UBOOT The Board Game is a real-time tabletop game of WW2 submarine warfare. An underwater cooperative war thriller that allows 1 to 4 players to assume the roles of the Captain, the First Officer, the Navigator, and the Chief Engineer on board of a type VIIC U-boat. The game is enhanced by a companion app, allowing for an unprecedented level of realism, as well as a challenging enemy A.I. which will push your skills to the limit. The action unfolds both on the strategic and the tactical scale, always demanding teamwork, efficient crew management, and quick situation assessment.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Shipping update
over 5 years ago
– Wed, Mar 27, 2019 at 02:54:32 AM
Hello everyone,
The biggest U-BOOT shipment is leaving the port now, so it is time to go wave it goodbye from the pier :)
The container with more than 2.500 subs has been loaded into the cargo hold of the MSC PHOENIX and is now in transit from Gdynia to Montreal (you can follow its route here - TEMU8563808). It will then be transferred by rail to Chicago, and released to a FedEx dispatch centre. This is the most reliable way, as the New York Port has developed huge delays in releasing the containers (up to 3 months) and we had to steer clear of it.
As the subs for our EU backers have already been delivered for all language editions, we would like to kindly ask them not to sink the MSC PHOENIX on its route to Montreal! Please treat that as a request from the HQ.
Worldwide shipping
Having already dispatched around 8.000 games, we can now focus on the final 1.000 that are meant to be shipped around the World (mostly to Australia and Canada but also non-EU European countries like Norway or Switzerland). You should get your games along the US shipment, so around the middle of April.
The App
Overcast
We have received tons of great feedback since the ‘early access’ release, and we are doing our best to tailor the final product to your expectations. There will be a small update coming very soon with the following new features, corrections, and fixes:
Weather conditions: overcast sky, rain, fog, and storm.
Rebalanced training exercise.
Less frequent maintenance tasks for the Chief Engineer.
The sextant can no longer ‘get lost’ on the map.
Minefields don’t hit as hard.
When choosing the Enigma code, you can go directly from A to Z.
The information in the center of the screen during a hull breach does no longer appear.
When changing speed underwater, the ‘crew in position’ question now correctly mentions section 6 (instead of 5).
The Diesel engine sound has been turned down.
iPhone X notch problem fixed.
Rain
This update will be rolling out for Android (today), and for the iOS (within the next few days). We wanted to get it out as soon as possible, so that the IT team can focus on implementing the noise dosimeter, as well as the next batch of corrections and bug fixes.
Storm
In the meantime, four new missions are going through intense testing so that we can have all of them for the final release, including the final boss fight (by which I mean the operation to sink the Illustrious-class carrier). If we manage to keep up the pace, everything should be ready about mid-April, which is when North America and the rest of the world will be receiving their boxes. We will also be porting the final version to PC and Mac, so if all goes well, you will be able to enjoy the game on your computers upon final release.
Fog
The Activation system
We have also received ample feedback regarding the game’s activation system. While a lot of players have had a very good experience with the game, then again, there were also some who found the difficulty level frustrating. Consequently, we have decided to update the difficulty level rules in the app so that they allow for more maneuvering freedom and more aggressive playstyle, especially on the lower difficulty levels.
This is a part of the development process, and we are kindly asking for your patience while we are applying the final touches to the game’s balance. We do realize that it might be confusing at times, especially as new versions and variants are being worked on, but please understand that the game is rather complex as a whole and balancing it is no easy task.
In summary, the difficulty levels will be updated shortly, and will be translated and imported into the app as soon as possible. If you wish to have more insight into the process and share your feedback, you can find the updated difficulty level rules for the Captain HERE. We are almost done on the remaining roles as well, and all the updated difficulty level rules will be making it into the app with the next update.
Happy gaming!
Iron Wolf Studio and PHALANX
A note from Jaro
I would like to take this opportunity and invite you to a yet another project of ours. It has almost become customary at the company to support projects which are a labour of love of their authors. That was the case with U-boot, which wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t seen the fire in the eyes of Artur and Bart. The day I met them, I knew they would be cooking up something really incredible. It seems that our intuition didn’t fail us.
