UBOOT: The Board Game

A real-time, cooperative WW2 U-boat simulation where four crew roles and a companion app keep you under pressure.

Designers: Bartosz Pluta, Artur Salwarowski
Published by: PHALANX
Editions by: Pegasus Spiele, Galápagos Jogos, Cranio Creations, CrowD Games, Ediciones MasQueOca, ASYNCRON games

Four crew members, one cramped U-boat, and a clock that never stops. UBOOT: The Board Game (2019, Iron Wolf Studio) puts you aboard a type VIIC submarine in World War II, and everyone takes a role: Captain, First Officer, Navigator or Chief Engineer. It is fully cooperative and runs in real time, so you talk, delegate and shout orders in navy lingo while a companion app keeps the sea alive and plays a stubborn enemy. The Captain watches mission goals, action point costs and crew morale; the others handle their own jobs. Solo or with two or three players you juggle several roles yourself, but four is the sweet spot. Expect a long, tense patrol that feels more like a simulation than a board game.

Four distinct roles on a type VIIC U-boatCompanion app runs real-time events and the enemy AIStrategic map plus tactical encounters

Who it's for

You love simulation-style teamwork and want to feel like a real submarine crew, ideally with four people who will commit to the role-play.

Not for you if…

You want a short evening or minimal rules. This is a long, heavy game that needs a phone or tablet at the table and a crew that communicates constantly.

Vibe's take

Tense, noisy and surprisingly theatrical. You bark orders, check with the navigator, and the app keeps the pressure on while the enemy AI does not forgive sloppy teamwork.