The game is played on four grids, two for each player. On one grid the player arranges ships and records the shots by the opponent. On the other grid the player records his/her own shots.
Before play begins, each player secretly arranges their ships on their primary grid. Each ship occupies a number of consecutive squares on the grid, arranged either horizontally or vertically. The number of squares for each ship is determined by the type of the ship. The ships cannot overlap (i.e only one ship can occupy any given square in the grid). The types and numbers of ships allowed are the same for each player.
Aircraft carrier = 5 Squares
Battleship = 4 Squares
Submarine = 3 Squares
Destroyer = 3 Squares
Patrol Boat = 2 Squares
After the ships have been positioned , the game proceeds in a series of rounds. In each round, each player takes a turn to announce a target square in the opponent’s grid which is to be shot at. The opponent announces whether or not the square is occupied by a ship, and if it is a “hit” they mark this on their own primary grid. The attacking player noted the hit or moss on their own “tracking” grid, in order to build up a picture of the opponent’s fleet.
When all of the squares of a ship have been hit, the ship is sunk, and ship’s owner announces this (e.g. “You sank my battleship!”). If all of a player’s ships have been sunk, the game is over and their opponent wins.