There are plenty of games set at sea, orbased around naval combat, but there are fewer games out there either set on a submarine or involving one as their main source of gameplay. However, some games manage to use submarines to great effect.
Submarine games often come in the form of simulators that focus on realism and tactical gameplay. However, these examples provide a varied selection of games themed around and involving submarines, or simply games set predominantly underwater, rather than exclusively complex simulations.
Updated on Jul 04, 2025, by Harry Ted Sprinks:Although submarine games are relatively uncommon, perhaps due to their most popular format being complex simulation games, the continuing popularity of titles such as David Szymanski’s Iron Lung and the enduring survival game, Subnautica, has shown that submarines can be a thematic and atmospheric setting for all kinds of video game. However, it’s hard to ignore the elegant designs and impressive, strategic experiences thatsubmarine gamessuch as Wolfpack and Dangerous Waters have to offer.
10Dangerous Waters - An Old-School Naval Combat Simulator
Steam User Rating: 79%
This old-school naval combat game from 2006 features in-depth, strategic combat at sea.Dangerous Watersmay have aging, old-school graphics, but this does little to detract from its consistently engaging gameplay mechanics.
InDangerous Waters, players can take control of each individual crew station, and the lengths the developers went to make the game an immersive and realistic experience is commendable. However, the game also has a steep learning curve thanks to its focus on heavily simulated mechanics.
9Wolfpack - A Deeply Promising Simulation
Steam User Rating: 89%
This intense submarine game tasks players with commandeering a WW2 U-Boat.Wolfpackfocuses on creating a realistic simulation for players to immerse themselves in and even allows players to experience the game in online co-op.
Wolfpackis in Early Access at the time of writing, and although it still receives updates, development is slow. However, the game’s impressive visuals make it easy to get immersed in this deep simulation game.
8Cold Waters - A Spiritual Successor To Red Storm Rising
Steam User Rating: 87%
Taking heavy inspiration from the 1988 MicroProse game,Red Storm Rising, and wearing this influence on its sleeve,Cold Watersputs players in command of a nuclear submarine.Cold Waterstasks players with classic submarine espionage and interception, ranging from intercepting convoys to battling it out with enemy battleships.
Among its many simulation elements,Cold Watersincludes naval combat that takes place in real-time, a wide array of ship and submarine classes, and even realistic sonar. For fans of historical simulation games with an old-school feel,Cold Watersis unlikely to disappoint.
WhileSubnauticadoesn’t entirely revolve around a submarine,the game’s underwater explorationand progression involves finding fragments and blueprints to construct various submarine vehicles.
These vehicles are integral to the game’s progression, as they allow the player to explore further from their base and deeper into the ocean. Collecting the required fragments and blueprints for these vehicles is also part of the game’s core loop, especially early on, and finally crafting and getting to pilot these vehicles is a handsome reward.
6UBOAT - A WW2 Simulation Game With A Focus On Crew Management
Steam User Rating: 81%
This WW2 simulation game tasks players with managing the crew of a German UBOAT in a survival sandbox. Unlike many submarine simulators,UBOATfocuses heavily on the crew; players must take good care of them, for when the crew is in poor physical and/or mental condition, any chance of winning decreases severely.
UBOATfeatures a detailed damage system that forces players to stay calm under pressure and make sacrifices to keep the ship intact, and players will have to manage their resources carefully to get across the open sea.
Although there is an option to play with bots,We Need To Go Deeperis a submarine game designed to be played with friends. The game features 2-4 player online co-op and tasks players with piloting and maintaining one of the game’s unlockable submarines to explore the randomized depths.
We Need To Go Deepereven allows players to leave the submarine to explore on foot with their customizable adventurer, and features a variety of tools and weaponry to help players along their journey. The game’srogue-like structure and cooperative naturemake it a fun, frantic, and often intense experience as players attempt to keep their submarine intact.
4Song Of The Deep - An Atmospheric Submarine Metroidvania
Steam User Rating: 84%
This atmospheric deep-sea adventure isa Metroidvania gamedeveloped by Insomniac Games (creators ofRatchet & Clank) that follows the story of a young girl in search of her missing father.Song Of The Deepputs players in the pilot seat of a small submarine, exploring the game’s various beautiful underwater environments to find both necessary and optional upgrades for the submarine, of which the game features thirty.
The game features plenty of puzzles that vary in difficulty, as well as a variety of enemies and bosses to defeat along the way. While players don’t spend all of their time in the submarine, a good portion of the game is spent using the sub to explore the ocean, andSong Of The Deepis a beautiful, highly polished narrative experience with a surprisingly low price.
This 2D survival horror gameuses submarine simulations and RPG elements to create an intense experience. Throughout the game, players attempt to complete the game’s various missions by piloting their submarine, protecting it from monsters, maintaining it, and crafting items.
What makesBarotraumaeven more special is the fact that it features online co-op that supports up to 16 players, as well as an in-game editor that lets players build their own submarines and monsters.Barotraumacan often be difficult, and its complex systems make it less accessible, but it’s a deep and replayable experience for those who enjoy this style of game.
The third entry in Ubisoft’sSilent Hunterseries, released back in 2005, is arguably one of the best in the franchise and remains one of the best submarine simulation games to this day.Silent Hunter 3focuses heavily on realistic WW2 naval combat in a 3D environment, featuring a day/night cycle and historically accurate vehicles.
The U-boats that players can control also have detailed interiors, and there are several U-boat types to choose from. The game markets itself to both veterans and newcomers to simulation games, with a more forgiving learning curve than many simulation games and customizable “realism settings.” Furthermore,Silent Hunter 3features an unscripted, non-linear campaign for players to beat.
This game from indie darling, David Szymanski (Chop Goblins,Dusk), is a shortsci-fi horror experienceabout piloting a very small submarine through an ocean of blood on an alien moon. The game’s setting helps to create an intense, creepy atmosphere and immediate sense of dread, while the gameplay is fairly minimal.
Iron Lungis an extremely short but cinematic experience intended to be played in under an hour, but for fans of horror, it’s worth the low price. Players will spend most of their time looking through a grainy camera and using an unfinished satellite map, along with the submarine’s proximity sensors, to get an idea of their surroundings. Furthermore,Iron Lungfeatures an original soundtrack, and a trailer for the film adaptation of the game was released in April 2023.
