Players arrange a fleet on a concealed grid and take turns selecting coordinates on the opponent's board. Each successful hit reveals information about a ship's location, while repeated misses help narrow the remaining search area.

The main objective is to sink every opposing ship before the computer or another player does the same. The DOS version supports play against the computer and may support local two-player play, but the exact mode selection and fleet options are not confirmed here.

Spread ships across the board and avoid predictable spacing or alignment. After finding a hit, test adjacent coordinates systematically until the ship's orientation and full length are known. Use a checkerboard-style search pattern while looking for new targets, since ships occupy consecutive grid spaces.