The First World War has lasted for ten years without any country taking the upper hand and no one can foresee how it shall end. Telin gas, an experimental weapon developed in secrecy, has been used by all armies, either to threaten or to punish and a dangerous game of cat and mouse has ensued.

On each continent, vast portions of territories have become toxic no man's land. Whole provinces are isolated and states are divided. In many cases, neither men nor goods can travel by land anymore and sea control has become vital. In this context, each faction is developing a new generation of submarines in an effort to survive and dominate the seas.

In this war torn world, players must balance the need for oxygen, speed, and torpedoes while their crew does their best to defend against the enemy ship in Steam Torpedo: First Contact.

Before facing his opponent, each player builds his or her own submarine by selecting ten tiles to outfit the different compartments. Shielding, faster engine or firepower: each submarine will thus be unique, and players will need to develop their own strategy!

On the game board, each submarine is represented by a model indicating its position relative to the enemy (front, back or side) and distance (in contact or away). During the battle, players use their five crew members to enable the compartments of their submarine. Various effects can be triggered, in particular to inflict devastating damage to the enemy submarine. A player wins by destroying the control room of the opposing submarine or by eliminating all opposing crew members.