We applied the same logic and intuition to the project presented to us by a renowned Greek designer Vangelis Bagiartakis, who almost 3 years ago approached us with his game on a very important siege of quite obscure town, almost two hundred years ago.
I am sure you are going to love the game, and so I ask you to support the project and the designer. Let’s see his dream come true. I want to give him this opportunity after I saw the dreams of Artur and Bartek fulfilled.
And those of mine too, with the publication of Hannibal & Hamilcar, which is now competing for the Golden Geek Award. If you can spare a minute, please vote for the game on Board Game Geek. Here is the link.
You can find Hannibal & Hamilcar in the Best Wargame and Best 2-Player categories.
Thank you very much for your votes!
Jaro
U-Boot iOS App available!
over 5 years ago
– Fri, Mar 08, 2019 at 12:24:30 AM
Dear backers,
The iOS ‘early access’ version of the U-Boot App has finally passed appstore approval! It seemed to take forever, but when we saw the ‘in review’ message yesterday, we were very much relieved, and when we finally received confirmation that it has been given the green light, we couldn’t wait to share the good news with you.
We hope that you will have an amazing experience with the game, as we are receiving a lot of very positive feedback based on first playthroughs. That being said, there were also voices saying that the game was quite difficult to pick up, and so we are preparing a ‘learn to play’ rules module which will allow everybody to dive in and have lots of fun from the outset.
We are also making minor adjustments to the activation rules to accomodate for some bigger challenges that await you in your further missions. In the end, there will be two game variants (‘learn to play’ and ‘advanced’) that will appear in the app in an upcoming update. We hope that this variety of options will appeal to both fledgling sailors and seasoned veterans, as the game will be even more refined when we roll out the next update. This will also include toning down the Chief Engineer’s workload, as a lot of people found it rather heavy (although after a few games a lot of people realized that it’s not so difficult after all).
Regardless, the game is being refined in its every aspects, and we will be releasing a new and updated version as soon as possible. Not only will it contain the refined activation rules (which also have to be translated to all the language versions), but, first and foremost, the next version will introduce more stability, fewer bugs and a few minor corrections.
So, as you can see, we are not slowing down! Everybody at Iron Wolf and InImages is doing their best to keep things moving forward. Further missions are being tested, the weather conditions are almost done, and, in the meantime, we are analyzing all your feedback and putting the app through its paces to deliver the amazing U-boat experience you have allowed us to create.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please make sure to DISABLE the ‘microphone’ in the options for the iOS version. We have encountered a problem with this functionality on iOS just after it was sent for approval, and we didn’t want to resubmit the app in order not to make the process any longer. This problem has already been eliminated on our side, and the upcoming update will sort it out for good. If you spot any other bugs, please send your reports to [email protected]. Thank you!
Download link
Please click on the link below to install the app on your iOS device:
We are planning to release the full version of the app on Steam. For the time being, everybody who would like to run the early access app on their Windows PC may do this by using Android emulators like Nox or Blue Stack. These are very simple and useful tools, so please do not hesitate to give them a try:
We are still sending English edition games in the EU. We have sent 500 parcels this week, and the remaining ones (around 500) will have been sent out by the end of next week. Therefore, most of you should get their parcels in the first half of March. For other countries (Australia, Canada, rest of the World), the April delivery date is still valid.
The container dispatch to the US was slightly delayed because of the situation in The Port of New York and New Jersey. Our shipper has informed us that the containers sent there could be held in port for up to two months, due to their internal dispatch delays (they are still holding containers that arrived in December!). We are currently arranging for an alternative route, and hopefully our container will be released next Thursday. Your games have already been packed, and the container has been assembled. This means that after the container leaves US customs, the parcels will be shipped directly to the USPS hub, with no further delay in assembling the goods and packaging parcels. We are very sorry for the delay, but this is how international shipping works - you can never be sure how long this will take, and the only thing you can do is to monitor the process closely and react whenever there is anything you can do to help. That being said, we will provide you with container tracking as soon as the ship leaves port.
French, German, Russian and Polish editions have already been sent out.
Italian edition already left the factory, and is on the way to Italy. Please contact Cranio Creations for delivery details.
