Battleship
Battleship is the retro classic naval guessing game that's been sinking ships (and friendships) for generations! Whether you're calling out shots on a classic peg board or launching torpedoes with beeping, flashing electronic editions, Battleship is all about deduction, deception, and a dash of luck.
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Read the rules for Battleship
What is Battleship?
Battleship is a two-player game of hidden information, strategy, and luck. Each player secretly arranges their fleet of ships on their grid, then takes turns calling out grid coordinates to hunt for their opponent's ships. The first to sink the entire enemy fleet wins!
Fun Fact: Battleship started as a pencil-and-paper game called 'Salvo' in the early 1900s before becoming a plastic board game in 1967.
History of Battleship
- Early 1900s: Battleship begins as a paper-and-pencil game played by school children and soldiers.
- 1931: The game is first published commercially as "Broadsides, the Game of Naval Strategy".
- 1967: Milton Bradley releases the classic plastic peg-board version named "Battleship".
- 1977: Electronic Battleship launches, adding lights, sounds, and dramatic effects to every hit and miss.
- Battleship continues to evolve with talking, digital, travel, and themed editions (Star Wars, Pirates, and more).
How to Play Battleship - Rules
- Each player secretly arranges five ships (Carrier, Battleship, Cruiser, Submarine, Destroyer) on their 10x10 grid.
- Players take turns calling out coordinates (like "E5") to fire shots at the opponent's grid.
- Mark hits and misses with pegs-red for hit, white for miss.
- When all squares of a ship are hit, announce 'You sunk my [ship name]!'
- First to sink all opponent's ships wins.
Standard vs. Electronic Battleship
- Standard Battleship: Classic pegboard version with red and white pegs. Portable, no batteries required, pure deduction!
- Electronic Battleship: Features lights, sounds, digital tracking, and sometimes voice commands. Some editions let you program ship locations, track shots automatically, and even play special "salvo" or "mission" modes for extra variety.
- Advanced versions: Talking Battleship, Electronic Battleship Advanced Mission, Battleship Live, and themed editions (Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and more).
Strategy & Tips
- Don't cluster your ships-spread them out to avoid easy losses!
- Avoid placing ships along the very edges-opponents often 'sweep' the borders early.
- Use a checkerboard pattern when searching to maximize coverage (since ships are at least 2 spaces long).
- After a hit, concentrate fire around that area to finish the ship.
- For electronic editions, try alternate firing patterns to avoid easy detection by the computer's algorithms.
- Remember which ships are left-if you've sunk the 3-square submarine, look for 4- or 5-square ships next!
Retro Tip: Never gloat too early-Battleship comebacks are legendary!
Why We Love Battleship
Fast-paced and easy to learn, Battleship is a perfect blend of strategy, deduction, and luck. It's a game of bluffing, pattern recognition, and memorable cries of 'Hit!' and 'Miss!' Whether you're using pegs or pushing buttons, every game feels like a new naval battle. Sink or be sunk!