''Uboat'' is a submarine simulator video game, released by Deep Water Studio and being published by PlayWay S.A. The game is inspired by the game mechanics of ''

Fallout Shelter A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designated to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War. During ...

'', ''

XCOM ''XCOM'' (originally called ''X-COM'') is a science fiction video game franchise featuring an elite international organization tasked with countering alien invasions of Earth. The series began with the strategy video game '' X-COM: UFO Defense' ...

'', and also the movie ''

Das Boot ''Das Boot'' (, English: "The Boat") is a 1981 West German war film written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen, produced by Günter Rohrbach, and starring Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, and Klaus Wennemann. It has been exhibited both as ...

''. Like other submarine simulation games, such as the '' Silent Hunter'' series, the player is put in command of a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare ro ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

Development

Initially, development of the game started in 2016 with a

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

campaign to provide funding for the project. The original goal of the project was to raise CA$20,000 to fund the project but the campaign managed to raise CA$38,000 from 1,511 backers. The team developing the game are reportedly "a mix of young open-minded people and old hands at game development". Significant amounts of the game have already been completed and according to the most recent developer diary the game is "getting more and more full of shape". Originally release was planned for 2017. but it has been delayed and is now expected in the first quarter of 2019. A beta was released to Kickstarter backers on October 14, 2018 and has been updated frequently since then. The game was called ''Uboot'' during the first few years of development.

Overview

''Uboat'' gives players command of a

Type VII submarine Type VII U-boats were the most common type of German World War II U-boat. 703 boats were built by the end of the war. The lone surviving example, , is on display at the Laboe Naval Memorial located in Laboe, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Con ...

during

. The player is not in charge of the submarine itself but in fact "in charge of the men controlling the submarine" as a U-Boat captain. The player has to manage the morale, discipline and trauma of the crew and make sure all the crew come back alive at the end of a mission. The crew are also made up of individuals who each have their own individual stories and personalities. According to ''

Rock, Paper, Shotgun ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' (also rendered ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun''; short ''RPS'') is a UK-based website for reporting on video games, primarily for PC. Originally launched on 13 July 2007 as an independent site, ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' was acquir ...

'', "Everything has been created down to the tiniest of details to make sure WWII buffs get what they want, and realistic and modern graphics are promised as well." The developers have also developed precise and historically accurate interior of the ship to further enhance gameplay and give the player the ability to take control of certain tasks on the ship themselves such as firing

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, ...

es, using radios and piloting the submarine.

Release

''Uboat'' released on 30 April 2019 in

Early access Early access, also known as alpha access, alpha founding, paid alpha, or game preview, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release development cycles, such as pre-alph ...

to the public, some Kickstarter contributors who had received the game earlier during beta and alpha testing were released from non-disclosure agreements and allowed to post videos and media of the game. It is not published.

Reception

Reception for the game is currently generally positive.

Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed '' polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two ...

writer, Charlie Hall, wrote that "there’s a brilliant experience lurking in its depths". He praised the effort the developers had gone to making an authentic experience, but stated concerns about how early access the release was and that the game lacked game-play due to large amounts of bugs.

Notes

External links

*
Kickstarter Project Main Page

References

{{reflist Upcoming video games Early access video games Kickstarter-funded video games MacOS games Naval video games PlayWay games Single-player video games Submarine simulation video games Video games developed in Poland Windows games World War II video games