PlayStation 5 (October 15, 2025) and Android (December 12, 2025), and the Nintendo eShop and PlayStation Store actively list the game.

Does Iron Lung have multiplayer or crossplay?

No. It is a single-player game with no online component, so crossplay and cross-progression do not apply beyond Steam Cloud saves.

What is the Iron Lung movie?

A live-action adaptation directed by and starring Mark Fischbach, released theatrically in early 2026 and later on digital. It is separate from the game and does not change the game’s content or price.