Here is the video game “Gato”! Released in 1984 on DOS, it's still available and playable with some tinkering. It's a simulation game, set in a historical battle (specific/exact), naval, real-time, submarine and world war ii themes and it was released on Mac, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST and Apple II as well. About This Game Welcome to Silent Depth, a WWII 3d submarine simulation for your PC. Being a member of the Silent Service of the US Navy you take command of a Gato/Balao class submarine and go on extended patrols in the dangerous waters of the Pacific in world war II.

Naval warfare has a rich history dating back to ancient times, spanning countless conflicts that have relied on access to the world’s oceans. Fleets and flotillas have been crucial for the logistical transportation of materials, goods, treasures and troops. In combat, naval vessels have the capability to strike a decisive battle against the opponent or interdict against their supply lines. Undoubtedly, this is an important branch of a nation’s military, but how does this element of warfare translate to videogames?

Those who are looking for naval warfare can find games that are worth an investment, whether more arcade-style combat, or developing the strategy for an entire battlefleet. The following titles are absolute plays for the admiral-minded types looking to expand their naval-themed experiences.

What are the best Naval War Games?

• Naval Campaigns: Wolfpack
• Command: Modern Operations
• Cold Waters
• Rule the Waves II
• Supremacy at Sea WW2
• Atlantic Fleet
• Victory at Sea
• Silent Hunter 3
• Ironclads 2 Collection
• Enigma: Rising Tide
• Navyfield
• Fighting Steel: World War II Surface Combat 1939-1942
• World of Warships

Naval Campaigns: Wolfpack

Developer/Publisher: John Tiller Software
Tags: WW2, Atlantic Theatre, Submarine Warfare, Operational, Real-Time
Purchase:Direct

A rare naval-themed outing from the fabled JTS house, Wolfpack is the latest entry in the Naval Campaigns line and takes you to the till-covered Atlantic theatre. You are in charge of a varying number of U-Boat ships as you try and disrupt the Allied supply lines in the Atlantic Ocean. Alternatively, you're in charge of the Allied fleets trying to keep Britain's life-line up and running.

There are 50 scenarios in total, along with two campaigns covering a wide range of battles and set-pieces. Not all of them can be played from both sides, but most of them can. There is also a powerful editor as standard, and the usual JTS bells and whistles to go with it. It's still fairly old-school in that JTS fashion, but this is a more straight-forward game in many ways.

Command: Modern Operations

Developer/Publisher: WarfareSims / Matrix Games
Tags: Naval, Land, Aerial, Real Time, Various Theatres, Strategy, Simulation, Grand Strategy, Modern Warfare
Purchase: Steam, Direct

Command's definition as purely a 'naval' war game is getting rather stretched now, but despite improving the ground operations part of the simulation most of the scenarios and focus is on naval (and air) assets for the most part. Regardless of how you want to define it, it's a damn good piece of software and deserves to be on every list it can fit under. Since it's predecessor was here, feels right to continue the tradition.

You can read our Command: Modern Operations review to find out more about what we thought, but the basic break-down is this: This is the finest, most-in depth simulation of modern warfare you will ever see, and the new version definitely has a number of improvements in terms of U.I. and accessibility. If you've never owned CMANO but have a passing interesting, then buying CMO is a must. If you're an existing owner, there's not as much new as perhaps justifies the asking pricing. Existing owners of the base CMANO game get a 50% discount until January 31st, but even then what's on offer may not be enough for some. Still, you can always take the Paradox mentality and think of it as an investment in the game's future in terms of new free content.

On Feb 24th, 2020, CMO received its' first piece of Command LIVE micro-DLC, Broken Shield 300. To date it's the best example of such DLC that's been released since the project started, and bodes well for the future of such smaller releases on the new platform.

Cold Waters

Developer/Publisher: Killerfish Games
Tags: Naval, Real Time, Various Theatres, Strategy, Simulation, Submarine
Purchase: Steam

Killerfish Games manages to hold two titles on this list, and with good reason. Cold Waters manages to walk a perfect line between arcade and simulation with this submarine-based naval game. Establishing itself in a modern setting, the player sets out in nuclear submarine and strike against surface targets and warships while evading modern ASW countermeasures. Great mission and unit variety, outstanding visuals and intuitive UI enables Cold Waters to stand tall among the greatest naval wargames out there.

Content for Cold Waters is still being released, with the latest addition being a South China Sea campaign. Those looking for a more immersive sub sim, please note that this isn’t Silent Hunter – you may be disappointed if that’s what you’re looking for here. Read our Cold Waters review to learn more about what makes this game so popular.

