Try S.O.N.A.R. – Submarine Operators Not Actually Ready, a cooperative submarine game with a free demo on Steam. Developed by Abylight Barcelona, it puts up to four players aboard one submarine and asks a perfectly reasonable question: can you keep this thing running together?
You probably can. Whether your friends will let you is another matter.
The demo gives your group a chance to find out before buying the full game, with a solo tutorial and two cooperative missions. There’s also a new mission coming during Steam Next Fest, giving returning crews another reason to report for duty.
Your next game night has a submarine problem
Every group has someone who insists they should be in charge. Someone who actually reads the instructions. Someone who disappears just when you need them.
Now imagine giving those people a submarine.
That’s the appeal of S.O.N.A.R. Your evening starts with a plan, a willing crew, and perhaps a slightly generous assessment of everyone’s abilities. Then somebody needs help, somebody else has a question, and your self-appointed captain discovers that shouting louder isn’t a recognised navigation technique.
If choosing something to play usually takes longer than playing it, a free co-op demo makes the decision easier. Send your friends the link. Pick an evening. Save the lengthy debate for deciding who caused the first disaster.
What’s included in the S.O.N.A.R. demo?
Start with the single-player tutorial, which introduces the submarine’s systems. It’s your chance to learn the controls before adding the most unpredictable component of any multiplayer game: other people.
Then gather your crew for two complete cooperative missions.
Take the tutorial seriously enough to understand your job. You don’t need to deliver a graduation speech afterwards, although we can’t stop you. Knowing what you’re doing will be particularly satisfying when the friend who skipped ahead starts asking questions.
The demo is free to download on Steam. You can try the game together, see how your group gets along aboard a submarine, and decide whether you want to return for the full release.
Consider it a practical interview for a position nobody is qualified to hold.
A new mission during Steam Next Fest
Already played the demo? Get the crew back together: a new mission will be available during Steam Next Fest.
It’s a good excuse to recall your previous captain, reconsider that appointment, and see whether anyone remembers what they learned last time.
Perhaps you’ll finally agree on who takes responsibility when things go wrong. Either way, there’s fresh work waiting beneath the surface, so send the message your group has been expecting: “One more mission?”
Everyone has a job. Everyone has an opinion.
S.O.N.A.R. gives your crew ten stations to manage, covering responsibilities such as navigation, diving, sonar, engineering, and damage control. You’ll need to share information and respond when the situation changes.
Proximity voice chat brings those conversations into the submarine. Useful for warnings. Equally useful for hearing someone explain, at considerable length, why this particular emergency cannot possibly be their fault.
The best advice for your first outing? Give each other room to learn. Ask questions early. Be specific when you need help. “Over here!” becomes a less impressive instruction when everybody has a different idea of where “here” is.
And allow yourself a laugh when the perfect plan falls apart. You’ll have plenty to discuss afterwards, especially if everyone remembers a completely different version of events.
Try it free, then decide whether to stay aboard
A trailer can show you a submarine. A demo lets you discover what happens when your friends are trusted with one.
That’s worth an evening.
Maybe your group will surprise you with calm decisions and impeccable coordination. Maybe you’ll establish a strict policy about who is allowed to give orders. You might even discover that the quietest person in the call makes the best captain.
There’s only one useful way to settle it: get aboard together.
Download the free S.O.N.A.R. demo on Steam, work through the tutorial, and take your crew into the cooperative missions. Come back during Steam Next Fest to try the new mission, too.
If you enjoy your time underwater, add S.O.N.A.R. – Submarine Operators Not Actually Ready to your Steam wishlist ahead of its October 29, 2026 release.
Your next crew could be the friends already waiting in your group chat. Send them the demo, choose your stations, and give yourselves a fighting chance. We strongly suggest checking that somebody is actually steering.
See you in the deep blue, captains.
