1. Game Overview

1.1 Game Classification

Battleship is a turn-based strategy game for two players featuring hidden information and deductive reasoning. Players attempt to sink their opponent's fleet by making calculated guesses about ship locations on a concealed grid.

1.2 Game Duration

A typical game lasts between 50 and 100 turns (25-50 turns per player) depending on player skill, strategy, and random variation. At Sinkships, there is no time limit per turn or overall game duration.

1.3 Required Components

Each player requires:

• One 10x10 game grid for their own fleet
• One 10x10 targeting grid for tracking attacks
• Five ships of varying sizes (specified in Section 2)
• Markers to indicate hits and misses

2. Game Setup

2.1 The Game Board

Each player receives a 10x10 grid consisting of 100 individual squares. Columns are labeled A through J from left to right. Rows are numbered 1 through 10 from top to bottom. Each square is uniquely identified by its column letter and row number (e.g., "A1", "J10", "E5").

2.2 Fleet Composition

Each player commands a fleet of exactly five ships:

Total Fleet Size: 17 grid squares

2.3 Ship Placement Rules

Players must place all five ships on their grid according to these mandatory rules:

2.3.1 Orientation

Ships must be placed either horizontally (along a row) or vertically (along a column). Diagonal placement is prohibited.

2.3.2 Boundaries

Ships must fit entirely within the 10x10 grid. No part of any ship may extend beyond the grid boundaries.

2.3.3 Overlap

Ships may not overlap. Each grid square can contain at most one ship segment. Attempting to place a ship on a square already occupied by another ship is illegal.

2.3.4 Adjacency

Ships may be placed adjacent to each other, including touching edge-to-edge or corner-to-corner. There is no minimum spacing requirement between ships.

2.3.5 Mandatory Placement

All five ships must be placed before gameplay begins. A game cannot start with an incomplete fleet.

2.4 Setup Procedure

The game follows this setup sequence:

1. Both players receive empty 10x10 grids
2. Players place all five ships according to rules in Section 2.3
3. Ship placements are concealed from the opponent
4. Once both players confirm their placement, the firing phase begins
5. Ships cannot be moved after the firing phase starts

2.5 Random Placement Option

At Sinkships, players may choose automatic random placement. The system will place all five ships in legal positions that comply with all rules in Section 2.3. This placement is entirely random and provides no strategic advantage.

3. Gameplay Rules

3.1 Turn Structure

Battleship uses alternating turn order:

1. At Sinkships, the human player always takes the first turn
2. After the human player attacks, the computer opponent attacks
3. Turns continue alternating until one player's fleet is completely destroyed
4. Players cannot skip turns or pass

3.2 Making an Attack

3.2.1 Attack Declaration

On their turn, the active player must declare one grid square coordinate to attack (e.g., "E5", "B9", "J1"). This is called "firing" or "shooting" at that location.

3.2.2 Legal Targets

Players may only attack squares that have not been previously targeted. Attacking the same square twice is prohibited and prevented by the game system.

3.2.3 Attack Resolution

After a player declares their target, the defending player (or game system) immediately reveals the result:

• Miss: The targeted square contains no ship. Mark the square as a miss on your targeting grid.
• Hit: The targeted square contains part of a ship. Mark the square as a hit. The defending player does not reveal which ship was hit unless it is completely sunk.
• Sunk: The targeted square contained the final undamaged segment of a ship. The entire ship is destroyed and removed from play. The defending player must announce which ship type was sunk.

3.2.4 One Shot Per Turn

Players fire exactly one shot per turn regardless of the result. Even if a player scores a hit or sinks a ship, their turn immediately ends and control passes to their opponent.

3.3 Information Rules

3.3.1 Hidden Information

Ship placements remain hidden from the opponent throughout the entire game. Players never see their opponent's grid except for squares they have attacked.

3.3.2 Public Information

The following information is always known to both players:

• All previously attacked squares and their results (hit or miss)
• Which ships have been completely sunk
• Number of ships remaining for each player
• Total number of shots fired by each player

3.3.3 Forbidden Information

Players may not reveal or ask about:

• Specific locations of ships not yet hit
• Which ship a non-sinking hit belongs to
• Orientation of ships not yet fully discovered

3.4 Special Situations

3.4.1 Adjacent Hits from Different Ships

When ships are placed adjacent to each other, it's possible to hit two different ships in consecutive attacks. The defender must only announce "hit" - they do not reveal that the hits belong to different vessels until one is sunk.

