Overview

Captain Sonar is a real-time team game where two submarines hunt each other on a grid map. Each team of up to 4 players takes on distinct roles: Captain (navigation), First Mate (systems), Engineer (maintenance), and Radio Operator (tracking). In real-time mode, both teams play simultaneously, shouting orders and tracking the enemy. In turn-by-turn mode, teams alternate. The first team to score 4 damage on the enemy submarine wins.

Components

• 2 transparent Captain screens
• 2 transparent Radio Operator screens
• 2 Engineer sheets
• 2 First Mate sheets
• 5 double-sided map boards (10 different maps)
• Erasable markers

Setup

1. Both teams choose the same map. Each team takes a Captain screen, Radio Operator screen, Engineer sheet, and First Mate sheet.
2. Each team secretly places their starting position on their Captain screen by marking it.
3. Both teams must agree on whether to play real-time or turn-by-turn mode.
4. Assign roles within each team (Captain, First Mate, Engineer, Radio Operator).

Turn Structure

Real-Time Mode: Both teams play simultaneously with no turns. The Captain announces each movement direction aloud (“Heading North/South/East/West!”). There is no pause between moves unless the Captain calls “Stop” to use a system or surface.

Turn-By-Turn Mode: Teams alternate. On your team’s turn, the Captain chooses one action: move, surface, or use a system.

Movement: The Captain announces a cardinal direction and draws the path on their screen. The submarine moves one space. The sub cannot cross its own path, islands, or map edges.

After each move:

• The First Mate marks one space on any system gauge.
• The Engineer crosses off one breakdown symbol in the zone matching the movement direction.

Actions

Systems (activated when fully charged by the First Mate):

• Torpedo (range 1-4): The Captain announces target coordinates. Deals 2 damage to direct hit, 1 damage to adjacent spaces. The target Captain must announce if hit.
• Mine (deploy + detonate): Deploy a mine on an adjacent space. Later, detonate by announcing coordinates. Same damage as torpedo.
• Drone: The Captain names a sector. The enemy Captain must truthfully answer whether their sub is in that sector.
• Sonar: The enemy Captain must give 2 pieces of information about their position (row, column, or sector) — one must be true, one must be false.
• Silence: The submarine moves 0-4 spaces in one direction without announcing direction. The Radio Operator only knows “Silence was activated.”
• Scenario-specific systems: Some maps include unique systems.

Surfacing: The Captain announces “Surface in sector X!” (declaring their current sector). Erase the Captain’s path. The Engineer erases all breakdowns. The team cannot act during surfacing. In turn-by-turn mode, the enemy gets a free turn.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Each submarine has 4 health points. A team wins by reducing the enemy submarine to 0 health. Direct torpedo or mine hits deal 2 damage; indirect hits (adjacent space) deal 1 damage.

If a submarine surfaces, the enemy knows which sector it is in.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• The submarine cannot cross its own path line (it must not revisit spaces before surfacing or using silence).
• The Engineer manages 6 breakdown circuits in 4 zones (matching compass directions). When all symbols in a circuit are crossed off, that system breaks down and cannot be used until repaired (by crossing off a full radiation symbol set or surfacing).
• The Radio Operator uses the transparent screen overlaid on a copy of the map to track the enemy sub’s movements based on the enemy Captain’s announced directions.
• In real-time mode, the Captain must wait for the First Mate and Engineer to finish marking before moving again.
• With fewer than 8 players, players can take on multiple roles. The minimum is 2 players (1 per team).
• Self-damage: If a team’s own sub is adjacent to their own detonated mine or torpedo target, they take damage too.

Player Reference

Role	Responsibility
Captain	Navigate, call directions, activate systems, choose targets
First Mate	Charge systems (one mark per move)
Engineer	Manage breakdowns (one mark per move, in matching zone)
Radio Operator	Track enemy position using announced directions

Systems charge costs: Torpedo = 3, Mine = 3, Drone = 4, Sonar = 3, Silence = 6

Damage: Direct hit = 2, Adjacent = 1, Health = 4 total