Battleship: A Classic Guessing Game for the Ages

Battleship is a board game that goes back almost 100 years, combining the classic strategy of a guessing game with a nautical war theme. Battleship is as simple as a guessing game can get, but the nostalgia of sinking red pegs into little plastic battleships is something that will never get old. If you’re looking for a simple board game to teach kids about strategy, Battleship is a timeless classic.

The History of Battleship

Although you probably grew up playing Battleship with the little red pegs and plastic ships, the game was originally played using pencil and paper. Battleship dates all the way back to World War I, using paper lined with ruled grids to represent the different spaces on the board. Players would shade in the spaces that represented the battleships and mark an X off of every space that their opponent guessed.

The first commercial version of the game was known as Salvo, which was released in 1931. Then, in 1967, Milton Bradley introduced the version of Battleship that we know today that uses plastic boards and pegs. Since then, Battleship has been released in countless forms, online, and even in the form of a feature film.

Hit or Miss

Battleship is a strategic guessing game played on four grids. Each player gets two grids: one to secretly arrange their own battleships on and one to use for guessing where their opponent’s battleships are. There are five ships, each of which takes up a different number of spaces ranging from 2-5. Players will use little red pegs to mark their guesses, inserting them into the holes on the grid that correspond to their guess.

The grid is set up with letters denoting each column and numbers denoting each row. When you make your guess, you’ll call out the number and letter of the location on the grid. For example, A1 is the uppermost left spot on the grid. If you’ve successfully hit your opponent’s battleship, they’ll call out “Hit!”  If you land in the water, however, then they’ll call out “Miss!”

Battleship is a good mix of luck and strategy. In the beginning, you’ll be shooting in the dark. But as it goes on, you’ll start to get a clearer picture of the board. If you suddenly hit a battleship, you have no way of knowing in which direction the rest of the battleship goes. However, once you’ve successfully hit each section of the battleship, your opponent will call out the signature phrase, “You sunk my battleship!”

Salvo Variant

Battleship usually goes back and forth between players, giving each player one guess at a time to sink the other person’s battleship. There is an optional rule called the Salvo variant, which allows players to call multiple shots depending on how many battleships the player has left. 

This means that if you have yet to sink a battleship, you get five guesses, but if your opponent only has one battleship left, then you only get one guess each round. This can make the game go much more quickly while also allowing slower players an opportunity to catch up to their opponents.

Battleship Sequels

There are countless reinventions of the game Battleship that employ different themes and rules to add a spin on the original. Battleship: Pirates of the Caribbean uses characters and ships from the beloved Disney movie to add a fun pirate theme to this old war-time board game. 

Battleship: Star Wars Advance Mission puts a Star Wars twist on this classic board game, shooting you into outer space and offering you special “one-hit” blows that destroy the entire spaceship in one go. There’s even an active version of the board game Battleship called Battleship Shots that requires you to toss balls onto the other person’s side of the divider in order to sink their ships.

You Sunk My Battleship!

Battleship is a two-person game, so it’s perfect for parents to play with their kids. It’s also suitable for ages 8 and up, so siblings can play it with each other as well. Playing time lasts around 30 minutes, which is perfect for holding younger players’ attention. Buy Battleship today and enjoy the feeling of triumph that comes with hearing the words, “You sunk my battleship!”

 

Monikers: Half Trivia, Half Charades, All Fun

One of the best parts of playing a guessing game is when you’re paired with someone you just vibe with. When you’re on the same wavelength, sometimes all you need is one word to get the other person to know exactly what you’re talking about. With the card game Monikers, you can put your friendships to the test in a guessing game that will spice up any party.

Who’s that Celebrity?

Monikers is essentially a curated card game version of the classic game Celebrities. Players will split into two teams, with each team taking a stack of cards. These cards are comprised of a range of different things from celebrities, pop culture characters, historical figures, and even internet memes. If you’re the clue-giver that round, it’s up to you to get your fellow teammates to guess what’s on the card.

How good you are at giving clues in this card game does depend on how well you know the person or phrase on the card. However, if you’re scratching your head wondering who the heck Louis IV was, then you’re in luck. You’re allowed to skip a card that’s too difficult or that you don’t know and put it at the bottom of the deck to be drawn later.

Round One: Taboo

The first round of Monikers is similar to the game Taboo in that you are allowed to use any words, sounds, or gestures you like in order to get your teammates to guess the clue. The one thing you can’t say, though, is the name of the card. This is the easiest round for both the clue-givers and the guessers, as you have pretty much free rein in your description. This is great for using clues that are specific to your friends or family, such as “the one guy that Aunt Helen is obsessed with from the show Dynasty!”

Round Two: Code Names

After both teams have both taken their turns with the first round, the game gets a little harder. The second round of Monikers is similar to the card game Code Names in that you may only give one word as a clue. Again, this word can’t be one of the words in the card, but other than that you can use anything you like to get people to guess.

This round keeps you on your toes by forcing you to get inside the heads of your teammates. What’s the one word that they’ll associate with David Bowie?  You’ll burst out laughing at watching the wacky associations your friends try to make in order to guess correctly.

Round Three: Charades

The third round of Monikers gets rid of words entirely. This round is similar to Charades in that you have to act out what the word or phrase is without using any words. This round can bring out some of the more humorous parts of the game as you may find yourself acting out something completely embarrassing! Still, if you’re desperate to earn points, you’ll do what it takes for the good of the team.

Monikers Expansions

Monikers has many expansions that can either be used to add to the main set or as standalone versions of the game. Monikers: Classics combines several small box standalone expansions including Monikers: Shmonikers, Monikers: Something Something, and Monikers: The Shut Up & Sit Down Nonsense Box.

Monikers: More Monikers includes a whopping 440 new cards, which is equal to the size of the original game and about four times the size of most Monikers expansions. Whichever expansion you choose, you’ll be sure to keep the fun going for countless rounds as you explore new ways to get your friends and family to guess the wildest clues.

Monikers: Let the Fun Begin!

Monikers is playable by anywhere from 4-16 players, making it the perfect party game for any sized party. It’s suitable for ages 17 and up, mostly due to the adult humor of some of the cards. However, you can easily take out offensive cards to make it more kid-friendly. Playing time lasts about 30-60 minutes, although you can keep the fun going however long you want with the hundreds of cards in the deck. Put your pop culture knowledge to the test and buy Monikers today!

 

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