Brazilian edition should be picked up from the factory in a few days. Galapagos Jogos is arranging the import now.
Closing comments
This month we are going to launch our next KS campaign for a card driven game designed by Vangelis Bagiartakis (Among the Stars, Fields of Green, The Pursuit of Happiness). Freedom! is a siege warfare game, showing the whole, one year long siege operation, both from tactical and operational point of view. It is a real masterpiece of game design (and looks gorgeously!), so if you want to follow this project (and other updates from PHALANX) please subscribe to our newsletter at http://phalanxgames.co.uk/.
In fact, we send stuff rarely, so no worries, your mailbox won't be spammed.
Right, so that is everything for the current update. Please take your time to read the rules and (even more importantly!) the Tactical Guide before your first game, and we wish you many successful patrols.
HAPPY HUNTING!
Iron Wolf Studio and PHALANX
iOS version still pending approval
over 5 years ago
– Sat, Feb 23, 2019 at 01:42:50 AM
Hello everybody,
We are deeply sorry that the iOS version is not available yet. The approval is taking much longer than we estimated, even by Appstore standards. We are now going through the process a second time after being turned down. From what we know, there was an issue with the age category due to WW2 content, some doubts regarding the ‘early access’ nature of the game, and, the biggest of them all, perhaps: the genre classification. We initially chose ‘board game’, but, after the rejection we changed to ‘entertainment’, hoping to be more in line with how other board game apps are categorized. This was also intended to speed up the process, as there are supposedly fewer and less restrictive requirements for that category. Unfortunately, this time the whole process is taking even longer than before, and we aren’t really sure what else we could do to speed it up.
It might also be that the app is being checked so meticulously because of the historical content. I mean, if you look at the setting, the fact that the app speaks German and that you are sinking Allied ships and all.... So, could it be that they are looking for something they won’t find, and perhaps that’s why it is taking so long? Unfortunately, we don’t know. But once we get to know anything about the situation, we will share the news right away. In the meantime, please accept our sincere apologies. We did foresee a longer process of approval with Appstore, but the reality has proved to be way more harsh than our expectations. Hopefully, this won’t take much longer.
All best,
Iron Wolf Studio & PHALANX
Android early access release!
almost 6 years ago
– Sun, Feb 17, 2019 at 12:32:16 AM
The iOS version is currently going through the final stages of App Store approval. The link will be available shortly. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Hello Everyone,
This is the day that we have all been waiting for. Today, you will finally be able to download the app and start playing! We are very excited to make this announcement, and yet at the same time anxiety is killing us, as this will be the first worldwide release of the app. A real baptism of fire, even more so, as the game is not 100% finished yet. Therefore, while we are elated to be able to share it with you, we are also aware of the imperfections that still remain and that most of you will discover sooner or later :) That being said, we simply had no choice. It was not our intention to release an unfinished game, but, on the other hand, we received so many requests and there were so many of you saying that you couldn’t wait any longer that we made a decision to shorten the wait. So, let me share a few thoughts with you before you dive in.
What you get
In the current version, there are already five missions available to play. The full release is going to have nine. Each mission has been designed with a different approach in mind, so we hope that you will find them fun, diverse, and replayable. We will, of course, keep refining, balancing, and perfecting them until the very release, and your feedback will be extremely valuable for us in determining whether we have achieved our goals.
The linked mission and campaign modes have already been implemented, although we can probably all agree that a campaign spanning only four missions will be rather short ;) Still, almost all gameplay functionalities are there, and while some of them have not been refined to perfection yet, they should all work well enough and we hope that they won’t detract from your enjoyment of the game.
As regards missing functionalities, they are all listed in the FAQ in the app main menu. At this point, the game has everything we promised during the campaign (and much more!), except for the noise meter, weather effects, automatically firing deck guns, and motor torpedo boats. These will be, of course, added before the final release, along with the four aforementioned missions.
The game already works in all the language versions, with the exception of Brazilian Portuguese. Unfortunately, the translation was not delivered on schedule, but we will be able to amend it in the nearest update. Actually, there will be plenty of updates and we will do our best to roll out new versions regularly, because our work is not stopping for even a moment - tests are being held regularly (both in-house and external), and you can expect bugs and problems to be eliminated on a regular basis.
