Section 6: Variants & House Rules
Variations can make Battleship faster, more tactical, or easier for younger players. Select all house rules before ships are placed and apply them equally to both players.
Salvo Play
On each turn, a player calls several different coordinates before receiving or recording the combined results. A common method gives each player one shot for every ship still afloat. A player therefore begins with five shots and loses one shot whenever a ship is sunk. Decide beforehand whether the defender reports only the total number of hits or gives a separate result for each coordinate.
Fixed Five-Shot Salvo
Each player calls five different coordinates on every turn regardless of how many ships remain. This produces a faster game and allows a player with a damaged fleet to retain full attacking power. All five coordinates must be announced before any result is revealed.
Hit Continues the Turn
A player who scores a hit immediately fires again. The turn ends after a miss or after the opponent’s entire fleet is sunk. This variation rewards finding connected ship spaces and can create long runs of successful shots.
No-Touching Fleets
Ships may not occupy horizontally, vertically, or diagonally adjacent spaces. The extra separation makes deduction easier because spaces surrounding a sunk ship can be eliminated. All other placement restrictions remain unchanged.
Silent Sinking
The defender reports every successful shot as “hit” but does not announce when a ship sinks or identify its name. The attacker must infer whether a complete ship has been found. The defender still records damage accurately and announces when the entire fleet has been destroyed.
Reduced Fleet or Grid
For a shorter game, use a smaller grid or fewer ships. A balanced beginner game can use an 8-by-8 grid with ships of lengths 4, 3, 3, and 2. Both players must use identical fleet sizes and grid dimensions.
Expanded Fleet
For a longer game, use a larger shared grid and add matching ship pieces to both fleets. Establish the new coordinate labels, ship lengths, and number of shots before setup. Ships must still be straight, entirely on the grid, and non-overlapping.
One-Time Radar
Once per game, instead of firing, a player selects a predetermined search area, such as a 2-by-2 group of spaces. The opponent reports only whether at least one ship space lies in that area. Radar does not count as a hit and does not reveal a ship’s identity or exact location.
Team Play
Divide players into two teams controlling one fleet each. Teammates may discuss strategy openly or quietly, as agreed, but one designated caller announces the final coordinate. Rotate the caller after every turn so all teammates participate.
Timed Turns
Set a short limit, such as 20 or 30 seconds, for choosing a coordinate. If time expires, the player loses the shot and play passes to the opponent. Apply the same limit to both players and pause timing while resolving disputes or recording results.