3.4.2 Last Ship Standing

When only one ship remains unsunk, players know which type of ship they're searching for based on previous sinking announcements. This public information may be used to optimize search strategies.

3.4.3 Simultaneous Last Ship Hits

If both players are down to their last ship and one player sinks the opponent's final ship on their turn, the game ends immediately. The opponent does not get a final turn to attempt a draw.

4. Winning Conditions

4.1 Victory

A player wins when they successfully sink all five of their opponent's ships. Victory is instantaneous upon sinking the final ship - no additional confirmation or turns are required.

4.2 Defeat

A player loses when all five of their ships are sunk by the opponent.

4.3 No Draws

Battleship cannot end in a draw. Due to turn order, one player will always sink the opponent's final ship before their own fleet is destroyed.

4.4 Resignation

At Sinkships, players may resign at any time by starting a new game or closing the browser. Resignation is equivalent to defeat.

4.5 Victory Statistics

Upon victory, the following statistics are recorded:

• Total shots fired
• Hit accuracy percentage
• Time elapsed (for personal records)
• Ships lost before victory
• Opponent difficulty level

5. Sinkships-Specific Rules

5.1 AI Difficulty Levels

At Sinkships, computer opponents operate at five different difficulty levels, each using different strategic algorithms. All difficulty levels follow the rules identically - they differ only in decision-making sophistication. See our AI Difficulty Guide for details.

5.2 Game Saving

Games in progress are automatically saved in your browser's local storage. You may close the game and return later to continue. Saved games persist until you clear browser data or complete the game.

5.3 Sound Effects

Audio feedback for hits, misses, and sinking ships is provided but may be muted. Sound is not required for gameplay and does not convey information not visible on the game board.

5.4 Visual Accessibility

All game information is conveyed through multiple channels (color, symbols, text) to ensure accessibility. Players using assistive technology can fully participate in all game features.

5.5 Language Support

Game rules remain identical across all supported languages. Translation affects only interface text, not gameplay mechanics or rules.

6. Fair Play and Ethics

6.1 Prohibited Actions

The following actions violate fair play principles:

• Using external tools or scripts to calculate optimal moves
• Manipulating browser storage to view opponent ship locations
• Using game bugs or exploits to gain unfair advantages
• Recording opponent patterns across multiple games (single-player only context)

6.2 Encouraged Practices

Players are encouraged to:

• Use mental calculations and strategic thinking
• Track information using paper notes or memory
• Study strategy guides and probability theory
• Practice against various difficulty levels
• Experiment with different ship placement strategies

7. Rule Clarifications and Edge Cases

7.1 Can ships be placed diagonally?

No. Ships must be oriented horizontally or vertically. Diagonal placement violates Rule 2.3.1.

7.2 Can I change ship placement after confirming?

No. Once setup is confirmed and firing phase begins, ship positions are locked for that game. Start a new game to try different placements.

7.3 Can ships touch each other?

Yes. Ships may be adjacent or even share edges, as long as they don't overlap (Rule 2.3.4).

7.4 What if I accidentally fire at the same square twice?

Prevented by system. The game interface prevents targeting previously attacked squares. This situation cannot occur during normal gameplay.

7.5 Do I get an extra turn after hitting or sinking a ship?

No. Each player gets exactly one shot per turn regardless of result (Rule 3.2.4). This is a common house rule in physical Battleship but is not used at Sinkships.

7.6 Can I pass my turn?

No. Players must fire one shot per turn. Passing is not permitted (Rule 3.1).

7.7 What happens if both players sink each other's last ship "simultaneously"?

Impossible due to turn order. Battleship uses alternating turns, so one player always wins before the other can respond (Rule 4.3).

7.8 Are there any special abilities or power-ups?

No. Sinkships uses classic Battleship rules with no modifications, power-ups, or special abilities. Every game follows identical rules.

8. Learning Resources

For additional information about playing Battleship effectively:

• How to Play Guide - Comprehensive tutorial for beginners
• Strategy Guide - Advanced tactics and probability theory
• Quick Tips - Tactical advice for immediate improvement
• AI Difficulty Explanation - How computer opponents make decisions
• Frequently Asked Questions - Common questions and answers

Ready to play by the rules? Start Your Game Now!