This guide will teach you how to win more games of Battleship.
It is written for people with traumatic brain injuries who struggle with impulse control.
The strategies in this guide work. I use them myself. My win rate has improved dramatically since I learned to slow down and use a system.
You can do this too.
Understanding the Challenge
Why Battleship Is Hard with Brain Injury
Battleship is a game of strategy and patience. You need to think ahead. You need to resist the urge to fire at random spots.
For people with traumatic brain injury, these tasks are harder. Your brain wants to move fast. Your impulse control is weaker.
The good news is that Battleship can actually help train your brain. Every time you slow down and use a system, you practice the skills your brain needs to rebuild.
I have a traumatic brain injury from a car accident. My short term memory is damaged. My impulse control is poor.
When I first started playing Battleship for my research study, I lost almost every game.
I would fire at random squares. I would rush my moves.
But my win rate has improved. Yours can too.
The Most Important Rule
Pause Before You Fire
The single most important strategy for people with brain injury is to slow down.
Count to 3 before you take your shot. Use that time to think. Check your notes. Look at your grid.
Impulse control problems make us want to fire immediately. Resist this urge. Three seconds of thought will win you more games than fast shooting.
Your opponent will not mind if you take three seconds. Most Battleship games allow plenty of time between shots.
Winning slowly feels a lot better than losing quickly.
How to Place Your Ships
Ship Placement Strategies
Where you place your ships matters more than you might think. Good placement makes it harder for your opponent to find all your ships.
Your fleet includes five ships of different sizes:
Carrier (5 spaces), Battleship (4 spaces), Cruiser (3 spaces), Submarine (3 spaces), and Destroyer (2 spaces).
Strategy 1: Spread Your Ships Apart
Never place ships right next to each other. When your opponent hits one ship, they will target the adjacent squares.
If two ships are touching, your opponent can hit both ships in the same area. This is bad for you.
Leave at least one empty square between all your ships. Two empty squares is even better.
Strategy 2: Use Random Placement
Your brain looks for patterns. Your opponent's brain does too.
If you place all your ships horizontally, your opponent might notice. If you always put your carrier in the top row, they will learn.
Try to place ships randomly. Some horizontal. Some vertical. Different areas of the board each game.
Avoid creating patterns that you repeat game after game.
Strategy 3: Consider the Center Versus the Edges
Most players fire more shots toward the center of the board. The edges get fewer shots.
Placing some ships near the edges can make them harder to find. But do not put all your ships on the edges. That creates a pattern too.
Mix it up. Some center. Some edges. Keep your opponent guessing.
Good Ship Placement
Ships spread apart with empty spaces between them. Random mix of horizontal and vertical. Some near center, some near edges. Different pattern each game.
Weak Ship Placement
Ships touching each other. All horizontal or all vertical. Same placement pattern every game. All ships clustered in one corner.
The Checkerboard System for Shooting
Why the Checkerboard Method Works
The checkerboard system is the most important shooting strategy in this guide.
Imagine the game board is a checkerboard. Half the squares are black. Half are white.
Ships can only be placed horizontally or vertically. This means every ship covers both black and white squares.
If you only fire at black squares, you will eventually hit every ship. You only need to check half the board.
Here is how the checkerboard system works:
Pick either black or white squares. Fire only at those squares. Skip the other color completely.
When you get a hit, switch to target mode. Fire at the squares next to your hit. These will be the other color.
When you sink that ship, go back to checkerboard mode. Continue firing at your chosen color only.
Keep Written Notes
Your memory might not be reliable. Write down your strategy before you start.
Write: "Fire at checkerboard squares only."
Write: "Count to 5 before every shot."
Keep these notes visible during the game. Glance at them before each turn.
Hunt and Target: The Two-Phase System
Understanding Hunt Mode
Hunt mode is when you are searching for ships. You have not hit anything yet. You are exploring the board.
During hunt mode, use the checkerboard pattern. Fire at every other square. Be systematic. Do not fire randomly.
Stay in hunt mode until you hit a ship. When you get a hit, switch immediately to target mode.
Switching to Target Mode
Target mode is when you know where a ship is located. You are trying to sink it completely.
When you hit a ship, fire at the four adjacent squares. Up, down, left, and right from your hit.
Keep firing at adjacent squares until you sink the ship. The game will tell you when a ship is sunk.
After sinking a ship, switch back to hunt mode. Resume your checkerboard pattern.
The Hunt and Target Checklist
1. Am I in hunt mode or target mode?
If you have not hit a ship yet, you are in hunt mode. If you just hit a ship, you are in target mode.
