Sub-Silence by Pusheeneiro

[raw]
made by Pusheeneiro for Ludum Dare 57 (JAM)

You’re deep underwater in a claustrophobic steel tube, surrounded by enemies you can’t see... until your sonar pings.

Sub-Silence is a minimalist submarine combat game where you rely entirely on a sonar pulse to locate enemies in the darkness. Each ping briefly reveals nearby threats — then you’re blind again. Navigate, dodge, and fire torpedoes using a mouse-only cockpit interface designed to challenge your perception, memory, and nerves.

🎮 How to Play

Use your mouse to interact with the cockpit controls:

  • Turn Left / Right
  • Change Speed
  • Fire Torpedo

The sonar pulses every few seconds, revealing enemy positions. Time your movement and aim carefully.

Destroy 20 enemies to win — if you survive that long.

🌊 Theme & Design

We wanted to take the "Depths" theme literally and emotionally: setting the game in a deep-sea environment and creating an atmosphere of tension and isolation. Most games treat sonar as a secondary mechanic — here, it’s your only source of vision. That moment of clarity during a ping, followed by the uncertainty of darkness, is where the tension lives.

🛠️ Made With

  • Unity
  • 2 devs
  • 1 long weekend of coffee and chaos

🧠 Looking for Feedback!

We’d love to hear what you think about the overall game design — how it plays, how it feels, and whether it captures the tension we were going for.

Assets Used: - SFX: ZapSplat

Ratings

Overall 656th 3.225⭐ 73🧑‍⚖️
Fun 779th 2.711⭐ 73🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 223th 3.627⭐ 73🧑‍⚖️
Theme 296th 3.91⭐ 74🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 517th 3.486⭐ 74🧑‍⚖️
Humor 702th 1.765⭐ 19🧑‍⚖️
Mood 450th 3.542⭐ 74🧑‍⚖️
Given 72🗳️ 131🗨️

Feedback

Leophyte
08. Apr 2025 · 01:47 UTC
I love the minimalist UX, and the whole submarine theme. I think the game is a bit frustrating because of how difficult it is to aim at the enemies though, it feels like I always oversteer somewhat and miss them (might be a skill issue lol)
zerocomms
08. Apr 2025 · 01:52 UTC
Pretty hard to see when you're about to get hit. The minimalist UI might be a little to minimal.
Isaac Hisey
08. Apr 2025 · 01:53 UTC
Same as Leophyte, it seems really tough but I bet if I keep at it a bit I could do better.

Love the atmosphere, graphics and sound design!

I think the only thing I really wished was that I could use more keys to control things. Turning and shooting and speed in crease decrease being more responsive would've made things easier. though I recognize easier would also detract from the atmosphere.

Overall, well done!
oxnh
08. Apr 2025 · 02:12 UTC
Strong atmosphere, using only the sonar is really cool. Same feedback as everyone else though, too much of a ceebs to complete the game due to difficulty.
LDJam user 0
08. Apr 2025 · 12:10 UTC
Nice sounds and great game idea - well executed!
Indiealesha
08. Apr 2025 · 12:17 UTC
Cool game! I agree with the other comments about the interface.
mrs.wheelsx
08. Apr 2025 · 13:14 UTC
I'm not even sure my torpedoes were actually firing lol. Probably a skill issue >.< Good concept, fits the theme nicely.
Ricesteam
08. Apr 2025 · 13:31 UTC
This is awesome! I love how we both started with the same idea but ended up going in totally different directions—it’s cool seeing another take on it. You absolutely nailed the vibe with your graphics and sound.

Only suggestion I'd have is to tweak the controls a bit. Maybe make turning more intuitive—like using a wheel instead of arrows—and speed it up slightly? I had trouble shaking off the enemies on my tail. Other than that, solid job!
JulioCezar
08. Apr 2025 · 13:52 UTC
Elegant graphics you made, friends! Really cool game!!!
Flinge
08. Apr 2025 · 14:44 UTC
Visual design is great and fits the theme well. But gameplay-wise, it's a bit unclear what you're supposed to do — some kind of tutorial or guidance would really help
Senkoso
08. Apr 2025 · 16:49 UTC
Really cool game!!! 💗
UpsettiGames
08. Apr 2025 · 16:49 UTC
interesting game. Fits the theme well :)
khaotom
08. Apr 2025 · 16:52 UTC
Ah clever idea. I like it. I managed to actually destroy a few enemies too. One unexpected thing to note is that if you are moving at speed, it seems you will run into your own torpedoes and immediately die.
mgear
08. Apr 2025 · 16:56 UTC
cool game, too difficult for me though : D
or maybe controls could use some polishing
Uzpykes
08. Apr 2025 · 16:56 UTC
Great visuals and game feels very polished. I wish there was slightly more feedback to the controls. Maybe some kind of number which shows rotation speed in degrees/second, as now it's hard to tell how the input affects the game.
Kseon
08. Apr 2025 · 17:16 UTC
I would like more intuitive controls, but maybe I didn't understand something
the idea is cool, thanks for the game
lepol
08. Apr 2025 · 19:19 UTC
More intuitive controls and also a little bit more of feedback on the movement could be nice. Nice concept overall !
LeTabouret
08. Apr 2025 · 19:19 UTC
Really cool concept, and the art is awesome !

