Battleship!

Here, you'll play a randomness game against a computer opponent.

Specifically, you'll be playing a game that's a lot like battleship. Importantly, you'll be playing against a computer that has no strategy or memory of your choices; the computer just chooses randomly.

Instead of playing on one big board that remains across turns (like in normal battleship), you'll play on a new mini-board each turn.

Here's how it will work:

Your job is to place a ship in a random tile. You don't want your opponent to guess it, so try to be unpredictable.

Your computer opponent will be trying to guess the random tile, thus sinking your ship. The computer behaves totally randomly, with no regard for your recent choices.

The game will last 150 turns in total.

To continue, press the → key on your keyboard.

YOU

OPPONENT

Total score: 0

You're the player on the left. Recall, your job is to place the ship on a random tile.

The computerized player on the right will be trying to guess the ship's location. But it's doing so totally randomly.

So, on each turn you'll generate place the ship in a random tile in this grid. You'll place the ship by using your mouse to click on the tile you want. Remember, you're trying to be as random as possible so that your opponent can't guess where you're placing your ship!

Press the → key to proceed.

Let's go through a turn in the game. Place your ship in any of these tiles.

The computer will submit their guesses immediately, as the computer is not thinking at all about what you've done, and is instead choosing totally randomly.

So, once you've placed your ship, you'll be able to see where the computer guessed.

Once you place your ship, we'll be able to move on to the next step.

After you submit your choice, we'll see if the computer guessed correctly. In the real game, we'd then move on to a new turn of the game, allowing you to place the ship again.

Press the → key to proceed.

The rest of the game will look just like this.

Remember, you're trying to place the ship in a random tile to be as unpredictable as possible, and a computer is trying to guess where you'll place the ship.

The computer is behaving totally randomly, and does not take into account your decisions (past or present) at all.

Still, you should try to be as unpredictable as possible!

There will also be a point system in the game, just to make things more engaging. Every time the computer can't get your ship, you'll get +1. On the other hand, if the computer does guess it correctly, then the computer will get +9.

Ready to play? If so, press the → key.