How to play Naval Battle
- Choose who to play against (the computer with its level, or two players on the same device) and, if you like, the options “Ships can't touch” and “Shoot again after a hit”. Then tap “Start”.
- Place your five ships (of 5, 4, 3, 3 and 2 squares) by hand or with “Random”, and tap “Ready”. With two players, each one places their fleet while the other does not look.
- In turns, tap a square in “Enemy waters” to fire. It tells you whether it was water, hit or sunk. With two players, tap “End turn” and pass the device.
- The first to sink all of the opponent's ships wins. The scoreboard at the top counts games won.
Rules and tips for winning
Each player has a hidden fleet of five ships on a 10 by 10 board: one of 5 squares, one of 4, two of 3 and one of 2. Ships go in a straight line, horizontal or vertical, and cannot overlap. With the “no touching” option they also cannot sit next to each other, not even diagonally, which makes the search more even.
A good strategy has two parts. First, the search: firing in a checkerboard pattern (skipping every other square) finds all the ships with fewer shots, because even the smallest takes up two squares in a row. Second, the finish: after a hit, try the four neighboring squares and keep going in the direction of the ship until it sinks. To hide your fleet, always avoid the edges and repeated patterns.
The computer has three levels. Easy fires at random and needs almost the whole board (about 95 shots on average). Medium finishes off ships it hits and sometimes searches in a checkerboard pattern (about 62). Hard calculates, for each square, in how many possible positions of the remaining ships there could be one, and fires at the most likely (about 45 shots). It never sees your fleet: it only knows what you answer after each shot.
Things to keep in mind
- Everything happens on your device: no move is sent to a server and only your settings and the scoreboard are saved in this browser.
- Two players share the same device, not the internet: the “Pass the device” screen hides the boards between turns, but it depends on nobody peeking.
- On very small screens the squares are tiny: turn your phone sideways or zoom the page if you find it hard to hit them.
Frequently asked questions
How many ships are there and what sizes?
Five per player: one of 5 squares, one of 4, two of 3 and one of 2, on a 10 by 10 board.
What does the “Ships can't touch” option do?
It requires at least one square of water between one ship and another, also diagonally. It is off by default, as in the classic rules.
What does “Shoot again after a hit” mean?
If your shot hits or sinks a ship, you fire again. If it lands in the water, the turn passes. It is off by default.
Does the computer cheat?
No. The computer cannot see where your ships are: it only knows whether each of its shots was water, hit or sunk. It picks the square using the same logic an attentive person would.
How do I play with two players on a single phone?
Choose “2 players”. Each player places their fleet when it is their turn and, between turns, a screen asks you to pass the device so nobody sees the other's board.
Can I move a ship after placing it?
Yes, while you are placing the fleet: tap the placed ship (or its icon in the list) to pick it up and tap again where you want it.