How to Play Battleship: A Strategy Game of Sinking Ships

In Battleship, try to locate your opponent’s ships whilst hiding yours. Learn how to play this game in a few simple steps.

Number of players	2
Game length	20 minutes
Game difficulty	Easy
What you need to play	Pen and paper

Object of the Game

The objective in Battleship is to strategically locate and sink all of your opponent’s ships before they sink yours.

Setting Up the Game

1. Each player is provided with two grids, usually one for their ships (known as the “Ocean Grid”) and another to track their shots at the opponent’s grid (the “Target Grid”). These grids are typically labeled with rows and columns for easy reference.
2. In secret, each player arranges their fleet on their Ocean Grid. The fleet typically includes the following ships:
   • Aircraft Carrier (5 spaces)
   • Battleship (4 spaces)
   • Cruiser (3 spaces)
   • Submarine (3 spaces)
   • Destroyer (2 spaces)
3. Once both players have placed their ships, the game begins. Players take turns guessing coordinates on their opponent’s Target Grid, trying to “hit” the hidden ships. Common coordinates are denoted by letter and number combinations (e.g., A3, F7).

Playing the Game

1. Players take turns calling out coordinates on their opponent’s grid to guess the location of enemy ships. The opponent responds with “Hit!” if a ship is at that location or “Miss!” if not.

2. On their Target Grid, players use markings to keep track of their shots. “H” typically represents a hit, “M” signifies a miss, and players may use other symbols for additional information, such as marking a sunken ship when all of its parts are hit.

3. When a player successfully hits all the spaces occupied by a ship, they announce that they have sunk the ship. The opponent confirms the sinking.

Winning the game

The game continues until one player has sunk all of their opponent’s ships. The player who sinks all of their opponent’s ships first is declared the winner.

Frequently asked questions