Battleship — Play Free Online

Battleship is the classic naval guessing game turned into a quick browser match. You and an opponent each hide a fleet on a grid you cannot see on the other side, then take turns calling out squares. A call that lands on a ship shows a hit; the first side to sink every enemy vessel wins. The idea dates back to pencil-and-paper play in the 1930s, and the boxed board game followed in 1967.

It looks out of place next to the jumpers and platformers on Doodle Jump, and that is exactly why it earns a spot. Doodle Jump is all reflexes and constant movement. Battleship is the opposite: nothing falls, nothing chases you, and every turn is a small decision about where to fire next. It suits the moments when you want a break from twitchy play.

Matches are short, and the game adds a progression layer on top of the old rules. Finishing games earns experience, and as you level up you unlock weapons that hit a larger area of the board than a single square.

How to play

Everything is done with the mouse, using the left button. The control hint attached to the page mentions arrow keys and WASD, but that is generic text for the catalogue; this is a point-and-click game. On a phone or tablet, tap instead of click.

1. Place your ships on your own grid before the battle starts. Pick the positions yourself; ships cannot overlap.
2. Take turns with the opponent choosing squares on the enemy grid. A hit is marked on the square you picked.
3. Keep going until one fleet is completely sunk. Winning earns experience towards your next level and new weapons.

Tips

• After a hit, test the squares directly next to it. Ships run in straight lines, so a hit tells you the ship lies along one of a few directions.
• Do not cluster your own ships in one corner. Spread them out, and avoid placing them side by side, where one lucky hit exposes two.
• When hunting, fire in a checkerboard pattern rather than row by row. The smallest ship still covers two squares, so you skip half the board without missing anything.
• Once you unlock wider-area weapons, save them for open water where you have no hits yet, because they scout the most ground there.

Similar games on Doodle Jump

If you want something else from the catalogue, Bloons Tower Defense 2 is another game where planning matters more than reflexes, though it plays in real time. Fireboy and Watergirl is a puzzle game for two players on one keyboard, while Helix Jump is a one-button timing game and a far faster pace than a naval duel.

Battleship fits a coffee break, a phone in portrait mode, or a quick round with no keyboard at all. It runs in the browser with nothing to install.