Edition: Classic Battleship on a 10 by 10 grid with five ships, as in the Hasbro board game. Last checked October 25, 2026
Battleship Rules: How to Play Battleship
Battleship is a guessing game for two where you hunt down and sink your opponent's hidden fleet. You can play it with pencil and paper or as a board game. In Denmark it is called Sænke slagskibe. Here are the rules and answers to the things that most often cause disagreements.
- Players
- 2
- Age
- 7 and up
- Playing time
- 20 to 30 minutes
How to win: The first player to sink all of the opponent's ships wins.
Who is right?
The classic arguments at the table when you play Battleship.
Can ships touch each other?
It depends on the version.
In the Battleship board game, ships may sit right next to each other. They just cannot overlap.
In the paper version, especially in Denmark and much of Europe, it is very common that ships may not touch, not even at the corners. Agree on it before you place your ships.
Do you get another shot when you hit?
No, according to the official rules.
You fire one shot per turn, whether you hit or miss.
A very popular house rule is that you keep shooting as long as you hit. It makes the game faster.
Do you have to say which ship was hit?
It varies.
When a ship is sunk, the owner must say so and name the ship. On an ordinary hit, editions differ on whether you also name the ship.
Many families just say hit until the ship is sunk. It makes the game more exciting.
Can ships be placed diagonally?
No.
Ships always go horizontally or vertically on the grid.
Some allow diagonal ships in the paper version to make them harder to find.
What is Salvo?
A variant with several shots.
In Salvo you fire five shots at once and get the results afterward. When you lose a ship, you also lose a shot.
Some always give five shots, no matter how many ships you have left.
What you need
- Graph paper and a pencil for each player
- Or a board game with grids, ships and pegs
Setup
- 1Each player draws two 10 by 10 grids: one for their own ships and one to track their shots.
- 2Write the letters A to J down the side and the numbers 1 to 10 across the top.
- 3Place your five ships on your own grid without your opponent seeing.
- 4Ships go horizontally or vertically, never diagonally, and may not overlap.
- 5Ships cannot be moved once the game has started.
How to play
- 1Decide who goes first. Then take turns firing.
- 2Fire by calling out a square, such as C5.
- 3Your opponent answers hit if a ship is there, or miss if not.
- 4Mark your shots on your tracking grid so you can see where you have fired.
- 5When every square of a ship has been hit, the owner says the ship is sunk and which ship it was.
- 6The game ends when one player has sunk all of the opponent's ships.
The ships
In the Battleship board game, each player has these five ships:
- Carrier: 5 squares
- Battleship: 4 squares
- Cruiser: 3 squares
- Submarine: 3 squares
- Destroyer: 2 squares
House rules
Pick the rules you want to play with tonight. Everyone at the table has to agree.
Our Battleship rules for tonight
Everything else follows the official rules.
Frequently asked questions
How many ships do you get in Battleship?
In the Battleship board game you have five ships of 5, 4, 3, 3 and 2 squares. In the paper version many families use their own fleet, so agree on it before you start.
Can you move your ships during the game?
No. Once the game has started, the ships stay put.
Can you play Battleship without the board game?
Yes. All you need is graph paper and a pencil for each player.
Source: The publisher's rules for Battleship and common family tradition for the paper version. The rules are written in our own words. Ask the referee if you are unsure.