Silent Service (1985). Play online

Summary

Playing a crew chief in "Silent Service" drops you into the restless waters of the 1942 Southwest Pacific, where you command a US submarine against Japanese shipping. The game reproduces authentic WWII tactics such as periscope attacks at daylight, nighttime runs using radar and the all‑important “hit‑and‑run” under the threat of escorting destroyers, and lets you manage every station – engine room, conning tower and bridge – while plotting courses from comprehensive wartime maps.

Modes range from single‑ship and gun‑practice drills to historically based convoy skirmishes and full multi‑day war patrols that can be time‑scaled during idle periods. Players may dial a “reality level” to adjust difficulty, which lets beginners and veteran naval hobbyists find a comfortable challenge. Designer Sid Meier built the title on a six‑month sprint, taking advantage of a novel UI concept, and it swept honors including the 1985 Charles S. Roberts "Best Adventure Game" while ultimately selling more than 400,000 copies and even being packaged later with its follow‑up, Silent Service II.

Storyline

Silent Service is set in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, putting the player in command of a United States submarine on a series of war patrols against Japanese shipping.

The opening mission begins at 0400 hours on Tuesday, August 12, 1942, when the alert “BATTLE STATIONS! BATTLE STATIONS!” sounds and an enemy convoy is spotted on radar.

The game’s title comes from the historic nickname “Silent Service” that was applied to the U.S. Navy’s submarine force operating in the Pacific theater.