Battleship Chess

Original, Abstract, Naval Combat

So... Battleship Chess. The destroyers move like rooks, right?

Well, no; don't take the name so literally. Like Chess, this is a turn-based abstract strategy game with surprising depth. Like Battleship, its theme is naval combat. But the gameplay is quite unlike those two games.

Each turn, you may move one (and only one) ship in your fleet, which may then fire; if it ends its move adjacent to a friendly ship, both (or all) ships may fire, so planning your moves to maximize your firepower is useful. Different ship types (battleships, battlecruisers, cruisers, destroyers, and subs) have different movement ranges, armor ratings--and armaments. As you might expect, battleships have huge long-range guns, while destroyers have shorter-range but potentially devastating torpedoes. Actually, the ship stats are quite detailed, almost as if this were a naval sim, which it patently is not.

There's fog of war, meaning you don't see enemy ships until they get within sight range--you are not, as in Battleship required to fire blindly until you hit something. You can certainly do that, as many ships can fire farther than their sight range, but ships also have limited ammunition, so there's a tradeoff involved.

Some squares confer advantages on ships that land on them--e.g., resupply with ammunition, repair of a critical hit, an upgrade--but only when you land on them (you can't simply stay there and get the benefit every turn). Battles often turn around these critical locations.

Players also have 'cards' that can do things like repair critical hits, resupply, reveal parts of the map, and so on, which adds a bit of variety to gameplay.

Basically, you slog away until you have destroyed your foe--but in addition to single games, you can play 5, 10, or 15 game campaigns. In a campaign, you can leave ships in "drydock" to repair damage received in previous games, so the management of your overall fleet becomes important--its bad news if your most powerful battleship gets badly damaged, for example, because you probably won't be able to use it again for several battles.

On the whole, this is a quirky, original, polished little game that goes far to demonstrate our contention that innovation is much more feasible with independent games than in the mainstream.

The Developer Says

Combine the classic naval strategy game of Battleship with the thoughtful turn-based moves of Chess and you get Battleship Chess.

Move your naval fleet of battleships, battlecruisers, destroyers and submarines in search of the enemy. Once spotted, let them have it with your guns, torpedoes and depth charges. Play this turn-based naval strategy game against computer or human opponents, online or at the same PC.

• Command 6 types of warships, including 2 types of battleships!
• Win warship upgrades such as better armor, more ammo, and bigger guns.
• Play your battle cards during battle: drop mines, escort merchant ships to safety.
• Launch torpedo attacks from your submarines and destroyers and take out the big boys
• Watch battleships and battlecruisers succumb to your relentless torpedo attacks!
• Use the big guns of your battleships and battlecruisers to pound your enemy into submission.
• Play against computer opponents of varying skill levels and post your high scores online.
• Compete against other players, either online or at the same computer.
• Quick single-battles for those with little time.
• Long multi-battle games for the true armchair admiral.
• Endless replay with randomly generated wars and battles.

Reviews

"This naval wargame can best be described as a cross between the classic Milton Bradley Battleship board game and chess. The resulting combination is a software title, destined in its own right, to become a true classic."
  - SUBSIM