by Joe Owens

Created on: December 18, 2008

What a simple concept some lover of strategy games devised with battleship. Two small fleets are operating in the great expanse of blue with the power to destroy you if you do not destroy them first. So, best to get with the task of exposing the enemy as rapidly as possible; but where to look, after all your radar is broken, leaving you to poke around like you are in the dark.

The game is based on a simple premise; destroy your opponent's fleet before he or she can destroy yours. Based on a grid system, this is a game even beginning elementary age children can enjoy. All that is required is to be able to look at the letter on the top section of the grid and slide your finger along on the numeric portion to the intersecting point, such as D6.

The game area consists of two grids, one to track the success of your shots against your opponent's fleet and another which holds your five ships and will record your opponent's attacks. I am sure there are numerous strategies to placing your ships, but really it is up to each player the strategy they employ.

If you plan to play multiple games you can alternate who goes first. It really makes no difference unless you are just really fortunate at guessing how the other placed their ships. If you make a selection that results in a "hit" the opponent will take a red "peg" and place it in the corresponding point of the affected ship.

Five types of vessels represent your small fleet, including an aircraft carrier, battleship, cruiser destroyer and submarine. The carrier of course, is your largest ship, with five holes that must be filled by correctly placed shots by your opponent. The battleship has four, cruiser three, while the destroyer and submarine have two.

There are also enough white "pegs" which represent missed shots to fill the entire grid if you happen to be absolutely unskilled at determining where your enemy has his fleet. My children have this game and spent a few hours trying to find each other's ship with varying amount's of success.

Not too many years ago a variant of this game called Electronic Battleship tried to compete in the arena of increasingly flashy video games. The shots were given sound and explosions were heard as well as represented by flashing lights. I am not sure this really energized the game much as the sales figures were mixed at best.

This game will help you children use a bit of logic as they learn to think about how a ship must be sitting in order to arrange the shots to destroy it. It is a good way for them to spend their time developing logical skills on the days after all the excitement of Christmas has waned.

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