(From the box cover) 'Exciting Game of Strategy & Conquest. Players Command Their Own Fleet. Fire Away...Sink Ships...Capture Islands. And Become...the King of the Sea.'Game board is a plastic three-dimensional base in two parts depicting a sea dotted with islands. Each player has five ships which are moved from sea area to sea area in an effort to capture islands. After each move, the player gets to fire cannon balls from spring-operated cannon in an effort to knock down opponent's ships or island bases.The winner is the first player to capture five islands or sink all of the opposite side's ships. (Note that you will generally be capturing islands on your side of the board.) (But, that doesn't mean that you CAN'T capture an island on your opponent's side of the board. It's just harder to do as you get closer and closer to your opponent's cannon.)Four player game is simply team play with one player on each side taking the role of gunner and the other moving the ships. - BoardGameGeek