Bug reporting
This is very, very important, as we cannot overstate the importance of feedback, especially from you - our backers. However, one thing is crucial - in order for a bug to be eliminated, we need to understand what actually happened, and we must be able to reproduce it. That’s why reports such as ‘the 88mm doesn’t work’ won’t help much. Instead, a bug report should look more like this:
I was playing mission 3, and I was sailing on the surface in quadrant AL23. It was day. I saw a lone merchant, dove to approach, used the hydrophone to track it, and resurfaced about 1500 meters away from it. The merchant sounded the alarm. I switched to the 88mm, but I couldn’t hit the target. Target information would not appear on top of the screen, and I could not get above the ‘0%’ hit probability.
This is the kind of report that allows our IT team to go through the same steps and look for the root of the problem. Was it caused by the fact that you dove? Or maybe switching off the hydrophone when resurfacing reset all the contacts ‘the hard way’? There are literally hundreds of possible problems that may appear in a complex simulation like this, and to tackle them, the IT team has to have a clear picture of what actually happened. If not, they will need to try 50 different approaches with the 88mm before they find out what it was. And it might so happen that even then they won’t be able to pinpoint the exact nature of the problem.
Therefore, if you wish to help us eliminate bugs as fast as possible, then the best way to help is to provide ALL the details that you can, even those that seem completely trivial and unrelated to the issue you have experienced. Please send your bug reports to [email protected].
Last, but not least, please let me say in advance, that we are extremely grateful for any and all help you can provide. As I have said before, we did not intend to exploit you as testers. We would have preferred to keep on working and we would have delivered a complete product in the end. However, as the requests to let you start playing were getting more and more frequent, we ultimately had no choice than to relent. Anyhow, please bear in mind that it is not a complete game yet, and that your experience might be affected by certain issues.
Known problems
OK, so here we go. While I am not saying that the things below will happen, then again, they might.
Paused app resetting on a hibernated device
This is the most serious issue we have found recently. Pausing the app works well most of the time, and exiting (hibernating) the app to allow it to work ‘in the background’ also shouldn’t cause any issues. Conversely, if you BOTH pause the app AND then hibernate it, then it is quite probable that the app will reset completely instead of resuming where it was. Please watch out for that, as it can ruin your game. One of our IT team’s priorities is to eliminate this nasty problem ASAP, and app stability will be one of their main concerns for the full release. Please rest assured that we are not taking this problem lightly, and we are letting you know in advance so that you can avoid the issue until it is resolved.
Enemy activity observation (a type of secondary objective)
It may happen that observing enemy activity won’t give you the Renown (points) that you deserve, even if you approach enemy vessels very close. This problem has been mostly observed at night, and is currently being investigated. The functionality works most of the time, but please bear in mind that it is not yet 100% reliable.
Closing comments regarding the release
Right, I believe you already have a picture of how things are. We are working as fast as we can, and there are significant changes being implemented daily. Actually, this week alone has brought so many important improvements that we can hardly believe we have managed to get it all done. The app version that you are getting now is still far from perfect, but it should offer you a lot of play time and a solid perspective on what to expect further. It is an incredibly important step in the project’s timeline and it had to happen sooner or later. As Ignacy Trzewiczek once said: ‘it’s never done.’ A designer always wants to improve the game, but at some point you simply need to stop and let the people enjoy your game. Here, the situation is a little different - we have the amazing opportunity to continue our work, and your feedback will help us determine if our assumptions were right or wrong - both from the designer’s and the publisher’s point of view.
Getting started
Alright, putting all the technicalities aside, here are a few tips for your first game:
It is advised to play the missions in the order they are presented in the menu, beginning with the training exercise. They get more difficult and introduce more complex problems the further you go, so starting from the beginning is highly recommended.
The app will help you with the rules whenever possible. The First Officer should read each new message carefully, as it may contain reminders regarding morale, activations, and the like. These are NOT in addition to what is said in the rules, so if the rulebook tells you, for example, to decrease morale when a fire breaks out on board, then in most such cases you will have a reminder in the app as well. These are NOT cumulative!
