Dangerous Waters is a naval combat simulation that has players controlling 12 types of submarines, frigates, helicopters, and planes. Each vessel's detailed cluster of instruments and capabilities can be monitored entirely by the player or assigned to the computer AI to handle all or a select few operations. More than 270 surface, submarine, and air units from 17 navies have been recreated using actual data from the U.S. Naval Institute. Dangerous Waters also includes a dynamic, randomly generated campaign with the option for players to create their own missions with the built-in scenario editor. In addition to the campaign, the game features a series of single or quick missions that pits different nations against one another for supremacy over the high seas. Both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes are supported for up to 32 players, allowing friends to command different crew stations from within the same ship or challenge each other to all-out naval warfare.