S.O.N.A.R. - Submarine Operators Not Actually Ready
Crew a submarine with friends, shout over proximity chat, and plug the leaks before it sinks.
By Abylight Barcelona, published by Abylight Studios. Out now on PC.
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1 / 8S.O.N.A.R. - Submarine Operators Not Actually Ready is an online co-op submarine simulator for one to six players, developed by Abylight Barcelona and published by Abylight Studios. It launched on Windows PC through Steam on October 29, 2026 with a list price of US$9.99.
The joke is in the name. Your crew has to run a high-tech sub through combat patrols, stealth runs and treasure hunts, and almost everything that goes wrong comes from people pressing the wrong button at the wrong time. Nine stations, proximity voice chat and a crew that gets seasick turn every patrol into a comedy of errors.
Early players are loving the chaos: Steam reviews sit at Very Positive, with 95% of 180 reviews recommending it in its first days.
Gameplay
Every mission is a team job across nine stations, from navigation, diving and sonar to the periscope, engineering and damage control. The sonar operator tracks contacts and calls them out while everyone else keeps the boat alive, which means communication is the core mechanic. Proximity voice chat carries the orders, the warnings and the blame.
Missions come in a few flavours. You hunt enemy vessels and sink them before they sink you, escort cargo ships, sweep the seabed with sonar for treasure and lost artifacts, or slip past destroyers without making a sound. When a torpedo lands, the sub can catch fire or spring a dozen leaks at once, and the crew has to repair and recalibrate systems under pressure.
The crew members break down too. You manage food, rest and well-being, and neglected sailors turn exhausted, seasick or delirious, which makes them worse at following simple instructions. Throwing up in your diving helmet before a torpedo reload is a real risk.
Levelling unlocks new gear, and dozens of uniforms and hats let you dress the crew. Steam Leaderboards, 52 achievements and full controller support round it out.
Key Features
- Run nine submarine stations with up to five friends in online co-op
- Coordinate sonar calls, torpedoes and repairs over proximity voice chat
- Hunt warships, escort cargo and dredge the seabed for treasure
- Sneak past enemy destroyers on silent stealth missions
- Keep your crew fed and rested before seasickness wrecks the shift
- Dress your sailors in dozens of uniforms and unlock new gear as you level
Platforms & Availability
S.O.N.A.R. is out now on Windows PC via Steam with a US$9.99 list price, and it is on sale at launch. Standard prices are RM24.99 in Malaysia, S$9.99 in Singapore, ₱314 in the Philippines, ฿199 in Thailand, Rp 84,500 in Indonesia and 125,000₫ in Vietnam. It supports 15 languages, including Japanese, Korean and both Chinese scripts, but no Southeast Asian ones. Co-op is online. Minimum spec is an Intel i5-2300, 8 GB of RAM, a GTX 1050 and 5 GB of storage, with full controller support.
Why it matters
Panic-driven co-op games live or die on the stories your group tells afterwards, and a cramped submarine where one person sees the sonar and everyone else is fighting fires is a strong engine for those stories. It slots in next to friend-group hits like Lethal Company or Barotrauma, but with a lighter, sillier tone and a price that makes buying four copies easy. It is ideal for a Discord crew in Manila or KL looking for a cheap Friday-night game. Skip it if you play alone or want a serious, realistic naval simulator.
System requirements
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 11 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel i5-2300/AMD FX-4300 | Intel i7-4770/AMD FX-8350 |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 or equivalent | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB or equivalent |
| Storage | 5 GB available space | 5 GB available space |
Questions
How many players does S.O.N.A.R. support?
S.O.N.A.R. supports one to six players in online co-op, with crew members splitting nine submarine stations between them.
How much is S.O.N.A.R. in Malaysia and Singapore?
The standard Steam price of S.O.N.A.R. is RM24.99 in Malaysia and S$9.99 in Singapore, and it launched with a 15% discount.
Can you play S.O.N.A.R. solo?
Yes, S.O.N.A.R. supports a single player, but the game is designed around a crew talking to each other, so it shines with friends.
Does S.O.N.A.R. have voice chat?
Yes. S.O.N.A.R. uses proximity voice chat, so crew members hear each other based on where they stand inside the submarine.
What PC do I need for S.O.N.A.R.?
Minimum is 64-bit Windows 10, an Intel i5-2300 or AMD FX-4300, 8 GB of RAM, a GTX 1050 and 5 GB of free storage.
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Checked 1 Nov 2026. Key art, screenshots and trailer: Abylight Studios via Steam.