How To Play - Battleships - Game Rules

Game Instructions

Battleship is a two-player strategy game where opponents attempt to locate and sink each other’s fleet of ships before their own are destroyed. Each player secretly arranges their fleet on a grid and takes turns calling out coordinates to attack their opponent’s ships. A player gets to attack again if they score a hit, continuing their turn until they miss.

Game Setup

1. Game Board: Each player has a 10x10 grid (labeled A-J for columns and 1-10 for rows).

2. Fleet: Players position their ships on their grid. Ships cannot overlap and must be placed horizontally or vertically.

   • Carrier (5 squares)
   • Battleship (4 squares)
   • Cruiser (3 squares)
   • Submarine (3 squares)
   • Destroyer (2 squares)

3. Attack Board: Each player has a separate grid to track hits and misses against the enemy.

4. Game Begins: Players take turns guessing coordinates (e.g., "B4"). The opponent announces "Hit" if a ship occupies that space or "Miss" if it is empty.

Gameplay

Turn Structure

1. The active player calls out a coordinate (e.g., "E7").

2. The opponent checks if the coordinate hits a ship and responds accordingly.

3. If it’s a Hit, the attacking player marks the hit on their Attack Board, and the defending player marks the damage on their Ship Grid.

4. If the player hits a ship, they get another turn and may fire again.

5. If it’s a Miss, the turn ends, and the opponent takes their turn.

Sinking Ships

• When all parts of a ship are hit, the opponent announces, "You sank my [ship type]!"

Winning the Game

• The game continues until one player’s entire fleet is sunk. The last player with remaining ships wins.

Additional Rules

• No Moving Ships: Once placed, ships cannot be repositioned.

• No Peeking: Players must not look at their opponent’s board.

• Hit Streaks: A player may continue firing as long as they keep hitting ships. The turn only ends after a miss.

Strategy Tips

• Spread Out Your Fleet: Avoid placing ships too close together to prevent multiple hits in one area.

• Track Your Opponent’s Hits: Use logic to predict where remaining ship segments might be.

• Use a Pattern for Attacks: Don’t guess randomly—try scanning systematically to locate enemy ships.