I made a tactical map-based WWII submarine simulator (public beta)
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I've seen quite a few simming discussions on HN, so thought some of you might like this - I've created a map-centered, tactical submarine simulator and it's been a blast to make.I grew up playing Silent Service II on Atari ST with my dad, then got into Silent Hunter IV in the 2000s, and most recently have been loving the more recent UBoat. In each case, the part I always enjoy the most is the plotting and charting aspect - essentially beating uncertain estimates with geometry.So I decided to see how far I could get making my own sim that focused nearly entirely on that aspect. You listen on the hydrophone, estimate course and speed, identify ships through the periscope to get the mast height, use a working stadimeter for range estimates, and then try to build a good enough firing solution before getting discovered and hunted by any escorts.Things I'm particularly proud of are the working stadimeter, the dynamic music (Holst Mars stings when your torpedo is nearing a ship), and pretty intelligent destroyer logic. I've found great reference materials online and have modeled several of the gauges directly after actual submarine instruments.Tech-wise it’s a Vite/TypeScript app which enables me to offer the whole free version of the app as a browser version.The Steam page is here => https://store.steampowered.com/app/4705650The landing page is here => https://silentshark.appI plan on releasing a full version soonish, including a WWII campaign with progression, patrol zones, and much more on Steam (PC, Mac, Linux/Steam Deck), App Store (iPhone, iPad, Mac), and Play Store (Android).Would highly appreciate any feedback anyone has!
HN · launched May 18, 2026 · 125 upvotes (top 7%) · 0 views
Niche: simulation games · 118 launches, 10 in the last 7 days ▼ -44% · Explore this niche →
Category and tags
- Media & entertainment
- Hardware & robotics
- B2C
- Not AI
- Hobby / open-source project
Visit website ↗ Source listing ↗
More like this: all 118 launches in simulation games →
Could you build this?
No A tactical naval submarine simulation requires complex mathematical models for acoustic propagation, sonar detection, hydrodynamics, and tactical AI behavior.
What it would actually take: The project requires a custom game engine or framework (like Godot/Unity or custom WebGL/Canvas) implementing realistic physical simulation of submarine buoyancy, ballast, torpedo kinematics, and underwater acoustics (active/passive sonar, thermoclines, vessel noise profiles). It also necessitates a historical simulation database and multi-agent patrol/escort AI behaviors. Developing this requires deep expertise in game physics, mathematical simulation, and naval combat mechanics.
Discussion
20 comments analyzed.
Competitors mentioned: Silent Service, Gato, The Hunt for Red October, Up Periscope!, Aces of the Deep
Concerns raised: Stadimeter UI too small to read, Steep learning curve/tutorial difficulty, Marked as 32-bit macOS game on Steam
Feature requests: Single planet map instead of regional maps, Better detection meter visibility in tutorials
Competitors
Other products that read as similar to this one : 167 launches clear the similarity bar, closest 8 shown.
Attention rank: #18 of 168 (itself plus its competitors, highest first, normalized so YC and Product Hunt are compared fairly).
Launched 191 days after the earliest competitor.
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- A self-running space economy SIM in Rust and Bevy · hn · 2026-07-21 · 110 upvotes · similarity 0.44
- Overlord · github · 2026-10-05 · 109 upvotes · similarity 0.44
- A browser game where you navigate home to Earth using pulsars · hn · 2026-11-01 · 5 upvotes · similarity 0.43
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