Battleship (game)

pencil and paper game version

The game Battleship is a guessing game played by two people. Although popularized in the United States as a commercial board game, first published by the Milton Bradley Company in 1931, it is known throughout the world as a pencil and paper game and predates the First World War in this form.

Description

printable version

The game is played on four square grids, two for each player. The grids are typically square—often 10×10—and the individual squares in the grid are identified by letter and number. On one grid the player arranges his own ships and records the shots by the opponent. On the other grid, the player records his own shots.

Before play begins, each player arranges a number of ships secretly on the grid for that player. Each ship occupies a number of consecutive squares on the grid, arranged either horizontally or vertically. The number of squares for each ship is determined by the type of the ship. The ships cannot overlap (i.e., at most one ship can occupy any given square in the grid). The types and numbers of ships allowed are the same for each player. These may vary depending on the rules.

Here is a typical complement of ships:

Number	Type of ship	Size
1	aircraft carrier	5
1	battleship	4
1	cruiser	3
2	destroyers	2 each
2	submarine	1

After the ships have been positioned, the game proceeds in a series of rounds. In each round, each player has a turn. During a turn, the player announces a list of target squares in the opponents' grid which are to be shot at. If a ship occupies one of the squares, then it takes a hit. When all of the squares of a ship have been hit, the ship is sunk. After the target list has been given, the opponent then announces which of his ships have been hit. If at the end of a round all of one player's ships have been sunk, the game ends and the other player wins. If all of both players ships are sunk, the game ends in a tie.

The number of target squares that a player may shoot at in a given turn is determined by the condition of the players' own ships at the beginning of the round. Each player has many shots as he or she has vessels afloat in each turn. Thus each time a player's ship is entirely destroyed, that player has one fewer shot on all subsequent turns.

Variations

Many variations in the basic rules are possible, including the sizes of the grids, the numbers and sizes of the ships, the numbers of shots allowed, and when hits are announced. Some of the variants simplify the game, which is useful for younger players or people with difficulties.

In The Dillinger Days, historian John Toland writes that prisoners in solitary confinement in the Indiana State Penitentiary played a version of Battleship during the 1920's, marking squares on their cell floors and calling out attacks from cell to cell. "For years the more obtuse guards wondered what was being plotted when they heard men calling: 'B-7.' 'Miss.' 'C-8.' 'Destroyer sunk!'" (John Toland, The Dillinger Days, p. 24. Da Capo Press 1995)

Variant rules for shots

In the simplest variation of all in this respect, players alternate turns to attack just one target square of their choice, with the result announced immediately. This rule is popular for its simplicity but minimizes the strategic aspect of the game. (Optionally, the rules may allow an additional shot to be fired after each successful hit. This makes it possible, though very unlikely, for a player to win without the opponent firing a single shot.)

Advanced Mission

Milton Bradley markets a more advanced version of the game called Electronic Battleship: Advanced Mission.

In Popular Culture

A tv commercial for the game, which ran frequently in the '80s during kids programming, featured the line "You sank my battleship" which became a well-known catchphrase.

External links

Online Battleship Games:

• Superkids
• Flashplayer.com
• Battleships-General Quarters II
• Java

Downloadable Battleship Games:

• Jonathon Rossi BattleShips