Be aware of the distances laid out in the Tactical Data section of the app tutorial. Without it, your attack approaches will quickly get you on the receiving end of enemy escort attacks.
Do not act recklessly. Every order counts, and even though the new version of the order system gives A LOT more flexibility to the Captain (especially on ‘easy’), it is still important to think in advance and avoid jumping the gun.
Prioritize. This is especially important to the Chief Engineer, as they are now given a lot of different tasks, BUT with a lot of time to complete them. Regardless, effective management on many levels is indispensable.
Do not get disheartened :) This is not an easy game, and it was intended to offer you captivating gameplay for months, if not years. We have been playing it regularly for about two years now, and we still get our assess kicked quite often :) So don’t expect to become Kretschmer during your first patrol, because it probably won’t happen ;)
Last, but not least, have fun! If you are having a hard time, try re-reading the Tactical Guide and perhaps it will have an answer to the problems you are facing. There are so many different aspects to the game that it might initially seem overwhelming. Everything will come with experience, so don’t worry.
How to download the App
While this is a rather simple process, here’s how to go about it if you are not 100% sure:
Android:
Go to Google Play and search for U-Boot the Board Game. You can also click on the direct link below:
The direct links can also be found in the ‘downloads’ section of uboottheboardgame.com.
The iOS version is currently going through the final stages of App Store approval. The link will be available shortly. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Shipping update
Here is a shipping update for different language editions:
EN - worldwide shipping is in progress. Parcels destined for Europe are arriving now (estimated delivery in February), and parcels destined for North America / Asia / Australia will arrive a month later (estimated delivery in March-April).
FR - shipping in the European Union is over. Worldwide shipping (Canada mostly) will be done along the EN edition.
DE - shipping will start in a few days.
RU, SP - the games have already been picked up from the factory. Shipping will take place in February.
PL - the games will be picked up from the factory next week. Shipping will take place in February.
BR, IT - games will be picked up from the factory next week. For the IT edition, shipping is planned for February, and BR edition for March/April.
Sleeves
Some backers have experienced problems with sleeving the cards with the provided sleeves. The Gawain sleeves fit the cards well. They are tight, but not too tight - you just need to go through the process patiently.
If your cards, after forming a deck, start to behave like drunken sailors…
...you can teach them some respect using a piece of world-class marine literature.
Then they will stand in line, like a perfect marine battalion.
We have sleeved plenty of U-boot cards already and they all play nicely, without any further card deformation.
Submarine assembly
Please take a look at this video before you assemble the hull, as this will make the whole process easier:
Pins
Please assemble the Attack Disc carefully, using the longest pin provided. The two smaller pins are used to assemble the dials on the Chief Engineer’s panel. Please keep this in mind while preparing the game for the first play.
Complaints
For any shipping issues and complaints, please contact your language edition’s publisher directly:
Please note that PHALANX is no longer holding the shipping info for other editions than EN and PL. For any shipping issues please contact the publisher of your language edition, the same for any production complaints - this will make the whole process faster.
The happy time has finally come!
OK, I guess that’s enough reading for today. The stage is set and the crew is awaiting your orders. Please share your feedback here and/or on the BGG forums, and we will be eagerly awaiting news from your first patrols. The marching band at Wilhelmshaven is already rehearsing for your arrival, the girls are getting the flowers ready, and Admiral Doenitz is writing his speech.
Happy hunting! And this time, we REALLY mean it :)
Iron Wolf Studio & PHALANX
Shipping
almost 6 years ago
– Tue, Jan 22, 2019 at 01:45:03 AM
Hello everyone!
It’s been a month since the last update, and plenty of things have happened in the meantime, so please take a break from your ongoing activities and dive with us for a while :)
Board game delivery
We have already started shipping the games and the delivery schedule is as follows:
EN - worldwide shipping starts next week. There are thousands of parcels, so this will be a process lasting for a few weeks, and not a single wave shipment. Parcels destined for the Europe will arrive sooner (estimated delivery in February), and parcels destined for America / Asia / Australia will arrive later (estimated delivery in March). Here is a short unboxing of the EN edition:
FR - European shipping is in progress. Worldwide shipping will be done along the EN edition. The first games have arrived to the backers, and here is Deena Pilgrim’s photo of unboxed and assembled game (click here for a bigger version).
