Battleshots

• 💋 How to Play Battleshots
• 📜 Battleshots Rules
• 🔥 Battleshots Variations
• 🧠 Pro Tips for Hosting
• 👾 FAQs about Battleshots

They sunk your battleship. Now it’s your liver’s turn. Battle Shots takes the classic board game you played as a kid and turns it into a full-blown drinking war.

No plastic pegs or tiny destroyers here—just shot glasses, a grid, and a healthy amount of chaos. It’s half strategy, half buzzed luck, and all vibes.

The best part? You don’t need to buy anything fancy. A couple shot glasses, a marker, and a pizza box is enough to turn your house into a floating battlefield. Here’s how to play Battleshots, plus a few variations that’ll take your next game night from “meh” to “legendary.”

How to Play Battleshots

Battle Shots is just like Battleship—but instead of hitting ships, you’re hitting shots. Each player secretly places their shots on a grid. Call out a coordinate. If there’s a shot there, your opponent drinks it. Sink ’em all, win the war (and maybe lose your balance).

1. Set up your grid.

Draw a 5×5 or 6×6 grid on any board (cardboard, corkboard, pizza box—go wild). Label the rows with letters (A–E) and columns with numbers (1–5). This is your ocean.

2. Place your “ships” (aka shot glasses).

Each player secretly places 3 to 5 filled shot glasses on their own board. Don’t let your opponent see where you’ve hidden them—this is war, not brunch.

3. Take turns firing.

On your turn, call out a coordinate like “B4.” If there’s a shot there, your opponent says “Hit!” and drinks it. If not? “Miss.” Either way, mark it down so you don’t guess the same spot twice.

4. First to sink all shots wins.

Once all of one player’s shots are hit (and emptied), the game ends. Winner gets bragging rights. Loser gets… hydrated. Hopefully.

👉 Want more booze-fueled strategy? Acey Deucey mixes bluffing with blackouts.

Battleshots Rules

There aren’t a ton of rules, but the ones that matter? They’re about balance. You want the right mix of fun and functioning motor skills.

1. Choose your drinks carefully.

You don’t have to fill every shot with tequila. Mix it up—beer, cocktails, even juice shots if you want to pace yourself or include non-drinkers.

2. Protect your setup.

Things will spill. Use a towel under your grid, have paper towels nearby, and avoid fragile glasses. Bonus points if you waterproof your pizza box like the crafty genius you are.

3. Keep your shots covered.

Use foil or bottle caps to cover your shots during setup. It keeps the mystery alive and prevents pre-game evaporation or spills.

4. Add penalties for bad guesses.

For every three consecutive misses, the player takes a penalty sip or does a dare. Keeps things spicy even when you’re losing.

Battleshots Variations

Want to spice things up (and maybe double the hangover)? Battle Shots has plenty of variations.

1. Minesweeper Battle Shots

Add 1–2 “mines” (super strong shots) to your board. If your opponent hits one, they drink it and lose their next turn. It’s mean. It’s fun.

2. Volcano Battle Shots

Put each shot glass inside a little “volcano” (a bowl with baking soda + vinegar). When a shot is hit, it erupts, and the player has to drink it before it spills everywhere.

3. Teleport Battle Shots

Each round, use dice to randomly move one of your remaining shots to a new coordinate. Opponents must re-guess. This one’s for the chaos goblins.

4. Truth or Sink

Each hit gives you the option: take the shot or answer a juicy truth question from the other player. Great for friend groups that overshare.

5. Pizza Box Battle Shots

Draw your grid inside a pizza box. Use the lid to shield your side. Cheap, portable, and smells like pepperoni.

👉 If Battleshots is war, Edward 40 Hands is pure survival mode.

Pro Tips for Hosting

Hosting a Battleshots night? Here’s how to level up your setup:

• Designate a referee to call out fouls, refill drinks, and keep things moving.
• Add music—a war soundtrack, party playlist, or drinking game beats.
• Use colored drinks to make the hits more dramatic.
• Set a time limit for each round so the game doesn’t drag on.

FAQs about Battleshots

1. Can you play Battleshots with more than two people?

Absolutely. Team up in pairs or split into squads. Just make sure everyone has their own grid and a designated drinker per shot.

2. What kind of board do I need?

Anything flat will do: cardboard, corkboard, or even an old pizza box. Just make sure it can hold 5–10 shot glasses without collapsing mid-battle.

👉 Not into sinking ships? Try Drinkopoly, where the board is the party.

3. Can you play Battle Shots without alcohol?

Of course. Swap out the booze for juice, soda, or water. The fun’s in the strategy, not the hangover.

4. How many shots do you need to play?

Each player typically places 3 to 5 shots on their board. Keep it manageable—this is a game, not a blackout challenge.

5. Is Battle Shots the same as Battleshots?

Yep. Just different spellings of the same beautiful disaster of a game.

Whether you’re planning your next pregame or need a hilarious way to break the ice, Battleshots is a go-to favorite. Just remember: strategize smart, hydrate often, and try not to hit the couch before the final shot sinks.