The best Submarine board games 2025

Deep Sea Adventure is a light and engaging board game that combines elements of press-your-luck and resource management. Players take on the roles of daring explorers, seeking treasures in undersea ruins. The twist? Everyone shares a single rented submarine and, crucially, a single tank of air. The game unfolds over three rounds, and the player who accumulates the most points by retrieving underwater relics is declared the winner.

Embark on an adrenaline-pumping undersea adventure with Captain Sonar, a board game that plunges you into the heart of intense submarine warfare. In this gripping scenario, every move and decision can be the difference between victory and defeat. Form a skilled crew aboard a cutting-edge submarine as you strive to locate and eliminate an enemy sub before they do the same to you. The underwater battlefield is unforgiving, and effective communication and coordination are paramount for success.

Oceanos immerses players in a vibrant underwater world where they captain their own submarines to explore the depths of the ocean. The game introduces a unique twist on card-drafting mechanics, offering a fresh and engaging experience. Players aim to discover the most diverse marine species, build the largest coral reefs, recover sunken treasures, and enhance their submarines with precious crystals while avoiding the dreaded kraken.

Players take command of a German U-boat during World War II in a tactical solitaire game. The mission involves destroying as much allied shipping and battleships as possible while improving crew quality and rank. The game is designed to provide an intense experience, filled with strategic decisions and all major U-boat models from the era, alongside detailed considerations of service time, armament, and crew composition.

In the depths of the ocean, two submarine crews are engaged in a silent and eternal war. SONAR Family is a submarine combat game where two teams operate different submarines. Each player takes on the role of a crew member, either the captain or the radio operator, using dry-erase boards to track movements and locate the enemy submarine to sink it. The teams are separated by a screen to block each other's view of their maps. The game ends when one submarine loses its second structural point, leading to an immediate loss for that team. The winning team is the one that successfully sinks the opponent's submarine!

Players engage in an underwater cat-and-mouse game where two sonar teams compete to deal two damage points to the opposing team to win instantly. Each team has the same pairs of cards in their color, with roles divided between captain and radio operator if there are two players, or one player assuming both roles alone. Players must strategically manage their energy reserves to maximize movement and actions like sonar use, firing torpedoes, or surfacing while avoiding enemy attacks.

Nemo's War (Second Edition) is a solitaire board game based on Jules Verne's classic novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. It focuses on Captain Nemo and his incredible vessel, the Nautilus. Designed by Chris Taylor and featuring the stunning artwork of Ian O'Toole, this edition by Victory Point Games offers an enhanced gaming experience with high-quality production and graphics.

Players take command of various World War II submarine models in a tactical level game. Their mission is to destroy as much allied shipping and capital ships as possible while finding a way to survive and return home. Players will find it extremely challenging to survive a journey from 1943 to 1945, and they may start with a more advanced submarine model to improve their chances.

Players take command of an American submarine during World War II in the Pacific, aiming to destroy as much Japanese shipping and military vessels as possible while improving their crew and decorations. The game is designed to offer an engaging and intense experience, requiring strategic decisions as players navigate various Pacific patrols throughout the war. The gameplay is built on the successful framework of the Hunters and includes various U.S. submarine types and components for a rich and detailed experience.

Red November is a cooperative survival board game that thrusts players into the chaotic environment of a malfunctioning gnomish submarine. As members of the crew, players work together to prevent an array of disasters while a rescue team is on its way.

This is a unique variant of the battleship format featuring a three-dimensional game board. Players hide their submarines and a mine on one side's underwater levels while placing their surface ships on the upper surface level of the other side. They take turns moving a ship to a desired grid position and firing a water bomb to mark hits, near misses, and misses on the opponent's submarines. Submarines can fire torpedoes at surface ships in the same column, and the game continues until one player sinks all three opponent submarines or all surface ships, which rarely happens.

"The only thing that ever frightened me during the war was the submarine danger." - Winston Churchill

Take command of US submarines patrolling the Pacific during World War II in this solitaire board game. Your objective is to sink enemy ships, complete special missions, gain experience, and manage crew stress. Players lead a fleet of submarines against the Japanese Empire, deciding whether to strike deep into well-defended waters or intercept supply convoys, while facing the challenges of sonar and torpedo functionality during engagements. The game offers four campaigns that span different phases of the submarine war in the Pacific.

Manned submarines are crucial for recovering sunken treasures. In Leo Colovini's latest "Playful Square" design, large research vessels gather treasures with support from smaller submarines. Players compete to collect as many different treasures as possible while using cards to move submarines, recover treasures, and disrupt opponents' signals. The game ends when a player's storage space is filled or the player with the most treasures wins.

Players build an underwater research station while trying to find Atlantis, recover sunken treasures, and gather resources. The gameboard depicts the ocean floor as a grid with shades indicating depth levels.

Steam Torpedo: First Contact is a tactical underwater combat game for two players, with each game lasting about 30 minutes. Players build their own submarines by selecting ten game pieces to equip various departments, creating unique strategies. During battles, players use their five crew members to activate submarine compartments, triggering effects that can deal devastating damage to the opponent, aiming to destroy the enemy's control room or eliminate all opposing crew members.

Silent War is a solitaire simulation of the U-boat warfare between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II. Players assume the role of the commander of the US Pacific Fleet submarines, conducting missions from either Pearl Harbor or Brisbane to strike against the Japanese Navy. The game includes various scenarios and allows for quick patrols or longer campaigns, with each American submarine represented by a uniquely designed counter.

Submarines and surface fleets battle for dominance of the seas. One team uses submarines to infiltrate enemy ports and destroy strategic targets, while the other team deploys a surface fleet to hunt submarines and protect crucial supply lines. Designed by a retired Royal Navy officer, this asymmetrical strategy game features two boards: one for surface actions visible to both players and another for underwater movements visible only to submarine commanders. Specially designed control boards help players track important information such as fuel, ammunition, and current depth.

Battleship is a classic strategy game that began as a pencil-and-paper public domain game before Milton Bradley transformed it into the well-known board game in 1967. The game involves two players deploying ships on a grid and taking turns to guess the location of the opponent's ships.

Players take on the roles of the captain, first officer, navigator, and chief engineer aboard a Type VIIC submarine in this fully cooperative real-time tabletop game set during World War II. Using a supporting app, they experience a high level of realism and face challenging enemy AI, requiring teamwork and quick decision-making. Each role has unique responsibilities, promoting effective communication and strategic planning, while missions include various objectives like convoy ambushes and mine laying, leading to diverse gameplay experiences and immersive naval operations.

Blue Water Navy is an air-naval-submarine game set during World War III in the 1980s. The play area spans from Cuba and Florida in the west to the Kola Peninsula in the east and the Mediterranean Sea.