The only thing I'd change would be to update the enemy positions when the sonar wave reaches them, rather than when it is emitted.

But aside from that, really cool !
Kotolazer
08. Apr 2025 · 19:24 UTC
It's a super hard game. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the noise, steering and shooting mechanics and spent a very long time trying to take out more than 3 enemies. If you make even the slightest noise, you get found and killed immediately. Nevertheless I really enjoyed the tense atmosphere and felt like I was in a submarine. Thank you for your game!
r8teful
08. Apr 2025 · 19:37 UTC
Hard to understand what is going on. I REALLY love this concept though, kind of reminds me of a minimalist version of Nauticrawl.
pigeon_dp
08. Apr 2025 · 19:39 UTC
@r8teful That's the first time i hear of Nauticrawl. It really looks like a simmilar overall idea. I'll have to check it out! Thanks!
JohnCoffee
08. Apr 2025 · 19:50 UTC
this game could use a tutorial :D , lot of fun, well done. I like the intentional clankyness (?) of the controls, like they shouldnt be easy on purpose. I did not get 20 kills by far in like 10-15 runs.
ugly_robot
08. Apr 2025 · 19:58 UTC
Woah! What a cool idea! I loved playing it - though it felt crazy tough, haha. I think my top score was 2 kills?
My movement + my limited radar pulse + the torpedo travel time + reload time + forward movement - holy cow! So many cool mechanics interacting in such interesting (and difficult) ways!
Perhaps if there was just less enemies? Perhaps 1/5th as much? Maneuvering and timing out a shot is a fun enough challenge on it's own, even without trying to stay away from hostiles.

Fantastic work! Super cool entry
Dywanix
08. Apr 2025 · 21:29 UTC
very cool game and I love that Idea
gold.daniel
08. Apr 2025 · 21:33 UTC
Opening screen sets the tense mood really well with the music combined with the sonar sound. I do like the idea but I did find it quite difficult to play, maybe some ui tweaks could help. I found you really have to play slowly which adds to the tense feeling. Great entry!
SiilicaC
08. Apr 2025 · 22:55 UTC
skill issue on my end but i like the concept and being able to play the whole game with just mouse is cool!
swordguy47
08. Apr 2025 · 23:06 UTC
Wow, super impressed by how incredibly polished this game feels. The artwork and sfx are super cohesive and satisfying! Gameplay-wise, I think the enemies are a bit too fast (or maybe I'm just too slow, lol). It's hard to tell where you're aiming because the radar pings so slowly. However, I started surviving a lot longer once I started spamming the movement more to get away :P

