Sonar

About this board game

Sonar is a 2–4 player underwater cat-and-mouse game that takes about 30 minutes to play. Two teams compete to be the first to deal two points of damage to the opposing submarine, winning immediately when they do.

Each team uses a map in its color, with four pairs of maps included. A divider separates the teams while each Captain secretly marks a starting location. Teams may have one or two players; with two, one player is the Captain and the other is the Radio Operator, while a solo team handles both roles.

On a turn, the Captain announces an action. A typical move sends the submarine one space north, south, east, or west. The Captain calls out the direction, marks the new location, and adds one energy to the ship’s register. Meanwhile, the opposing Radio Operator records the movement on a plastic sheet, using deduction and trial-and-error to narrow down the submarine’s possible location.

• Sonar: Spend two energy to make the opposing team reveal its row or column.
• Go silent: Spend three energy to move without gaining energy or announcing the direction.
• Fire a torpedo: Spend four energy and call out coordinates in your quadrant. A submarine on that space takes one damage.
• Surface: Announce your location and erase your previous path, helping prevent your route from boxing you in.

Energy management is crucial because a ship can hold no more than four energy, yet powerful actions require careful preparation. In Sonar, every movement can reveal a clue, and every clue can bring a torpedo within range.