A classic naval duel, digital
Hasbro's BATTLESHIP is the original strategic naval war game, brought to the screen by Marmalade Game Studio Ltd. You place your fleet on a grid, then take turns calling coordinates and firing missiles at the enemy's hidden ships. The goal is simple: sink their whole fleet before they sink yours. Success comes down to reading your opponent and making good deductions from each hit and miss. The game offers 2-player head-to-head combat that plays out differently every time, since ship positions change each match.
Two ways to play
Classic mode is the faithful digital version of the board game, played in the familiar square arena. Commanders Mode is the more tactical variation. It introduces 6 distinct commanders, each with a core ability that changes how a turn plays out. For example, one commander's airstrikes hit an entire row or column at once, another's torpedo travels along a row or column until it finds a target, and another lands a 3x3 bombardment in a single shot. Other abilities scatter 6 random projectiles across the grid, target 5 cells with mighty canons, sink a ship in one hit with a surgical strike, or add 6 extra shots around your original target. Each commander also brings their own fleet, from heavy cruisers and streamlined frigates to steam-powered battleships and triremes.
Arenas, missions, and medals
Commanders Mode deploys your fleet across 7 arenas inspired by historical naval battles, with smaller grids and unique battleground layouts. You can fight off the coast of Montevideo, in the freezing Baltic Sea, amongst the Mounsell Forts of the Thames, in the Strait of Gibraltar, beneath the White Cliffs of Dover, at Fort St. Angelo, and beneath the legs of the Rhode Island Colossus. Missions earn you medals and let you level up toward becoming the ultimate Commander of the fleet. Achievements range from Easy to Hard, covering things like winning 2 games or scoring 1800 cumulative points, and you can earn awards for games won as well as medals for 60 misses. Sticking with one commander also earns recognition for battles won with your favourite character.
Before you start
This is online PvP, so you will be matched against another player rather than a computer opponent. Pick Classic mode if you want the straightforward board game experience, or Commanders Mode if you want commander abilities and varied arena layouts to factor into your strategy. Either way, ship placement matters as much as your aim, so take the setup phase seriously before the first shot is fired.