THE HISTORY OF THE BATTLESHIP BOARD GAME: FROM WWI TO THE BIG SCREEN


By bblouin
A battle ship board game with game pieces.

There are many iconic board games kids and adults alike play to pass the time, but Battleship stands the test of time. The objective is simple enough. Two opponents try to blindly guess the location of their enemy’s fleet and act as if they are firing upon it. The last fleet standing wins. However, while the Battleship board game we know and love today may have taken the world by storm in America, its origins point to another country for the inspiration of it all. Suggested read: China Military Upset After US Ship ‘Illegally’ Enters China Sea

How Do You Play Battleship Board Game?

Playing the Battleship board game found in homes across the globe is simple. Here are the basics of the Battleship board game rules:

  • Each player arraigns their side of the board with a fleet. You receive an aircraft carrier that takes up 5 spaces, a battleship that takes up four spaces, a cruiser that takes up three spaces, a submarine that takes up three, and finally, a destroyer that takes up two.
  • The players take turns guessing where their opponent’s ships are, saying the coordinates indicated on the board aloud.
  • If it’s a hit or a miss, your opponent notifies you. Then, you mark your board and they mark theirs accordingly.
  • The first player to sink all of the ships is declared the winner.

While there are different versions these days, these are the basics of Hasbro’s Battleship board game. Today, it’s played on a plastic game board that brings strong naval vibes. There are even electronic versions of the game with sound effects. However, its origins began on paper and there are a few origin stories that predate its current version. Related read: The Silent Service: Submariners and Sailors We Love to Tribute

L'Attaque or Basilinda?

Long before the Battleship board game online, warfighters needed something to do. Military men taking a break to play strategic games is very much alive, so it makes sense that while the platforms are new, the concept is not. Depending on how you look at it, the origin of Battleship is believed to be traced back to either the French game L'Attaque, popularized during World War I, or E. I. Horsman's 1890 game Basilinda, a favorite of Russian officers before the Great War. L'Attaque, a French wargame from 1909, involves two players managing 36 ranked pieces, aiming to capture the opponent's flag or hinder further moves. This game influenced later ones like Stratego. Basilinda features a board, movable partition, and pieces. The pieces include eighteen men, three cannons, and one captain or king. With a divided board and strategic challenges, it is a two-player game, though three or four participants can also play. Like Battleship, the overall goal is to disable the other player’s pieces. The reason L’Attaque, or The Attack, receives so much credit for one of Hasbro’s best sellers is because of its own transformation from a paper game to a board. Taking the grid to a board in the 1960s was Milton Bradley who called it “Broadside” and based it on the War of 1812.

The Battleship Board Game Has Evolved Into Much More

Sometimes games become bigger than how they initially begin. Battleship is a prime example. There are several new iterations, including attaching other franchises to the game. Additionally, it garnered enough interest to launch a blockbuster film with stars such as Rihanna and Liam Neeson. While that film wasn't the highlight of Hasbro’s history, it’s still a fun ride with lots of explosions. Ultimately, isn’t that what the Battleship board game aims to be? A great way to pretend we’re blowing each other to hell on the high seas, passing the time with family and friends. Read next: USS Carney Forced to Defend Against Drones From Houthi Rebels


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