Overall really fun game!
Jordanfb
08. Apr 2025 · 23:08 UTC
Great vibe, I definitely was not good enough at piloting to get 20, would love to see a video of how someone really good at the game plays since it's a cool idea. I tried to use the engine in bursts, with the idea that I'd glide past the enemies? But that didn't seem to happen. It was tough since once an enemy was nearby it didn't seem like there was all that much you could do, but that did help the vibes! Very clean, very consistent, nice work. I killed at most 2 at a time before being killed myself, so uhhh... put me on those leaderboards.
Texugo
09. Apr 2025 · 00:13 UTC
It took me a while to grasp what I was supposed to do or how I could move, but when I got it everything became clearer! Hard, but still fun and a interesting idea and gameplay. Great work!
Mcgiants
09. Apr 2025 · 01:48 UTC
Got pretty far with the strat of "Spam missiles, wait, when dots get close, speed ahead, wait, spam missiles. Didn't really engage with turning much once I had this strat. Felt a bit broken to always have a straight ahead free since missiles did no harm. Still, there was a dance to not outrunning the missiles and knowing how long to wait before rocketing forward with enemies on the other sides/ knowing when rocketing forward will dodge them. Also, I swear the pinging slowed down at some point. Made me feel I was towards the end, and I did feel the tension rise. Still, as you can see from the lack of victory screen, my cheese strat wasn't foolproof. Thanks for sharing an interesting game.
EDIT: Oh wow, just noticed you both played Sacrisquare last year AND made Cultists on Ice, which I instantly remembered being a fascinating experience as soon as I saw the thumbnail again. Nice to see a familiar game-face!
apt_prose7
09. Apr 2025 · 03:46 UTC
Very minimalistic
chiyeon
09. Apr 2025 · 05:21 UTC
Game’s visuals and overall presentation are fantastic, and cool tie ins with the theme are well done. Fun to play, great job overall!
SYPIAC
09. Apr 2025 · 10:49 UTC
Took me a while to figure out, and even then I barely made it past killing 3 enemies. Lack of feedback on turning is the biggest problem. It doesn't feel like there is a good strategy - even simply standing still will get you killed. Moving gets you killed. Turning gets you killed. Enemies seem to change direction randomly, so trying to track them over time seems pointless. I like the idea though, big fan of submarine sim kind of games.
cherrybcake
09. Apr 2025 · 11:33 UTC
omg it's super hard, i kept dying XD But I love the idea, nice entry!
ChrisBeck
09. Apr 2025 · 13:10 UTC
Really great concept that fits into the theme really well. Very steep learning curve but once I got the hang of it, I actually had a lot of fun! Good job
HDVR02
09. Apr 2025 · 13:10 UTC
Minimalistic idea, but very good execution. The game is really difficult, I never once managed to get to the end haha
LDJam user 278146
09. Apr 2025 · 14:19 UTC
This is a neat concept and cleanly implemented - it's just way too hard because the enemies move so quickly and erratically. It's difficult to consistently hit them with the torpedoes and to move away in time if one just happens to get close, especially if they are right in front of you.
Scrawach
09. Apr 2025 · 19:33 UTC
Oh, it's very hard, but fun)
Monogatari
09. Apr 2025 · 23:49 UTC
Wow the UI is impressive, and the concept is so smart and cool haha, good job !
nyxkn
10. Apr 2025 · 09:47 UTC
Great presentation! I think you've really nailed the atmosphere. Aesthetic was minimal enough to make you really feel the situation. Gameplay I think was a pretty good idea but I don't actually think my torpedoes were doing anything?? Even when I thought I'd lined up the enemy very well they'd still be there. If they take multiple hits, or if the torpedoes have a chance of missing, then that should have been more clear. Otherwise it just comes off as "not working" for a new player. Overall loved the theme and atmosphere! Gameplay could use improvements.
LDJam user 337697
10. Apr 2025 · 12:19 UTC
I like the idea and the atmosphere. However I didn't manage to hit anyone -- the game feels too challenging.
Egor Iv
10. Apr 2025 · 16:18 UTC
It's a pretty interesting idea.
Tobius
10. Apr 2025 · 17:11 UTC
The UI graphics were well done, and I liked the visual indicators for the torpedos.

One thing that would improve the game for me is a better indication when a torpedo hit an enemy. Unless I was just missing the entire time I played, I didn’t feel like there was a clear indication of a hit. Despite the torpedo going directly through the enemy blips. Since destroying enemies is a key part of the game, I would suggest focusing on that feedback mechanism more.
Buni
10. Apr 2025 · 19:20 UTC
I love the concept, it is really unique :)
xpoho
11. Apr 2025 · 12:57 UTC
![изображение_2025-04-11_195337781.png](///raw/d14/a3/z/6bfba.png)

So I couldn't hit the enemies not even once. Torpedos went close or even ON TOP of the enemies, but they still don't wanna to die. What a horrible creature they are!


But in every other aspect the game is great! I love controls, interface, mechanic. Only a bit upset that I couldn't hit even one monster =\


Nice game! ^_^
protzz
11. Apr 2025 · 17:02 UTC
I like an idea of this game!
noagard
12. Apr 2025 · 12:10 UTC
Really loved the vibe and sonar, but it was hard to make first strike properly! Our concept is like yours, you can check if you want :v:
Nomus
12. Apr 2025 · 22:00 UTC
Such a cool concept, but I wish there was a bit more feedback !
Very bold with the thought process, congrats on that
SaraFilipa
13. Apr 2025 · 14:58 UTC
Really good game! Personally, I would've enjoyed a small tutorial in the beginning. I was unsure of what to do. But it's a solid game, the graphics are good, it feels really polished! Fun entry
krakadushka
14. Apr 2025 · 10:59 UTC
Graphics are very cool and there is an awesome atmosphere! But I didn't understand well how to play, I tried several times, but died always. Hovewer, controls visualized very cool and pleasant. Nice work!
cdupe
15. Apr 2025 · 03:50 UTC
Really cool theming and sound design! Sonar is such a great thematic mechanic! I do kind of wish there was a score counter or something listing how many enemies I had hid.
Schlock
20. Apr 2025 · 13:42 UTC
Love the Idea but the gameplay does not really click for me. I die really quickly and nothing I try seems to make any difference. The speed of the game seems way to high for it's concept.
WhaleJam
21. Apr 2025 · 15:56 UTC
This is really cool, very atmospheric and creepy with almost no visuals. It would be great to have some way to aim at enemies, or maybe the torpedos lock onto one infront/one you select. It was kind of hard to tell what the turning was doing, but I guess thats just because of the rate of the sonar ping, maybe some solid landmark to tell which way you are oriented would be good. Despite that, the concept and execution is nice, it works well, nice job ^^
plidomo
21. Apr 2025 · 16:16 UTC
Liking this one a lot!
Very claustrophobic feeling, properly nailing the look, good controls and a great idea. It is really hard though!