Sea Battle is a free online naval guessing game inspired by the classic Battleship. Place your fleet on the grid, then take turns firing at the computer until one side has no ships left. It runs in your browser with no download or sign up, works on phone and desktop, and keeps working offline once loaded.
Inspired by: The paper and pencil naval guessing game Battleship (early 1900s).
How to play Sea Battle
- Place your five ships on your grid. Tap a square to drop the ship, use Rotate to turn it, or press Auto place for a random fleet.
- Press Start battle. You fire first by tapping a square on the enemy waters.
- A white marker means a miss. A fiery marker means a hit.
- When every square of a ship is hit, it sinks and you see its shape.
- The computer fires back after each of your shots. Sink all five enemy ships before it sinks yours.
Controls
- Keyboard: Arrow keys move the highlight, Space or Enter places a ship or fires, X or R rotates a ship.
- Mouse: Click a square to place a ship or fire. Use the Rotate and Auto place buttons.
- Touch screen: Tap a square to place a ship or fire. Use the on-screen buttons to rotate or auto place.
Tips to score higher
- Do not place ships in neat rows or along the edges every time. Mix it up so the computer cannot guess.
- After a hit, try the squares next to it. Ships run in a straight line.
- When you search for ships, shoot in a checkerboard pattern. It finds every ship with fewer shots.
- Look at the enemy ship list. If the longest ship is gone, you can skip gaps that are too small for it.
The story behind Sea Battle
Sea battle guessing games were played on paper with pencils long before there were screens. Soldiers and schoolchildren drew two grids, hid their ships on one and called out coordinates like B7 to find the other side's fleet. A plastic board version of Battleship was sold in the 1960s and became a household game, and later computer versions followed. It teaches planning, patience and a little bluffing. Many of us played it at the back of a classroom with squared notebook paper, trying to hide our ships from a friend. Sea Battle brings that same tense moment of calling a shot and waiting to hear hit or miss.
Questions players ask
Is Sea Battle free to play?
Yes. It is free with no sign up and no download.
Is it the same as Battleship?
The rules are very similar. You hide a fleet, fire at squares and try to sink every ship. This is our own version with its own look.
How many ships are there?
Each side has five ships, of 5, 4, 3, 3 and 2 squares.
How does the computer play?
It searches the grid in a smart pattern, and once it finds a ship it follows the line until the ship is sunk. It does not see your fleet.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes. Everything works by tapping, including placing and rotating your ships.