Rule the Waves II

Developer/Publisher: Naval Warfare Simulations
Tags: Naval, Real Time, Various Theatres, Strategy, WW1, WW2, Management, grand strategy
Purchase: Direct

While the sequel to Rule the Waves won't be ground-breaking for anyone experienced in the original title, Rule the Waves 2 is a clear improvement over its predecessor in more ways than one. With an expanded timeline through to 1950, air forces and Air Craft Carriers now make their appearance in the mid-to-late game, shifting the priority of naval doctrine from Dreadnoughts and super-ships to platforms capable of fielding large amounts of air power.

Other little improvements, such as changed naval invasion ranges, mean that this takes on a more long-form, emergent narrative experience similar to Hearts of Iron - it's less about painting the map your colour, and more about the strategic and long-term naval performance of your nation. There's still areas of improvement - in-game events and politics still take on a euro-centric affair, the game is terrible at explaining itself, and we'd love to see mechanics that cater towards large-scale warfare between alliances. As with the first game, this is a completely unique experience in naval war gaming, and anyone even remotely interested should definitely try it out for themselves. Read our Rule the Waves 2 review to find out more about what we thought.

Supremacy at Sea WW2

Developer: Naval Warfare Simulations
Tags: WW2, Strategic, Management, Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Operational
Purchase:Direct

In many ways SaS is a counter-point to NWS' other entry on this list, Rule the Waves 2. It's not getting a sequel and hasn't had the same amount of support as the other game, but provided you can still get a hold of it (you can only purchase what few physical copies remain from the NWS store) it's a very engaging naval warfare game that focuses on the big-picture. There are three campaigns covering the Pacific, Atlantic and Mediterranean theatres, and you're tasked with managing and deploying fleets and task forces based on operational needs of the campaign. Along with fleets and ships, you can also manage air assets, and even intervene in ground battles.

It's a little bit fiddly to get working on Windows 10 machines, but it is doable and this is one of those rare games that clearly has been designed by someone with immense knowledge and passion for the subject, and have offered a unique take that makes best use of the resources and technology they had available. The quintessential 'indie' war game and you can find out more by reading our Supremacy at Sea review.

Atlantic Fleet

Developer/Publisher: KillerFish Games
Tags: Naval, Turn Based, Atlantic Theatre, Strategy, WW2, Arcade
Purchase: Steam, iOS

Initially released on iOS as a sequel to Pacific Fleet in 2015, Atlantic Fleet excels as an arcade-style turn-based naval strategy game. Slug it out in single battles, scenarios or an Atlantic campaign as the Kriegsmarine or the Royal Navy. Both factions offer a wide variety of naval vessels, from famous ships such as the Hood and Bismarck, all the way to “paper” battleships such as the Lion-class and H-44! The use of land based or carrier aircraft for strikes against ships is also present and can give an edge over the enemy.

The turn-based combat is perfect for the surface ship engagements, but submarine and aircraft carriers are a bit sub-par. The price of admission is just right for the amount of content in the game. Read our review for more.

Victory at Sea

Developer/Publisher:Evil Twin Artworks
Tags: Naval, Real-Time, Various Theatres, Strategy, Arcade, Moddable, WW2
Purchase:Steam

Victory at Sea is an excellent game for those who want a fast-paced experience of WW2 naval warfare across multiple theatres of operation. Simplified combat controls and real time management allows for the action to be quick and engaging. Nation variety spans the traditional naval powers of British, American, Japanese and German fleets to the lesser represented Dutch, Italian and French forces for custom battles.

There is a lot of content for Victory at Sea due to free updates from the developers, coupled with a cheap purchase price. Along with modding tools that expand unit rosters (such as can be found here) and ship variety this is a great title for people looking to expand their naval libraries.

This game also received a sequel - Victory at Sea: Pacific. Sadly, the added campaign layer has added a whole new pool of potential problems for the developer. It's got a solid foundation, but there's still work to do yet before it's in a good enough place to knock the original game off its perch.

Silent Hunter 3

Developer/Publisher: Ubisoft
Tags: Naval, Real Time, Various Theatres, Strategy, Simulation, Submarine, WW2, Moddable
Purchase: Steam, Direct

As a U-boat captain of the Kriegsmarine, you will find yourself prowling for unsuspecting targets, ambushing convoys, or fighting against aircraft as you’re surfaced. Interacting with the ships interior is also a major component of managing your submarine. Of the Silent Hunter series, Silent Hunter 3 easily remains the undisputed champion.

