Developer Aqua Realm Studio’s Abyss Crew is an interesting take on the typical nautical war sim. You’re not on a 3D boat maneuvering around small coves and jagged rocky formations in order to fire off the first salvo and hope you sink a much larger destroyer hovering off the horizon in the far distance like some kind of skulking behemoth casting its shadow over the ocean and fitting dread into all who see it. You’re not some hotshot captain riding fast and loose across high waves in a torrential downpour looking to pull off a hook shot and swing around to set fire to the sails of a much larger man-of-war.

However in Abyss Crew you’re part of a small crew of four, stationed inside of a cramped little submarine. There are no high-seas hijinks here. Instead, you’ll be making use of four different control stations in order to keep the sub operational and high-functioning for the tasks at hand. In space-nerd terms it’s more Andromeda than Battlestar Galactica.

You’ll have to communicate with your crew and work out your navigational plans across four different but equally useful stations, including the pilot, the sonar operator, the gunner, and the engineer.

You can check out the Kickstarter pitch video below to see what the gameplay is like in action.

Each role plays a significant part in progressing through Abyss Crew. The pilot works at the helm, controlling the submarine through the nearly opaque seafloor. Thankfully the sonar operator is there to spot out what’s ahead of and behind the sub, relaying the information to the pilot in order to make proper tactical maneuvering decisions and to safely navigate through minefields and other hazardous obstacles.

The engineer will be in charge of monitoring and regulating the submarine’s systems, processing the collected orichalcum crystals and upgrading and repairing the sub.

The gunner has to utilize what information has been made available through the sonar operator and take out mines, hostiles and other debris blocking the path of the sub.

In a way it’s like a more condensed, underwater version of Ubisoft’s Star Trek: Bridge Simulator.

The French team of developers have a rather modest first-stage funding goal for Abyss Crew, seeking $3,166. They’ve already managed to garner $1,915 and still have 20 days to go on the Kickstarter campaign. You can learn more about this independent project by visiting the Kickstarter page.