Independent developer Gnarly Labs has just dropped details for its debut title, Fleet Hunters, a fast-paced tactical strategy game that sounds like it takes the classic naval grid duel—yes, the one you played as a kid—and cranks up the tension with a serious strategic twist.
This is a modern re-imagining of the battleship experience, and honestly, the key mechanic alone is enough to justify the price of admission.
So, what is Fleet Hunters?
Forget turn-by-turn guessing and relying on luck. The core of Fleet Hunters is its simultaneous-turn system. In every phase, both players secretly plot their movement and target coordinates before locking in their commands. Only then do the actions execute simultaneously.
This double-blind approach entirely removes the passive waiting of traditional turn-based combat and elevates the gameplay to a tense psychological clash. You aren’t just attacking; you are actively predicting your opponent’s exact move and counter-moving in anticipation.
That’s pure, high-stakes decision-making that rewards genuine tactical foresight, not just random grid strikes. The precision positioning and calculated risks involved mean a single volley of missiles can instantaneously shift the tide of a match.
The battleship has one captain
It’s worth noting that Gnarly Labs is a one-person indie studio, making this an impressive solo effort. The developer has chosen to build the game on the Godot 4 engine, which is a great technical shout-out for anyone following open-source game development.
Godot’s efficiency and ease of use for 2D and 3D projects make it a sensible choice for a compact, replayable strategy title like this. Plus, with plans for both solo play and multiplayer modes—supporting local LAN and dedicated online servers—the replayability factor is already looking high.
If you’re a fan of high-stakes, grid-based encounters that demand strategic depth over brute force, this one needs to be on your radar.
| Detail | Specification |
| Title | Fleet Hunters |
| Developer / Publisher | Gnarly Labs (Solo Indie) |
| Engine | Godot 4 |
| Platform | PC (Steam) |
| Release | Coming soon — Wishlist now |
| Genre | Turn-Based Tactics / Strategy / Naval Combat |
| Price | TBA |
Gnarly Labs focused on crafting compact, replayable strategy experiences, and Fleet Hunters looks set to deliver exactly that. You can find more details, check out the clean, modern design for yourself, and add it to your Steam wishlist now.
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
