Three grid sizes, three fleets, two special rules.
The mode doesn't just change the size of the map — it changes which craft you get, how long a match runs, and what kind of player wins it.
Fleet: two planes.
The shortest variant and the only one worth picking for a first match or a short bus ride. A small grid means things get found quickly and a match rarely runs beyond a few minutes. No special rules: placement, shots, cockpits.
Fleet: a plane, a boat, a submarine.
Three different shapes, so you have to recognise what you found, not just where. On a 225-cell grid, systematic searching starts to matter.
Special rule — radar: a single scan for the entire match, showing whether anything sits inside the chosen 3×3 area. It isn't free: using it costs you your turn. That makes it a real decision rather than a free button — see the strategy guide for when it's worth pressing.
Fleet: plane, helicopter, destroyer, submarine and station.
Five craft, one of which — the station — occupies 17 cells on its own. The grid holds 400 cells and the match becomes an exercise in efficient coverage.
Special rule — ammunition: each player gets 140 shots for the whole match. You cannot cover even half the map, so random shooting loses mathematically.
If both players run dry before either fleet is destroyed, the match is decided in order by cockpits hit, then accuracy, and if you're still level it ends in a draw. This is the only mode where a draw is possible.
Every day, one fleet layout, the same for everyone, on a 10×10 grid. Your score is the number of shots it took you — fewer is better. It's played solo, finishes in a few minutes, and keeps a streak of consecutive days played.
The layout isn't randomised per visit; it's generated deterministically from the date, which is why every player gets exactly the same map and scores are comparable. You can share your result as text if you want to challenge someone.
You can run a single-elimination tournament for 4 or 8 players. Create it, get a code, send it to the participants. When the lobby fills you start it and the bracket is generated automatically; winners advance on their own, without anyone keeping score on paper.
Tournaments run on Easy and Medium, but not Hard — precisely because Hard allows draws, and a knockout bracket needs a clear winner in every match.
Matches earn experience and move you through 11 ranks, from Recruit to Marshal by way of Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Colonel and General. Rank is purely status: it grants no advantage, unlocks no better craft and changes no rule.
During a match you can send your opponent messages — but not free text. You pick from a set of 14 preset phrases, unlocked as your rank rises, and the message reaches the other player with a decoding animation.
That decision is deliberate: with no free-text field there are no insults, no spam and no need for moderation. You can taunt your opponent, but only in the language the game hands you.
| Time available | Play |
|---|---|
| A few minutes, standing on a train | Easy or the daily challenge |
| A full bus ride | Medium |
| A lunch break and a good opponent | Hard |
| An evening with friends | Tournament |