Maths Guru
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PuzzleAges 5–11Part of Arcade Walk

Battleships: find the hidden fleet from the counts

This Battleships puzzle is played alone, using logic rather than guessing. The numbers beside each row and below each column say how many cells in that line are part of a ship, and ships never touch, even diagonally. The player marks cells as ship or water until the whole fleet is found.

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Battleships

How to play

  1. Read the counts. The number beside each row and below each column tells you how many cells in that line are part of a ship.
  2. Ships never touch, even diagonally. A cell next to a ship that is not part of it must be water.
  3. Tap a cell to cycle empty, ship, water, empty. Pre-revealed hint cells are locked.
  4. The roster under the board shows the fleet to find, from one big ship down to single subs.
  5. You win when every ship cell is marked and all counts match. Par is 120 seconds for Beginner, 300 for Explorer and 540 for Champion.

Maths skills it builds

  • Logical deduction
  • Counting and matching totals
  • Elimination
  • Spatial reasoning

Why it works

Every move in this puzzle can be reasoned out from the counts, so it teaches children to prove a cell is water or ship rather than guess. Matching row and column totals is a gentle introduction to constraint thinking, and the par time gives something to beat.

Related maths skills

Questions parents ask

How is it different from the classic Battleships game?

It is a solo logic puzzle. You do not fire at an opponent; you deduce the fleet from the row and column counts and from the rule that ships never touch.

What sizes are there?

6×6 with 6 ships for Beginner, 8×8 with 10 ships for Explorer and 10×10 with 10 ships for Champion.

Is there a time limit?

No. A timer counts up, and beating par earns a better score.

Can guests play?

Yes. Guests can play the Beginner level. Signing up unlocks Explorer and Champion.

Battleships

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