How to Play Battleships
Find all the ships hidden in the grid using row and column clues. Ships cannot touch each other.
Try it now — Easy 10x10 →The Rules
- Locate all ships hidden in the grid using row and column clue counts
- Ships are placed horizontally or vertically — never diagonally
- Ships cannot touch each other, even diagonally
- Use the fleet list to know the number and size of ships to place
Available in 2 sizes (8x8, 10x10) and 3 difficulty levels (easy, normal, hard).
See It in Action
Locate ships using the count clues on each row and column
How to Play
- Mark rows and columns with a clue of 0 as entirely empty ocean
- Place the largest ships first — they have the fewest valid positions in the grid
- If a row/column clue equals its remaining uncovered cells, all those cells are ship segments
- Mark all cells adjacent (including diagonally) to completed ships as empty ocean
Pro Tips
Any cell touching a known ship endpoint is always ocean — mark it immediately to avoid errors
Single-cell submarines can go almost anywhere — save them for last when other ships are placed
Cross-check row and column clues simultaneously: a high row clue combined with a high column clue pinpoints ship locations
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play Battleships?
Numbers on the sides tell you how many ship segments are in each row and column. Use logic to place the fleet without any two ships touching (including diagonally).
Choose Your Challenge
Start with easy to learn the rules, then progress to harder difficulties.