Captain Sonar: Upgrade One Expansion Review

Captain Sonar was one of the best games to come out of 2016. It's fast, clever, and features one of the most satisfying moments you'll experience in games when you nail a direct hit on the enemy sub. While the game originally released at Origins last year, it took some time to truly gain momentum and take off. It appears the first expansion is following in lock-step as this has gained little buzz thus far.

The lack of fanfare is a shame because this expansion is as solid as the Red October. It's a small addition overall, reflected in its MSRP as well as its components. We're talking five new maps and an upgrade system that's comprised of a couple of sheets. It's unassuming and could easily be overlooked. But then again, the same could be said for Captain Sonar.

Let's talk upgrades first. Each team secretly selects a new system from six available options. The First Mate will track the charging of this secret weapon via the "Scenario" yellow module on their sheet. Some outfits require you mark off four boxes before you may use the component and others demand the full six. Managing these new enticing toys alongside the typical weapons and recon systems can be difficult at first. The challenge is compounded due to the fact that each upgrade functions in a unique role tailored to specific strategies.

The Kraken missile for instance can be launched towards anywhere on the map. This means you can nail that poor leaky SOB on the other side of the board if you have their location pinpointed. The drawback here is that indirect damage doesn't exist. Beyond the obvious utility, the best part about this option is that it gives you a reason to yell "release the Kraken!" and harass the group sitting on the other side of the screen.

Release the you-know-what.

The Trident Computer Hacking System serves a completely different purpose. You can execute this module to target an opponent's system and completely reset it. Is that Commie tin can tailing you? Hack the torpedoes just before it fires and watch the Marxists groan. Timing here is of course tricky and reliant on an aware captain.

There are mines that explode in a straight line all the way across the map and even an enormous torpedo whose name will have your inner child giggling - Asgard. How about a repair system that heals a damage but causes you to cross off a system - such as SONAR or MINE - and make it unavailable for the rest of the entire game; yeah, crazy.

The maps live up to the inventiveness of the upgrades. My favorite features three glowing stations divided evenly across the play-space that offer a boon. If you move across the red dot you instantly charge all of your red systems; same with the green and yellow versions.

India is littered with shoals that force the engineer to mark off a radioactive symbol anytime you leave one of the clearly delineated spaces. Kilo offers swift water currents that sweep you along an extra space when moving along the rapid.

What's so brilliant about all of this, the upgrades as well as the maps, is that they challenge strategy and preconceived notions about how the subs should operate. Captains need to shift their thinking, plotting movement patterns in new ways and approaching the enemy from a new cognitive angle. As the number of tricks escalates the drama rises.

Upgrade One is also extremely pliable in its integration. Since the First Mate merely needs to check boxes off a new system, the entire overhead of the additional rules lies on the Captain role. Have a new player joining the group? No worries, you can throw them into First Mate, Radio Operator, or Engineer and they need no further information concerning the expansion. This means the new material will get played and you'll reap joy from your expenditure.

The maps as well don't pose a huge challenge for the Radio Operators. It helps to know the benefits and new options, but it's not a strict requirement. A "HEAD NORTH" is a head north regardless of whether you're playing the Alpha or Juliet setup. These do, of course, place a burden on the Captain and require this player to possess experience with the title, but that's of course to be expected.

This expansion as a whole is a quality release that does not soften the base game experience in any way. It integrates smoothly and is an addition most crews will want to grab immediately. The most intriguing aspect of this release is likely the usage of the term "One" in the title. The sheer creativity of this game is unbounded, and it's exciting to see where it's headed next.