Making a coop multiplayer game like S.O.N.A.R. (Submarine Operators Not Actually Ready) for Steam requires a massive amount of engineering. And no, we don’t just mean the digital kind that keeps the game from crashing. We mean the psychological kind: the delicate, terrifying art of balancing realistic military systems with the absolute, screaming chaos of four friends trying not to drown.
When we first sat down to design S.O.N.A.R., we had to ask ourselves some tough questions. How many tasks can a player handle at once before their brain completely short circuits? Which gameplay stations are genuinely fun, and which ones just feel like a Monday morning at the office? Finding that sweet spot where panic meets comedy took months of careful planning, testing, and a lot of coffee.
Finding the Balance: Real Submarines vs. Actual Fun
During our initial development phase, we dove headfirst into documentation. We wanted players to feel the claustrophobia and tension of being trapped inside a real submarine. However, we quickly realized that a 100% accurate simulation would mean spending three hours double checking valves and filling out virtual maintenance reports.
So, we had to find the ultimate balance between realism and pure, unadulterated fun.
For starters, we made some highly strategic architectural modifications. Real submarines are notoriously cramped, but for S.O.N.A.R., we gave extra breathing room to areas like the kitchen, the mess hall, and the bridge. Why? Because these are the social hubs where your crew will gather, argue, make terrible decisions, and accidentally set things on fire. You need space for that kind of magic to happen.
Getting Hands-On with the Armada, the Spanish Navy
To make sure the game still felt authentic, we went straight to the experts. We are incredibly proud to have developed S.O.N.A.R. in collaboration with the Spanish Navy (Armada).
The Navy generously granted us access to technical documentation for their latest state of the art submarines. Even better, they invited us to step inside these incredible machines. Huge shoutout to the amazing personnel at the Cartagena Arsenal and the floating museum of Torrevieja.
We recorded videos, asked a million questions, and studied how real sailors operate periscopes, steer the rudder, manage depth controls, and prep torpedoes.
Adjusting Reality for a 4-Player Crew
Once we got back to the studio, the real engineering began: translating those massive naval operations into mechanics that a tiny crew of four could actually manage.
Take the torpedo bay, for example. In a real submarine, reloading weapons requires heavy machinery and a highly coordinated team of specialists. If we kept it that way in S.O.N.A.R., you’d spend the entire battle slowly winching a single torpedo into place while getting pelted by enemy depth charges. To keep the gameplay fast and furious, we adapted the system so a single player can load torpedoes, mines, and decoys manually. It’s slightly less realistic, but infinitely more heroic when you clutch a last second shot.
We’re confident these design tweaks deliver the ultimate high tech submarine experience. But don’t take our word for it, you can test our engineering (and your friendships) right now! Head over to Steam and join the S.O.N.A.R. playtest.