What pushes Silent Hunter 3 beyond it’s sequels is the incorporation of the GWX3 GOLD mod. This mod gives the game an even more immersive experience, with quality of life changes, environment improvements and added variety still unmatched by the later titles. If you can sacrifice the visual fidelity that the later versions have, you’ll find afternoons and evenings lost as you develop into a successful U-boat Commander. Alarm! Fluten!

Ironclads 2 Collection

Wwii Submarine Warfare

Developer/Publisher: Totem Games
Tags: Naval, Real Time, Turn base, Various Theatres, Strategy, Simulation, 19th Century
Purchase:Steam

Where previous Totem Games releases can be considered misfires, the Ironclads 2 series of games bundled as a collection on Steam are a great addition for any Armchajr-Admiral out there. This collection of games has you fighting forgotten engagements in the late 19th century. While the strategic element is turn based, engagements are in real time. But don’t be fooled; managing ships can get complicated when you split columns or try and envelope an opponent’s fleet.

Opponent AI, ship models and unique settings allow these naval engagements to really come alive and provide wonderfully varied experiences. However impatient players or newcomers might be frustrated by the lack of tutorials (other than just a manual) and hardcore sim fans might be disappointed by the basic mechanics for tactical engagements. However, for the price of four games, and the unique setting each brings, these titles definitely deserve the attention they get.

Totem also make the Clad in Irons series, which is what they're currently focusing on. They recently released a DLC for one of their games title Clad in Iron: Carolines 1885, which you can also read our review on.

Enigma: Rising Tide

Developer/Publisher: Tesseraction Games/Dreamcatcher Interactive
Tags: Naval, Real Time, Atlantic Theatre, Strategy, First Person, Arcade
Purchase: Free

Enigma: Rising Tide is a very strange but excellent naval wargame. What makes it so strange is the alternative history the game is based upon; the Germans won the first world war, and everything stems from that. Now that you’ve digested that twist, it is easy to see what makes Enigma: Rising Tide such a compelling game to play. Focusing on small unit actions, such as operating a corvette, submarine or a destroyer.

The game pits the player on the bridge of these vessels and manages to operate a fine balance of arcade action and command options. Where it lacks in patience and finesse, the pace of the missions and the satisfaction of a ship sinking is still gratifying in this title. Enigma: Rising Tide is for those who are wanting to take a break from the hard-fought battles of stratagem and are looking add a few more hulls to the bottom of the sea in at what sometimes can be a neck breaking pace.

Navyfield

Developer/Publisher: SDEnterNet / Naiad Games
Tags: Naval, Real Time, Pacific Theatre, Atlantic Theatre, Arcade, WW2, Multiplayer
Purchase: Free, Free (Steam)

Navyfield is a curious naval game. Recommending it is like telling somebody to go see Woodstock today. As an MMO, it’s time in the sun has passed by a few years, but at it’s peak it was a phenomenal game. Although Navyfield has been overshadowed by modern releases, the game is still strong to this day. Pitting up to 32 players and an assortment of ships together, Navyfield has a surprising amount of variety and modes, backed by quick and addictive battle sessions.

Typically, fleets are a combined assortment, battleships, carriers, cruisers, destroyers and even frigates are some of the options available (unless the hosted room decides otherwise). The beauty starts with as you see the players naturally forming to picket the larger ships or the carriers and the ships with greater agility either lay torpedoes or scout for incoming spreads. Players that aren’t apart of the pack and are unexperienced can find themselves isolated and destroyed. Anti-Aircraft is also an important element, as although machine gun fire from your ships are automatic, it requires a keen eye to manage those flak bursts to take out incoming aircraft which can sway the battle in mere seconds. Matches are quick and full of action in an easy to look at isometric view.

Navyfield was and still is grindy, making the drive to those bigger ships a pain if you’re unwilling to cough up some compensation. Levelling up your crew and unlocking newer arsenals are still very much a mechanic here. However, a side benefit of this is understanding the types of ships and the benefit of different play styles. Rushing to be the King George V-class may not necessarily be as enjoyable as wiping out many unsuspecting players with a perfect torpedo spread from a Japanese light cruiser. Every faction has a distinct feel and doctrine.

Although there is a Navyfield 2, it tries too hard to compete with World of Warships, rather than capture the magic in a bottle that the first game had and suffers for it. Both newer titles feel more about smaller engagements and which captain has the widest bow (a matter of speaking). Navyfield managed to capture fleet combat exceptionally well in a multiplayer setting the first time around and is still supported and played by players today.

