Our custom simulators have taken many forms over the years. One of the most unique was our recent Submarine Mission simulator for the US Navy Recruiting Tour. This activation features four manned stations set within a custom submarine environment. Participants work together in the roles of Pilot, Navigator, Weapons/Sonar Operator, and Nuclear Engineer to complete a mission where the submarine must navigate to a camp near the North Pole and surface from beneath the ice while avoiding detection by other vessels. Crew members receive audio instructions from the Captain but must also communicate effectively with one another to navigate and accomplish the mission. Our gameplay design aimed to strike a balance between creating a challenging, immersive experience and offering a high success rate for participants in a mobile tour environment.

The experience includes lighting effects, headphone audio with talkback microphones, dual mission screens, and custom-fabricated control panels tailored for each role. The environment was designed to closely resemble a submarine’s interior, and the layout of the stations crew members occupy.

The Pilot has controls to steer the submarine’s rudder, adjust the bow planes, and manage the ballast.

Weapons has a touchscreen for marking sonar signals and lights that indicate the sonar status.

The Navigator sets the headings for the pilot and is responsible for surfacing the submarine.

The Nuclear Engineer uses a large wheel to adjust the reactor’s pressure to control the engines, along with a keypad for entering calculations.