The best multiplayer games aren’t the ones where you play like a flawless, highly coordinated esports team. The best ones are where everything goes horribly wrong, and you end up screaming at your friends in a mix of panic and hysterical laughter.
That chaotic multiplayer joy is the absolute core of S.O.N.A.R. (Submarine Operators Not Actually Ready). The gameplay thrives on two main pillars: physical comedy and communication. Now, we’ll save the physical comedy talk for another day, specifically, how satisfying it is to slap a teammate or watch them throw up because they ate some sketchy, expired food in the mess hall. Today, we need to talk about how communication works inside our high-tech metal deathtrap.
The Proximity Chat Dilemma: “Can You Hear Me Now?”
Right from the start, we knew S.O.N.A.R. absolutely had to feature 3D proximity voice chat.
The concept is beautifully simple: you talk into your headset to give orders, coordinate repairs, or just ramble about whatever is on your mind. If your crewmates are standing in the same room as you, they’ll hear you loud and clear.
But submarines are made of thick, sound-muffling metal and narrow corridors. If your engineer wanders off to the engine room and you stay at the helm, your voice will quickly fade into a distant mumble. Keep walking away, and you won’t hear each other at all. This means when a pipe bursts in the lower deck, you can’t just casually shout for help. Well, you can, but no one will hear your watery screams.
“Paging Dr. Disaster”: The Ship’s PA System
To prevent communication from becoming an absolute nightmare (or to make it a very specific, funny kind of nightmare), we installed an on board Public Address (PA) system, just like on a real submarine.
This PA system is a absolute lifesaver, especially for whoever is commanding the bridge. Armed with the ship’s security cameras and a microphone, the captain can broadcast their voice across the entire vessel. It’s the ultimate tool for coordinating complex combat maneuvers or managing desperate maintenance emergencies.
When a torpedo impact triggers a fire in compartment A and a massive water leak in compartment B, the captain can yell over the PA: “Steve, put down the fire extinguisher and fix the hull! No, Steve, the other hull! We are literally drowning!” It is beautiful, stressful, and incredibly loud.
When Words Fail: Non-Verbal Chaos
Sometimes, you’re just too stunned by your crew’s incompetence to speak. That’s why S.O.N.A.R. features a fully integrated non verbal communication wheel.
At any moment, players can bring up a quick radial menu of emotes and signals. Need someone to pay attention to the radar? Point directly at the station. Want to show your captain that you actually understood their bizarre orders? Throw them a crisp, military salute.
And for those inevitable moments when your friend presses the big, glowing button that ejects your last torpedo directly into a rock face? We’ve included a highly expressive, deeply satisfying facepalm emote. Because sometimes, a hand to the forehead speaks louder than words.
Ready to test your vocal cords? Sign up for the S.O.N.A.R. playtest on Steam and see if your friendships can survive the deep!