Fighting Steel: World War II Surface Combat 1939-1942

Developer/Publisher: Divide By Zero Software Inc./ Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Tags: Naval, Real Time, Pacific Theatre, Atlantic Theatre, Strategy, WW2
Purchase: Free (Abandonware)

Fighting Steel is a lesser known title for those looking into the war chest of naval wargames; as a game, it primarily focuses on fleet action. Pitting capital ships against others in often historical context or user created scenarios, in real time ships square off to lob shells until somebody capsizes or breaks off under the cover of smoke screen. What Fighting Steel does well is the variety through a large variety of ships and how they perform in battle, and it’s attempt of authenticity, through its scenarios and mechanics. Although the graphics are simple and dated, they are crisp and serviceable. It’s easy to distinguish targets by their silhouettes for the experienced admiral.

For Jutland players, the games are very similar, only standing out on a few overlay mechanics and time period of course. A rocky release might have damaged the hull of Fighting Steel a bit, but since 1999, the game has improved to be a compelling and immersive through patches from the dedicated. Work such as Fighting Steel Project which delivers an improved combat simulation and fixes a lot messy bugs along the way has Fighting Steel still on the fleet roster for those looking to see if their admiralty skills are still sharp.

World of Warships

Developer/Publisher: Wargaming.net
Tags: Real-time, action/arcade, WW1, WW2, Online Only, Multiplayer
Purchase: Free

While its definition as a 'war game' is understandably debatable, Editor Joe decided to include this on our list because not only does it offer a refreshingly different experience to everything above it, but it's also a fun a surprisingly cerebral game. Featuring ships that range from WW1-era right through to the end of WW2 and a bit beyond, World of Warships is what happens if you take the concept of something like Battlefield, or Call of Duty, except everyone is controlling a warship.

What sets it apart from most free-to-play arcade games though is that there's a surprising amount of forethought required in order to play well. You've got to consider your direction and the time it'll take you to change course, gun emplacements can take time to turn (especially in the big battleships), and when it comes to attacking your distance and lead-time with your shots are also important. It's a lot more fun to play with friends, and being free-to-play means a grind does start to set in at the higher tiers, but once you get to Tier 6 you can do the special PvE scenarios which are a nice change of pace. The late James Cobb was always a quiet fan of this arcade 'war' game, and we can easily see why. We're looking forward to seeing what the inclusion of Submarines will do for the game.

Other Naval War Game Recommendations

We regularly update these lists with new or looked-over games, and to keep things manageable we'll rotate out some entries to make way for others. Past members of this list include:

• Battlestations: Pacific
• Fleet Command
• Dangerous Waters
• Action Stations
• CMANO (R.I.P.)
• UBoat
• Carrier Battles 4 Guadalcanal - Currently only on iOS, but a PC version is coming.

What would your list of top naval war games look like? Let us know in the comments!

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After a list of the best submarine games on PC? Submarine simulator games were reasonably popular back in the ‘90s, but if you’re looking for new submarine games then your options are a lot more limited. If you’re willing to go through all the hassle of making some of those ‘90s classics like Silent Hunter, Silent Service, and Aces of the Deep run on a modern PC then power to you. However, if you’re looking for some more modern PC games with submarines then this list boasts plenty of solid sub battlers.

Submarine games come in a few different shapes and forms, with some aiming to replicate the minutiae of everyday operations on a military vessel, while others focus on stalking battleships and landing the perfect torpedo strike. Submarine games are about much more than sinking other ships though, incorporating crew management, strategic use of resources, navigation skills, and good positioning if you and your crew want to return safely home.

So join us as we lay out our list of some of the best submarine games to play on PC right now, from free-to-play multiplayer titans to early access FTL-likes.

Here are the best submarine games:

WORLD OF WARSHIPS

They said it would never happen, but submarines are now available in the free-to-play multiplayer naval battler World of Warships. After being tested with the player base in Operation ‘Terror of the Deep’ Wargaming committed to bringing submarines into the main game with their own combat mechanics, upgrades, and combat roles.

There are currently five submarines available in World of Warships which has been going from strength to strength since its release in 2015 making this one of the best WW2 games for fans of naval combat.

Silent Hunter 3

When it comes to all-encompassing submarine games that immerse you fully in the role of a sub commander, it’s tough to beat Silent Hunter 3. You can choose a number of different campaigns, or even dynamic patrol missions, and all of them promise to put you through your paces as the war drags on. Commanding a U-boat at the start of the war makes you feel like an apex predator, as few enemies are equipped to deal with the new technology, however, by 1944 your task is almost impossible as enemy vessels start bringing escorts and aircraft support.