As you can see, the assembled submarine and playmat will fit into the game box along with all the other game components. :)
DE, IT, PL, RU, SP - games will be picked up from the factory before the end of January. European delivery has been estimated for February, and worldwide for March.
BR - games will be picked up from the factory before the end of January. Worldwide delivery has been estimated for March.
For any shipping issues and complaints please contact directly your language edition’s publisher:
EN, PL - PHALANX
DE - Pegasus Spiele
FR - Asyncron Games
SP - MasQueOca
IT - Cranio Creations
BR - Galapagos Jogos
RU - Crowd Games
Please note that PHALANX is no longer holding the shipping info for other editions than EN and PL. So for any shipping issues please contact the publisher of your language edition, the same for any production complaints - this will make the whole process faster.
The parcels will be firmly packed, to keep your U-boats and add-ons safe. Here are some photos from our shipping partners:
Shipping will be tracked. You will receive shipping notification on your email or phone, depending on the direction of shipment. Please note that these delivery times are estimated, as worldwide shipping is a very difficult process. Fun fact: we will be sending out more u-boats than were launched during both World Wars, so please stay cool and be patient. They will arrive, silent and unexpected :)
App release
First of all, we would like to sincerely apologize to everybody who has received the boxed game, because the app has not been released yet. This applies mostly to our backers in France who have already started opening their boxes. We are really working around the clock to catch up, and, as promised, we intend to give you a pre-release version so that you can start playing as soon as possible.
So here’s the plan: we will be releasing an ‘early access’ version for all those of you who have already received the game and really can’t wait to start playing. This will be an almost complete experience, although there may still be some tiny issues to fix, and not all the missions will be available to play. This version will be released mid-February and we will gladly welcome all the feedback that you can provide so that we can make the game better.
As for the full version, we should know the approximate date once the app makes it through final external testing. We have tasked a specialized software testing company with searching the app from top to bottom for any potential issues, and as soon as we receive their feedback, we will be able to give you a more informed final release date.
I guess it goes without saying that we are deeply sorry for this situation, but please also understand that it makes things much more difficult for us and for the project itself (mostly on the financial side of things). So please believe us that we are not delaying the app for trivial reasons, and that we are working as fast as we can, because the delay is causing issues for all the companies involved in the project. Unfortunately, things always take longer than planned…
That being said, we hope that the ‘early access’ version will alleviate the pain for those of you who have already put together their 3D U-boats and can’t wait to embark on their sea adventure. We understand that it may be frustrating, and we trust that this approach will at least partially make it up for the delay we have generated.
In the meantime, here’s what we are doing at the moment:
Artur is applying the final corrections to English app text, and translating it into Polish. The remaining language versions are also taking their final shape. The spreadsheet currently has almost 600 cells (multiplied by 8 language editions), and many of them contain lines upon lines of text, such as explanations for the campaign mode, how to handle resources between linked missions and the like.
Bartek, on the other hand, is spending most of his time working in Unity: correcting game parameters, applying tweaks to the missions, embedding new sound effects, etc. All that while working closely with our IT team in Cracow (InImages). These guys are doing an incredible job, and without them, this game would have never come into existence!
From left to right: Bartek, Tomek (programming), Krzysiek (graphics), and Artur. This photo was taken during one of our strategic meetings at InImages HQ in Cracow.
So, now you know who to spit in the eye in the street for delaying the game… I mean, who to thank for working so hard on your long-awaited tabletop U-boat simulator :)
Other important info
It has come to our attention that there is an issue with card size and sleeves. The cards seem to be slightly larger than planned and ordered for mass production. They fit, but need to be placed under a heavy weight to flatten them. We are currently investigating this issue, because the prototype copies were in compliance with the specifications, so it seems that something must have gone wrong in mass production. We will keep you updated.
Once again, we would like to thank you very much for your ongoing support, and your patience during the delivery. Our logistics and development teams are on their last legs, but they keep on pushing forward and will deliver the game as fast as they can. We realize that some of you may be frustrated with the delay, but we are confident that the final experience will more than make up for it.
