Link Steam
indiegame.fan
BattleTabs header art

BattleTabs

It looks like Battleship. It plays like a duel of wits. 40+ ships, each with a unique ability — build a fleet of 4 and outsmart your opponent in fast 1v1 matches. Free to play, cross-platform, 5M+ players.

Steam Page
Developer
Gangbusters Ltd
Publisher
Gangbusters Ltd
Release
Coming Soon
Steam Reviews
No reviews yet

Does this feel indie?

Vote based on whether this game feels indie to you. You can change your vote at any time. Results earn an IGF score after 10 accepted votes.
No votes yet
Vote on More Games
Game contextLatest: IGF Team
ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan.Status
Notes
Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes
Search Google: Who developed BattleTabs?Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer.
Search Google: Who published BattleTabs?Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher.
Search Google: Is BattleTabs self-published or published by Gangbusters Ltd?Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified.
Search Google: How is BattleTabs and Gangbusters Ltd funded?FundingThe known source of funding behind the game.
Search Google: Who controls the creative direction and IP for BattleTabs and Gangbusters Ltd?Creative controlWho appears to retain creative control of the game.
Search Google: What is the release status of BattleTabs?Release statusWhether and how the game has been released.

Media

10 items

About the Game

Take the game everyone played as a kid. Give every ship a superpower. Now you're playing BattleTabs.

A fast, tense 1v1 strategy duel: build a fleet, hunt down your opponent's, and sink it before they sink yours. The board is hidden, the abilities are deadly, and one good read can win the whole match.

So, what's in your fleet?
You bring four ships into battle — and there are 40+ to choose from, each a completely different tool:

  • 🛶 The Coracle one-shots any ship — if you've already found the tile.

  • 🚣 The Longboat keeps firing until it finally misses.

  • 🐙 The Octopus tells you how far away the nearest enemy is hiding.

  • 🛡️ The Loyal Defender takes every hit meant for the rest of your fleet.

  • 🪞 The Magic Mirror steals your opponent's last move and fires it back.

  • ⚔️ The Valkyrie strikes twice — and harder every time one of your own ships goes down.

  • And many more!

Mix, match, and find the combo that wins the way you want to win.

The board is hidden. So is your plan.
Every shot is a guess you're trying to make less of a guess. Scout with sonar. Bluff your placements. Bait out their cooldowns, then punish the opening. The matches are short. The mind games aren't.

Quick to learn. Brutal to master.
A round takes a few minutes. Getting genuinely good takes a while. Climb the ranked ladder, where wins come from better reads — never better luck.

You don't have to battle alone.
Join a clan and climb together. Drop into tournaments to prove you're the best in the field. Or go solo against the AI in Expedition — a roguelike run where you push your fleet through encounter after encounter, upgrading as you go, with only three strikes to spare.

  • ⛵️ 40+ ships, each with a unique cooldown ability

  • 🔧 Collect and build your fleets — think through your strategy!

  • 🧪 Unlock new ships, cosmetics (hats!) through the research tree

  • 🏆 Skill-based ranked play — pure 1v1, no pay-to-win

  • 🏟️ Tournaments — compete for the top of the bracket

  • 🤝 Clans — team up, climb, and represent

  • 🗺️ Expedition (Early Access) — a PvE roguelike against AI fleets

  • ⚡️ Two modes: Intense for fast duels, Casual to take your time

  • 🪐 Cross-platform — your fleet follows you everywhere

  • 🆓 Free to play

5M+ players have battled across 6 platforms — now join us on Steam!

Indie Game Fan