Guides
How to win, how to play, and what to play next. Written by the people who built Torpedo, with numbers from our own simulations.
Strategy
Best Battleship Layout: A Probability Map of Where to Place Your Ships
There is no single best Battleship layout. In our simulation, ships laid flat along the edges cost a probability-based hunter about 6 extra shots (51.3 instead of 45.1), while fleets bunched in the center or packed into one touching group were found fastest. An opponent that learns your habits erases the edge advantage, so vary your layout.
How to Win at Battleship: 7 Strategies That Actually Work (With the Math)
The best Battleship strategy is to search on a checkerboard, switch to the squares around a hit as soon as you score one, and aim where the most ships can still fit. In 100,000 simulated games per method, random fire needed 95.4 shots to sink the classic fleet, hunt and target 62.1, adding a checkerboard 55.1, and probability hunting 45.0.
Rules and how to play
How to Play Battleship on Paper (Free Printable Grid)
To play Battleship on paper, each player needs two 10×10 grids lettered A–J and numbered 1–10: one for your hidden fleet and one for your shots. Draw five ships, take turns calling squares, mark hits with an X and misses with a dot, and ring each sunk ship. Our free printable has both grids ready.
How to Play Battleship: Rules, Ships and Setup
Battleship is a two-player guessing game. Each player hides five ships (Carrier 5, Battleship 4, Cruiser 3, Submarine 3, Destroyer 2, so 17 squares) on a 10×10 grid. You take turns calling squares like B7, the defender answers hit or miss and announces each sunk ship, and whoever sinks the whole enemy fleet first wins.
Games for two
Best Games for iPhone Duo: 6 Picks for Apple's Foldable iPhone
The best games for iPhone Duo are the ones that use the fold. Torpedo turns the half-open phone into a sea battle game case, and Twofold uses the raised half to hide each player's board in seven classics. Ticket to Ride, Kingdomino, Patchwork and Lichess suit the big inner display but haven't announced fold features.
Road Trip Games for Two: 17 Car Games With and Without a Phone
When one of you drives, play talking games: 20 questions, the license plate game, the alphabet game, would you rather and Ghost. When you're both passengers or parked, Torpedo is our pick for offline play: a sea battle on one shared iPhone, against the computer, or across two iPhones with no internet. Lichess, Polytopia and Monopoly also play offline.
Best 2-Player Board Games (and the Ones You Can Play on One Phone)
The best 2-player board games for most people are 7 Wonders Duel, Patchwork, Jaipur, Codenames Duet and Sky Team: each teaches in about ten minutes and plays in 15 to 30. Hive and Santorini suit strategy fans, Twilight Struggle is the heavy pick. To play on one iPhone, our pick is Torpedo, the classic sea battle (we make it).
Best Offline Games for iPhone (No Wi-Fi Needed)
Our pick for offline play is Torpedo, our own sea battle game: the computer, one shared phone or two phones nearby, no internet. The best other offline iPhone games are Stardew Valley, Balatro, Mini Metro, Kingdom Rush, Monument Valley and Retro Bowl. Open every game once online before a trip, then test it in airplane mode.
Best Battleship-Style Games for iPhone in 2026: 8 Sea Battle Apps Tested
Torpedo is the best sea battle app for iPhone in 2026 for most players: its computer is built and tested never to see your fleet, and it plays offline, on one phone, nearby without internet, online and over SharePlay. Fleet Battle is the best pick for online matches with strangers, and GamePigeon for a quick game in iMessage.
Games for Couples: 24 Ideas for Date Night, Long Distance and Road Trips
The best games for couples depend on where you are. Our pick for playing on iPhone is Torpedo, a sea battle on one phone or over FaceTime (we make it). On the same couch, try Codenames Duet or Sky Team; long distance, Codenames Online or Board Game Arena; over text, would you rather.
History
Your fleet is waiting
