Agile Games

Agile Battleship

A collaborative Agile exercise for exploring how batch size and feedback cadence affect team decisions.

The team tests three feedback conditions against hidden fleets and compares what each approach reveals.

Activity details

Players
At least 2
Duration
5–8 minutes
Purpose
Agile Games
Format
Facilitated, Collaborative

How it works

Explore big-batch, small-batch, and continuous-feedback conditions with the same 20-shot budget, then compare how the team planned and adapted.

  1. Work as one team

    Participants collaborate on shots against a different hidden fleet in each condition, with 20 shots available every time.

  2. Big batch

    Plan all 20 shots before the host reveals any results.

  3. Small batches

    Plan and reveal four groups of five shots, adjusting the next batch after each set of results.

  4. Continuous feedback

    See each shot’s result immediately, then use that feedback to choose the next shot.

  5. Review each condition

    After each 20-shot condition, inspect completed and partial ships, hits, misses, accuracy, and the order of the shots.

  6. Compare and debrief

    After all three conditions, compare the boards and use the facilitator prompts to discuss feedback cadence, batch size, and planning trade-offs.