2. Hunt mode: Am I following the checkerboard?
Only fire at checkerboard squares. Skip the other color completely.
3. Target mode: Have I checked all four adjacent squares?
After a hit, fire up, down, left, and right. One of these will be another part of the ship.
4. Did I sink the ship?
When you sink a ship, go back to hunt mode. Resume the checkerboard pattern from where you left off.
Take Your Time
Using this system takes practice. At first, it will feel slow. You might think you are taking too long.
You are not. Most Battleship games allow plenty of time between shots.
Count to 3 out loud before you fire. Use that time to check your checklist.
Winning slowly is lots more fun than losing quickly.
Advanced Strategy: Probability Thinking
Thinking About Probabilities
As you sink ships, the remaining ships become easier to find.
If you sink the destroyer (2 spaces), you know all remaining ships are 3 spaces or larger.
This means you can leave gaps in your checkerboard pattern. You can skip more squares.
After you sink the 2-space destroyer, you can fire every third square instead of every other square.
After you sink the 3-space ships, you can fire even less frequently.
This strategy saves shots. But it also requires more thinking. Only use it if you feel comfortable.
If probability thinking feels too complicated, stick with the basic checkerboard method. It works fine on its own.
Dealing with Memory Problems
Memory Aids for Battleship
Short term memory problems make Battleship harder. You might lose track of your strategy during a game.
The good news is that online games track your hits and misses on screen. You can see where you already fired.
Your challenge is remembering which mode you are in and which strategy you are following.
Some memory tips for the electronic game:
Keep a piece of paper next to your computer with your strategy written down. Write "Hunt mode: checkerboard pattern" and "Target mode: fire at adjacent squares."
Write down which mode you are currently in. Cross it out and rewrite it when you switch modes.
If you get distracted during a game, pause. Look at your notes. Review your strategy. Then resume.
Reset Your Focus
Brain injury makes sustained attention difficult. Your mind might wander during a game.
When you notice your attention drifting, pause the game if you can.
Take three deep breaths. Look at your written notes. Review where you are in your strategy.
Then continue playing. Do not feel bad about needing breaks. This is normal.
Building Your Confidence
You Can Win
Battleship is not about having a perfect memory. It is not about making split-second decisions.
It is about following a system. It is about slowing down and thinking before you shoot.
Even with a traumatic brain injury, you can learn these strategies. You can win games.
I did. You can too.
Every player loses games. Professional chess players lose. Professional poker players lose. Battleship players lose.
Losing does not mean you failed. Losing means you learned something.
Measuring Progress
I rarely won a game when I started. But now, as I learn to count to 3 before I shoot, my record is improving.
I do not expect to be perfect. But it is gratifying to win more games.
You can improve too. Keep track of your wins and losses. Celebrate your progress.
When You Lose a Game
Learn From Losses
After you lose, think about what happened. Did you forget to use the checkerboard? Did you fire too quickly?
Do not get angry at yourself. Do not feel depressed.
Brain injury makes some things harder.
The goal is not to win every game. The goal is to get better over time.
I still lose games. Sometimes I forget to count to 3. Sometimes I move too fast.
Sometimes my opponent just gets lucky. That is okay. That is part of the game.
The Psychology of Winning
Your Brain Can Learn
Traumatic brain injury changes your brain. But your brain can still learn new patterns.
Your brain gets stronger every time you count to 3 before shooting.
Every time you slow down and check your notes, you practice impulse control.
This is not just about winning at Battleship. This is about retraining your brain.
Neuroplasticity is the most amazing brain activity.
Your brain changed after your injury. Your brain can use neuroplasticity to change again, from playing Battleship.
Games like Battleship are not just entertainment. They are therapy.
Why Battleship Helps Brain Injury Recovery
Battleship as Brain Training
Battleship exercises multiple brain functions that are often damaged by traumatic brain injury.
It requires working memory to track your strategy. It requires impulse control to resist random guessing. It requires planning and strategy.
Every game you play is practice for your brain. You are training yourself to slow down and think.
Final Thoughts
You picked up this guide because you want to improve. That means you are already on the right path.
Remember to count to 3. Take your time. Use the checkerboard system. Switch between hunt mode and target mode.
Win or lose, you are exercising your brain. You are participating in your own recovery.
That is something to be proud of.
Never give up!
Practice Resources
You can play Battleship online for free at many websites. I like Battleship Online and Battleship by GameFlare.
Start with the basic difficulty. Practice counting to 3 until it becomes automatic.
Then increase the difficulty. Track your progress. Celebrate your wins.