Battleship Rules

What’s in the Box?

• 2 Folding battleship grids (one for each admiral)
• 10 Ships (5 per player):
• 1 Aircraft Carrier (5 holes)
• 1 Battleship (4 holes)
• 1 Submarine (3 holes)
• 1 Cruiser (3 holes)
• 1 Destroyer (2 holes)
• 84 white pegs (for misses)
• 84 red pegs (for hits)

Setting Up

1. Sit opposite your opponent. Don your best captain’s hat (optional but recommended for maximum fun).
2. Each player opens their battleship grid so the vertical (target) and horizontal (ocean) grids face them.
3. Secretly place your five ships anywhere on your ocean grid (the lower half). Ships can be placed horizontally or vertically, but never diagonally. Ships must not overlap or hang off the board’s edge.
4. When both players are ready, the battle begins!

How to Play

1. Players take turns 'firing'? by calling out a grid coordinate (e.g., 'B-7'?).
2. The opponent checks their ocean grid and announces either 'miss!'? or 'hit!'? If it’s a hit, they must say which ship was hit if that ship is sunk (e.g., 'You sunk my destroyer!'?).
3. Mark your shots on your target grid: use a red peg for a hit, a white peg for a miss. Also use pegs on your ocean grid to track your opponent’s shots.
4. Keep playing, taking turns, until one player has sunk all five of their opponent’s ships.

Winning the Game

The first player to sink all of their opponent’s ships is the Admiral of Victory! Give them a hearty handshake, and demand a rematch.

Classic British House Rules (Optional, for Extra Fun)

• Call the Fleet: Announce your ship’s name in a silly accent every time it’s hit.
• Double Tap: If you hit a ship, you get another turn (for high-speed mayhem).
• Tea Break: If a shot lands on 'G-5,'? everyone must pause for a cup of tea before continuing. (Milk in first, of course!)

Quick Reference

• Players: 2
• Age: 7 and up
• Average play time: 20–30 minutes