Battleships Interactive

Battleships puzzles can be played interactively on the computer, offering many features and advantages compared to pencil and paper. This section explains everything about how to play Battleships on the computer. If you are not yet familiar with the puzzle rules, please go to Battleships rules.

Filling squares with ship segments or water

Battleships interactive is played by filling squares with ship segments or water. First click fills the square with water, second click fills the square with a ship segment and the third click brings the square back to its original state. Multiple squares may be filled or blanked by dragging the mouse.

Completing ship segments

When filling a square with a ship segment, the square will turn gray indicating it isn’t yet known which part of the ship it is going to be. As gray ship segments become surrounded with water or with other ship segments the color of the gray squares will change to black and their shape will change to show the appropriate ship segment which they represent.

Completing row or column

When all squares in a row or a column are completed, the corresponding number will change to gray. Empty squares in a row or a column may be filled with water by clicking the corresponding number. To finish the game, all squares must be filled with either ship segments or water. When the last square of the puzzle is filled correctly, a congratulations message will pop up.

Toolbar

All game functions are accessed through the toolbar. For some toolbar buttons, keyboard shortcut keys are also available as listed below. Toolbar may be positioned horizontally or vertically using the rotate button on the left edge, and relocated anywhere in the game by dragging its frame.

Zoom in

Enlarge small puzzles for best viewing on your screen.

Zoom out

Reduce large puzzles for best fit on your screen.

Undo (Keyboard: U)

Go back as many steps in the game as you want.

Redo (Keyboard: R)

Go forward after using Undo as many steps as you want.

Restart puzzle

Restart puzzle to solve from the beginning.

Check puzzle (Keyboard: C)

Check all filled squares for errors.

Progress

Show elapsed solving time.

Show solution

Show solution of the puzzle. Using this button will also end the game.

Preferences

Open Preferences dialog box. New preferences will be automatically saved on the computer.

Show ship conflicts: Check this box to automatically show conflicting ship segments during the game.
Show ship errors: Check this box to automatically show wrong ship segments during the game.
Auto complete row/column: Check this box to automatically fill with water empty squares in a row or a column when the number of ship segments is correct.
Auto surround with water: Check this box to automatically fill with water according to the rules empty squares surrounding a ship segment.
Sound on: Check this box to turn sound on.

About

Open About dialog box to see puzzle size, difficulty, ID, title and other information.

Help

Open How to play Battleships page you are reading now.

Print options

Open Print dialog box. New print options will be automatically saved on the computer.

Print

Puzzle: Select to print puzzle.
Solution: Select to print solution.
Current state: Select to print current solution state.

Grid

Show fleet: Check this box to show fleet under the puzzle.
Show water as X: Check this box to show water segments as X.

Scaling

Preferred image scale: Reduce or enlarge printout.
Attempt to reduce to page: Check this box to automatically fit large puzzles on a single page. When this box is unchecked, large puzzles will print in multiple pages according to selected scaling.
Attempt to enlarge to page: Check this box to automatically enlarge small puzzles to fit on a whole page. When this box is unchecked, small puzzles will print according to selected scaling.
Select optimal orientation: Check this box to automatically select puzzle orientation.