There are plenty of different submarines you can command, and every one feels distinct and representative of the time period you’re fighting in, from the rickety U-boats of the late ‘30s to more sturdy vessels capable of dealing damage over long range and carrying heavier payloads.

Whichever you choose, expect to be greeted by realistic details wherever you look. You can move between all the different stations in the sub in first-person to see the crew in action, but there’s also external, strategic, and cinematic camera settings that help a great deal with accessibility. Speaking of which, Silent Hunter 3 boasts a slew of realism settings that you can adjust as you get more accustomed to the controls, allowing you to fully customise the experience. This may be one of the only old games on this list, so if you’re after a slightly more modern version, Silent Hunter 4 is also worth playing.

Cold Waters

This spiritual successor to Red Storm Rising is a relatively new submarine game that really comes into its own when combat is initiated. You’re the commander of a nuclear sub tasked with preventing mutually assured destruction as the Cold War escalates. Patrolling between the Labrador and Barents seas, your job is to battle Soviet warships, intercept convoys, and deliver special forces troops deep behind enemy lines. To do this, you have a lineup of roughly 40 vessels equipped with everything from wire-guided torpedoes and cruise missiles, to modern sonar tech.

More like this: Here are the best management games on PC

Cold Waters does a fantastic job of reminding you that you’re as much the prey as you are a predator, and you’ll often get the drop on a ship only to discover that two other vessels have been tracking you from long-range and you now have two torpedoes to dodge. Thankfully, you get a great deal of control over the sub, making such precise movements and feints easy to envision and execute in the heat of battle.

UBOAT

Wwii Submarines Found

Blending third-person crew management with first-person action, UBOAT strikes an intoxicating balance of strategy and action that will appeal to casual and hardcore fans of submarine and war games. Your job as commander of a WW2 U-boat is twofold: carry out any orders given to you from Kiregsmarine HQ, and keep your crew and ship healthy and operational.

What makes this submarine game special is that you can go into first-person as the commander and walk through the U-boat to check on the crew and dish out any punishments – if you’re feeling strict you can even execute the cook for burning breakfast.

Having only recently set sail into the uncharted waters of Steam Early Access it’s also got quite a few nasty bugs. Still, this arguably the best-looking submarine game on this list, and will hopefully improve as developer Deep Water Studio continue implementing new features like a campaign.

Wolfpack

Wwii Submarine Games Machine

If meticulously detailed U-boat interiors then this first-person submarine warfare simulator is ideal. Wolfpack is in Steam Early Access, but is being developed with the dedicated submarine games community, Subsim, in an effort to make it the best sub game of all time. Better still, Wolfpack is one of the only co-op games with submarines you can play right now, allowing you and some friends to assume different roles aboard a U-boat and patrol the seas together.

Everything takes place in first-person, so there’s no external view or set of crew management mechanics to distract you from fully immersing yourself in the task at hand. The downside to this is that you have to really know what you’re doing to succeed in Wolfpack, so if you don’t know your way around the inside of a U-boat and how to operate one then this may not be for you.

Barotrauma

Not all the best submarine games are simulation games, and Barotrauma’s 2D blend of multiplayer chaos, alien monsters, and FTL-style ship management is the proof. In Barotrauma you design your submarine and set off to hunt down all manner of horrific alien sea monsters. While Barotrauma is entirely playable alone, it’s at its best in co-op where your mistakes will snowball into rolling, comical disasters.

Wwii Us Submarines

Similar: Read our rundown of the best tank games on PC

There’s plenty of complexity involved in just keeping your sub running without it erupting in flames, so it’s not hard to imagine how quickly and dramatically things go awry when sea monsters get involved. One instance of poor coordination and you might accidentally flood part of the submarine, flushing your comrade out into the jaws of a massive anglerfish, which can lead to some very lively discussions over voice chat.

Subnautica

Pc Wwii Submarine Games

While ostensibly a seafaring survival game, you do spend a lot of time bumbling around the seafloor in a teeny submersible. Your goals are also a lot more humble than stopping Soviet aggressors in Cold Waters or crippling allied shipping lanes in U-boat, instead you simply need to survive after crash-landing on an oceanic alien planet. That challenge takes you from humble beginnings where you’re living off raw kelp in your floating escape pod, all the way to crafting your own mini submarine and underwater research base. If you’re just starting out then be sure to check out our Subnautica guide for help with the map, resources, and much more.

And there you have it, our roundup of the finest submarines games you can play right now.

If you’re new to the submarine scene then these games can be pretty intimidating at first, but stick with them and seek out the enthusiastic community and you’ll soon get to grips with the steep learning curve.