Phantom Fleet
Play Phantom Fleet free online. Aim your harbour cannon ahead of drifting ghost ships, sink galleons and clippers with ward shots and never hit the lifeboats.
How to Play Phantom Fleet
A phantom fleet is drifting across the bay toward the harbour, and you are on the dock with one old cannon loaded with ward shots. Tap a spot on the water and the cannon lobs a glowing shot there. When it lands, it bursts in a ring and sinks any ghost ship inside it.
The catch is that the shot takes a moment to arrive. Ships keep sailing while it flies, so you have to aim where a ship is going to be, not where it is now. The farther the spot, the longer the flight. After every shot the cannon needs a short moment to reload; the red ring around it shows when it is ready.
Any ghost ship that sails off the far edge of the screen has slipped into port, and one of your three lanterns goes out. Small wooden lifeboats with a warm yellow lantern also cross the bay. Those are living sailors rowing home. Hit one and you lose a lantern too.
Ships far away are smaller, harder to hit and worth more points. As you sink more of them, they come faster and more often. Big galleons with three masts need two hits, and later on quick clippers race across the bay. Sinking two ships with one shot earns a bonus.
Controls
Touch
- Tap the water to fire at that spot.
Mouse
- Move the sight with the mouse and click to fire.
Keyboard
- Arrow keys move the sight, Space or Enter fires. P or Escape pauses, M mutes.
Tips and Tricks
- Lead your target by about one ship length for close ships and two or three for far ones.
- Deal with ships closest to the edge first. A ship in the middle of the bay still has time.
- Wait a beat when a lifeboat sails near a ghost ship. The burst ring is wide.
- Galleons are slow. Two well-placed shots in a row sink them before they get far.
- Ships in the same lane often bunch up. One shot between two of them can sink both.
About the Game
Phantom Fleet is a shooting game about patience and prediction rather than fast clicking. There is no rapid fire, so every shot matters, and the slow arc of the cannonball makes each hit feel earned. The ships have glowing red sails, lit portholes and a gentle bob on the waves.
The bay is wide, so the game is best on a computer or a phone turned sideways. Nothing in it is gory: the ward shots simply send the ghost ships sinking back below the waves. Your best score is saved in this browser and can go on the Top 10 board.
Phantom Fleet FAQ
Why do my shots miss ships I clicked right on?
The shot takes time to fly, and the ship keeps moving. Aim ahead of the ship, in the direction it is sailing.
What are the small brown boats?
Lifeboats with living sailors. Do not hit them. Each one you hit costs a lantern.
How many hits does a ship need?
One for most ships. Big three-masted galleons need two, and a small gold light on top shows when one is still undamaged.
When is a game of Phantom Fleet over?
Losing all three lanterns. You lose one for each ghost ship that sails off the screen and each lifeboat you hit.
Are far ships really worth more?
Yes. Ships near the horizon are worth up to three times as much as ships close to the dock.
