Rules of Engagement ⚓

Word Fleet

Locate and destroy enemy word-ships hidden across the attack grid. Use logic, deduction, and word knowledge to outmaneuver your opponent in this fusion of naval warfare and word puzzles.

Mission Specs

Requisition

Fleet Deployment

Deploy five word-ships on your Defense Grid. Use either auto-generated or custom words; both players must use the same method.

Word-ship Classifications

Classification Length Example
KETCH 5 letters PIANO
SHIP 4 letters JUMP
SUB 3 letters BED
ARK 3 letters RUN
PT 2 letters IF

Deployment Rules

Who Goes First? 📡

... is a tactical mini-game that determines, well, you know, who goes first.

This is mandatory – no coin tossing allowed! 😉 It uses strategy and deception to secure first strike advantage.

Play Who Goes First?

Fire!

On your turn, choose one of two tactical options:

Standard Attack – Initial Strike on a coordinate, with potential Alpha Strike follow-up if you hit a word-ship
Demand Surrender – Attempt total victory by revealing the enemy's entire fleet

Standard Attack

1. Initial Strike

Choose a coordinate and call it out:

"Fire on coordinate Echo-Seven!" or "E-7!"

Responses:

MISS: No ship. Mark with a dot. End turn.
"Miss!"
HIT: Ship confirmed. Highlight the coordinate's borders. Proceed to Alpha Strike.
"Hit."

2. Alpha Strike

Guess the letter at the coordinate:

"Alpha Strike Sierra!" or "S."

Responses:

BULLSEYE: Correct letter at that position. Write it in. End turn.
"Bullseye."
LETTER TALLY: Wrong letter. Announce how many total times that letter appears in your fleet. End turn. Attack this same coordinate again later to try different letters.
"S tally 3."

Demand Surrender

Decisive Strike

At the beginning of any turn (instead of taking that turn), demand surrender by stating every word-ship and its exact location. Wait until all word-ships are announced before responding:

"I demand your surrender! Your fleet consists of: PIANO at Charlie-3 through Charlie-7, JUMP at Alpha-1 through Alpha-4, BED at Echo-8 through Echo-10, RUN at Bravo-5 through Delta-5, and IF at Foxtrot-2 through Foxtrot-3!"

Responses:

YOU HAVE WON: Every word and location is correct. Achieve total victory.
"You have won."
VICTORY IS MINE! YOU LOSE! GOOD DAY SIR!: Anything is wrong (word, spelling, or coordinates). Immediately surrender and lose the game.
"Victory is mine! You lose! Good day sir!"

📑 Debrief

Mission complete, captain. These advanced tactics and strategic options will enhance your naval campaigns and keep Word Fleet engaging across multiple deployments.

⚖️ Difficulty Adjustment Protocol

Balance skill levels between captains using strategic word selection methods. Experienced captains can use auto-generated words while new captains can make up (legal) words for balanced gameplay.

🎯 Themed Battles

Deploy your fleet around specific themes for strategic variety and educational gameplay. Both captains can use the same theme, disclose themes to each other or keep their theme a secret.

🧬 Biological: ZEBRA • FROG • COW • BAT • OX
🧭 Directional: NORTH • LEFT • TOP • WAY • UP
Musical
Celestial
Culinary
Oceanic
Metallic
Geometric
Temporal
Athletic
Botanical
Atmospheric

🤝 Join The Fleet

Word Fleet evolves through the tactical innovations of its captains. Share your discoveries, custom scenarios, or rule variations to help expand the strategic possibilities for all naval commanders.

📧 Fleet Command
missioncontrol@thegamebureau.com
"Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!" — Lieutenant Howell Maurice Forgy, USN