Start by Learning the Boat, Not Just Picking a Target
S.O.N.A.R. asks your crew to operate a submarine while the ocean and your own mistakes create problems around you. This S.O.N.A.R. beginner guide gives you a starting plan: use the single-player training, learn how the main stations fit together, and agree on responsibilities before tackling a crew mission. Knowing who will navigate, track contacts, handle weapons, and respond to damage makes the first session easier to organize.
S.O.N.A.R. - Submarine Operators Not Actually Ready is the cooperative submarine simulator from Abylight Barcelona and Abylight Studios. The full game supports one to six players in co-op; its launch announcement also confirms Open World Survival and 6v6 Team Deathmatch.
Use Training Before Choosing Your Next Mode
The official S.O.N.A.R. overview identifies training as a single-player mode. Make that your first stop if the stations are unfamiliar, then choose the experience your crew wants to learn next.
| Mode | What you are preparing for |
|---|---|
| Training | Learning the submarine in a single-player setting. |
| Co-op campaign | Operating together through underwater missions. |
| Open World Survival | Exploring, discovering ports, buying upgrades, and keeping the crew alive. |
| Team Deathmatch | Competing against another submarine crew in the full game's 6v6 format. |
These are different goals, so discuss the mode before everyone settles into a role. A crew preparing for an escort mission has a different immediate objective from one heading into survival exploration.
Understand the Main Station Responsibilities
The publisher describes nine critical stations and names navigation, diving, sonar, periscope operations, engineering, and damage control among them. Think of the submarine as a set of connected jobs rather than a vehicle that one person can operate from a single screen.
- Navigation and diving: keep movement and underwater positioning coordinated.
- Sonar: track contacts and help the crew locate threats. The Steam description also identifies sonar as a tool for finding treasure on the ocean floor.
- Periscope operations: learn this station alongside the other observation and control posts during training.
- Weapons: coordinate the attack with the people locating and tracking the target.
- Engineering and damage control: respond to malfunctions, fires, and water entering the boat.
Agree on who handles each immediate task and who can provide backup. This is a suggested way to organize the responsibilities the game describes, not a fixed class system or a claim that every station requires its own permanent player.
Make Clear Calls When Something Goes Wrong
Proximity voice chat is part of the game's cooperation systems. Use it to communicate an observation or a task: a contact has been detected, a movement change is needed, or someone is responding to damage.
A simple crew habit is to acknowledge the job you are taking. That helps teammates avoid assuming a problem has been handled while everyone continues working elsewhere.
The boat is not the only thing you need to maintain. The official description also highlights food, rest, and crew well-being; neglect can lead to exhaustion, seasickness, or delirium. Keep those needs in your plan alongside the submarine's mechanical problems.
Match Your Plan to the Mission Objective
The official game description lists combat, cargo protection, treasure recovery, and stealth among its underwater activities. Begin by understanding what your current mission asks the crew to accomplish, then organize around that task.
For a combat objective, contact tracking and weapons need to work together. For an escort, remember that protecting the cargo ship is the point of the operation. Treasure searches give sonar another purpose, while stealth asks the crew to avoid detection rather than treat every contact as a reason to attack.
These are starting priorities, not a walkthrough for every mission. The source material here does not provide exact station inputs, torpedo-loading steps, or a complete first-mission route. Learn the actual controls in training rather than substituting a guessed keybind for the game's instructions.
FAQ
How many friends can play S.O.N.A.R. together?
The full game supports a crew of up to six players in co-op and Open World Survival. Team Deathmatch expands that to two opposing crews, with up to twelve players in total.
Where should a beginner start?
Start with the single-player training to become familiar with the submarine, then choose a mode and divide the crew's responsibilities.
Do I need six players before I can begin?
No. The official co-op and survival descriptions support one to six players. A smaller crew still needs to cover the submarine's different tasks.
Is the game only about firing torpedoes?
No. Navigation, sonar, repairs, fires, crew supplies, and mission objectives all matter. The announced activities include combat, escorting cargo, treasure recovery, stealth, and survival exploration.