How to Play Battleship
Battleship is the classic naval deduction game for two players. Hide your fleet on a secret grid, then take turns calling coordinates to find and sink your opponent's ships — all without seeing their board.
The 5 ships
| Ship | Size |
|---|---|
| Carrier | 5 squares |
| Battleship | 4 squares |
| Cruiser | 3 squares |
| Submarine | 3 squares |
| Destroyer | 2 squares |
Complete rules
Setup
Each player has two 10×10 grids — one for your fleet (A–J, 1–10), one to track attacks on the enemy. Place your 5 ships horizontally or vertically without overlapping. Ships may not touch each other (official rules).
Calling shots
Players alternate calling a coordinate (e.g. C7, H2). The opponent answers "miss" or "hit." Mark your hits and misses on your tracking grid — hits in red, misses in white.
Sinking ships
A ship is sunk when every square it occupies has been hit. You must announce which ship was sunk — this gives your opponent information about where it was located.
Winning
First player to sink all 5 enemy ships wins. The total hit squares needed to win: 5+4+3+3+2 = 17.
4 strategies to win
Place ships on the edges
Ships on the edges and corners are statistically less targeted by players who shoot toward the center first. Avoid placing ships in obvious central clusters.
Hunt in a diagonal pattern
The most efficient search is a checkerboard (diagonal) pattern — alternating squares covering the whole grid with minimum shots to find even the smallest ship (2 squares).
Systematize after a hit
After a hit, attack all 4 adjacent squares in order. Once you confirm the ship's orientation (horizontal or vertical), continue firing along that line until sunk.
Spread your fleet
Ships positioned far apart prevent your opponent from finding a second ship after sinking the first. Clustering ships together is the worst defensive strategy.
Board Game Battles · Free app
Play classic board games online — Free
Chess, Checkers, Dominoes, Poker, Uno and more — all free on Android. Challenge friends or climb the global leaderboard.
Download Board Game BattlesFrequently asked questions
How big is the Battleship grid?
The standard grid is 10×10 squares (letters A–J, numbers 1–10) — 100 positions total. Each player has two grids: one for their own fleet and one to track shots fired at the enemy.
Can ships touch each other in Battleship?
In the official Hasbro rules, ships cannot touch each other — there must be at least one empty square between them. In casual play, this rule is often skipped. Agree before the game starts.
How many squares does each ship cover?
Carrier: 5 squares. Battleship: 4. Cruiser: 3. Submarine: 3. Destroyer: 2. Total: 17 squares that must be hit to win.
Is there an optimal strategy for Battleship?
The checkerboard (diagonal) hunt pattern is mathematically the most efficient for finding ships. After a hit, explore all 4 directions systematically. For defense, random placement is best — predictable patterns (edges-only, center clusters) are easier to read.