Games set underwater or in an aquatic environment
Submarines, boats, ships, you name it. Games set underwater, in the deeps of the ocean, or in a less specific aquatic environment are all about doing something on water or surrounded by it. Naval tactical games like the Great Naval Battle series, submarine simulations like Silent Service are common occurrences for this kind of setting, while action games like Aquanox or fishing sports games like Bass Tour are less known but still part of this game group.
Most popular aquatic / underwater games
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1869
DOS1992 Max Design
If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a 19th-century merchant sailing the high seas with a suspiciously optimistic outlook on international trade, 1869 is your jam. It throws you into the age of clipper ships, where profit margins are thinner than your sailor’s rations and storms love to ruin your day. You’ll juggle cargo, haggle pri...
688 Attack Sub
DOS1989 Electronic Arts
Dive, dive! This 1989 DOS simulator puts you in control of a nuclear submarine, though most of the action involves pushing buttons and waiting very patiently. Think of it as the “Microsoft Excel of naval warfare,” only with more torpedoes. The tension builds as you track enemy ships, sneak through sonar nets, and try not to surface into...
Aces of the deep
DOS1994 Dynamix
Ever wanted to experience the grim, claustrophobic life of a WWII submarine captain without leaving your desk? Aces of the Deep (1994, DOS) delivers that dream in spades — torpedoes, sonar, periscopes, and lots of tense waiting. It’s haunting, quiet, and deeply strategic, like chess played underwater with depth charges. If you’re ...
Action in the North Atlantic
DOS1989 General Quarters Software
If you’ve ever dreamed of commanding a WWII convoy while cold, stressed, and staring at a pixelated radar screen, Action in the North Atlantic (1989, DOS) has you covered. It’s part strategy, part simulation, and all tension. You’ll guide merchant ships past U-boats, manage escorts, and occasionally scream at the screen when your ...
Advanced Destroyer Simulator
DOS1990 Futura
Welcome aboard, Captain! Advanced Destroyer Simulator throws you into the high seas with all the firepower and radar beeps a '90s DOS machine can handle. Manage torpedoes, dodge depth charges, and try not to crash into an island while toggling between your periscope and a pixelated ocean map. It's part simulator, part action game, and all stress. Y...
American Challenge: A Sailing Simulation
DOS1986 Tom Snyder Productions
If your idea of high-octane excitement involves wind direction, tacking angles, and sail trim, then American Challenge: A Sailing Simulation is your digital paradise. This 1986 DOS classic lets you live out the thrilling world of competitive sailing... very slowly. It's you, your boat, and an ocean of pixelated blue waiting to be conquered with you...
Aquanox
Windows XP/98/952001protected Massive Development
Dive into Aquanox (2001), where post-apocalyptic submarines battle it out beneath the ocean in a world that’s half Waterworld, half neon rave. With moody lighting and dialogue that screams “we’re trying to be deep,” it’s a game that takes itself very seriously while you zip around in your bubble-shooting doomfish. It's...
Aquaphobia
DOS1992freeware
Despite the name, Aquaphobia (1992) doesn’t help you overcome your fear of water. In fact, it might just make it worse. This is an action-platformer where you try not to drown while battling mutated sea creatures and unintuitive controls. You’ll wonder if your true enemy is the terrifying undersea monsters or the game’s refusal to...
Archimedean Dynasty
DOS1996protected Massive Development
In Archimedean Dynasty, humanity did the logical thing after wrecking the surface world: moved underwater and started shooting each other in submarines. It's part tactical sim, part gritty sci-fi novella, and entirely German in its dedication to menus and moodiness. Imagine playing Wing Commander, but everyone is wet, brooding, and inexplicably ang...
Bass Duel
DOS1993
Fish or be fished could be the motto of Bass Duel (1993), a competitive angling game that pits you against a friend or an AI in a fight to the last splash. Strategy is key: where to cast, how to reel, and when to brag about your catch. It’s weirdly intense for a game about sitting in a boat. Pro tip: your rival might be a better fisherman, bu...
Bass Tour
DOS1992
Think of Bass Tour (1992) as the road trip version of virtual fishing. More simulation than arcade, it lets you travel, pick locations, study conditions, and obsess over bait types like you're preparing for a National Geographic special. It’s fishing, but with menus. Lots of menus. Perfect for those who like their relaxation served with a sid...
Battleship
DOS1983 Mirror Images Software
Released in 1983, this is your grandpa’s Battleship—minus the plastic pegs, but with all the tension of blind naval warfare. There are no fancy graphics, no Hollywood explosions, just good old-fashioned "Is it a hit?" suspense. It’s simple, almost stupidly so, but oddly addictive. You’ll curse every miss and cheer every sunk...
Big Game Fishing
DOS1991 Simulmondo
If your idea of excitement is waiting... and waiting... and maybe catching a giant digital tuna, Big Game Fishing is your dream come true. Simulate the thrill of casting a line without ever leaving your ergonomic office chair. Just don’t expect action; this is a patience simulator cleverly disguised as a sport. Bonus points for fish puns in t...
Big Sea: The Better One Will Win
DOS1994 Cyberdyne Systems
With a title that sounds like a deep-sea motivational poster, Big Sea: The Better One Will Win is a maritime strategy game where the stakes are high and the water’s pixelated. Outwit your foes on the high seas while trying to figure out what exactly the game is about. Naval warfare? Diplomacy? Fish-based economics? The answer is “yes.&r...
Carrier command
DOS1989 Realtime Games
China Sea Trader
DOS1989
Code-Name: Iceman
DOS1989 Sierra On-Line
Code-Name: Iceman is a graphic adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line in 1989. Designed by Jim Walls, known for his work on the "Police Quest" series, "Code-Name: Iceman" blends elements of adventure, puzzle-solving, and espionage in a Cold War-era setting.In the game, players assume the role of John Westland, a United States Navy...
Das Boot: German U-Boat Simulation
DOS1990protected Artech Studios
Dolphin Boating Simulator
DOS1988 Dolphine marine systems
EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus
DOS1991 Sierra On-Line
First Expedition
DOS1988 Interstel Corporation
Galleons of Glory
DOS1990 Broderbund
Galleons of Glory is an abandoned educational historical simulation game developed and published by Broderbund in 1990. As Magellan your mission is to circumnavigate the world while managing your crew and ship.
GATO
DOS1984 Spectrum HoloByte
Gloriana
DOS1996 ASCARON Entertainment
Gone Fishing
DOS1989 Interstel Corporation
Great Naval Battles vol. 2: Guadalcanal 1942 - 43
DOS1994protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Great Naval Battles vol. 3: Fury in the Pacific 1941-1944
DOS1995protected Divide by zero
Great Naval Battles vol. 4: Burning Steel, 1939-1942
DOS1995protected Divide by zero
Great Naval Battles vol. 5: Demise of the Dreadnoughts 1914-18
DOS1996protected Divide by zero
Great Naval Battles vol. 5: Demise of the Dreadnoughts 1914-18 is an abandoned naval simulation game, developed for DOS only by Divide by zero and released by SSI Strategic Simulations Inc. in 1996. As the title implies, Great Naval Battles vol. 5 is a fairly accurate historical simulation set in World War I. The game also includes a mission editor.
Great Naval Battles: North Atlantic 1939 - 1943
DOS1992protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.