How to play Broadside Bay
- 1
Pick a team size from 1v1 to 5v5 and a map. In a room the host picks both and sorts the captains into Blue and Orange; bots fill every empty seat.
- 2
Sail with the left stick or WASD and aim with the right stick or the mouse. The camera follows your aim, and a ring shows where your shot will land.
- 3
Your gun, healing and support slots sit in one row at the bottom of the screen. Pick one with keys 1 to 5 or the mouse wheel and click to use it: fire up to three deck guns, or use repair, boost, a bow shield or the ship's own ability. AUTO FIRE (Shift) fires your gun whenever an enemy is lined up.
- 4
Each captain has one life. Sink every enemy to win early; after five minutes the team with more ships afloat wins, then the one with more hull left.
- 5
Win to earn coins, experience, trophies and a crate. Fit what you find in the Shipyard and sail again.
Five ships
- Gunner
- 880 hull and three deck guns. The all-rounder.
- Dart
- Twin racing hulls: the fastest and nimblest ship, with 610 hull.
- Bulwark
- 1,420 hull of heavy plating. Slow, built to hold a narrow passage.
- Mender
- A healing beam that repairs the most hurt ally in sight.
- Warden
- A disruptor that stuns, then slows, every enemy close by.
Seven weapons
The Blaster lobs quick shells, the Heavy torpedo runs along the waterline, and the Mortar arcs over low cover into a wide blast ring. The Rail lance charges for a fast straight shot, Homing rockets chase a locked target, the Longshot reaches 370 metres, and a Flare gun hit marks a ship for 20% extra damage from your team.
Repair kits, Overdrive and the Bow shield fill the support slots. Repair buoys on each map restore 100 hull, then take 45 seconds to return.
Five maps
- Neon Circuit
- A steel harbour: a gate wall before each bay, a lit tunnel down the middle to the reactor core, and a walled channel down each flank.
- Foundry Docks
- Rows of steel blocks like city streets: covered alleys that zig-zag between them, so there is no straight way across and fights spread out.
- Halo Station
- A wheel: four lit spoke tunnels lead into a ring canal round the hub, with open docks down each flank outside it.
- Serpent Rapids
- A river winding between tall canyon walls, a rock pool in the middle and a fast side channel down each flank.
- Frost Gate
- An ice maze: walls with narrow doors, zig-zag corridors and arches, floe fields with a drift current, and a glowing red gate inside a ring of ice.
Crates, rarities and merging
Gear comes in four rarities: Common, Rare, Epic and Legendary. Small and Big crates are bought with coins earned by playing, and the Legendary crate with your PlaywithBuddies gems, after you confirm. Every crate shows the chance of each rarity before you open it, and holds an Epic or better at least once in every ten.
Merge three copies of the same item and rarity into one of the next rarity, level items up with coins, or buy one of three daily deals outright.
Quests, leagues and weekend events
Three daily quests and three weekly quests pay coins, experience and crates. Every captain level brings a Small crate and 150 coins.
A win earns 30 trophies. Seven leagues run from the Shallows to the Maelstrom; each pays a reward the first time you reach it, and higher leagues win better crates.
From Friday to Sunday a weekend event changes the rules: double coins on Neon Circuit, guns that reload twice as fast, tougher hulls, or faster ships. Three event wins earn that event's flag.
Hull paints, mast flags and wake trails change how your ship looks, never how it plays. Friends in your room see them. Most are bought with your PlaywithBuddies gems, after you confirm; some are earned in leagues and events.
Coins, gems and your progress
Coins are Broadside Bay's own, earned by playing, and buy Small and Big crates, item levels and daily deals. Gems are your PlaywithBuddies gems, the same in every game: the daily challenge on your dashboard earns them, and here they buy looks and the Legendary crate. Your items, trophies and quests are saved in the browser you play in, and on your account too when you are signed in with Google.
Tips
- Keep an island between you and the enemy while your guns reload.
- Torpedoes stop at land and sandbars. Use the Mortar to reach a ship behind low cover.
- A boat below a third of its hull should head for a repair buoy.
- Stay near your team's Mender; the beam needs a clear line.
Broadside Bay questions
- Is Broadside Bay free?
- Yes. It's free in the browser, with no adverts inside the game. Coins are earned by playing; looks and the Legendary crate take the PlaywithBuddies gems your daily challenges earn.
- Can I play Broadside Bay alone?
- Yes. Bots fill every seat, from a 1v1 duel to a full 5v5 battle, on any map.
- How do I play with friends?
- Open a room on PlaywithBuddies, share the code, and pick Broadside Bay. The host chooses the team size, the map and the teams; each captain plays on their own device.
- Are crate odds shown?
- Yes, before you open any crate, and here too. Odds are per item. Small crate, 3 items: Common 70%, Rare 24%, Epic 5%, Legendary 1%. Big crate, 6 items: Common 55%, Rare 32%, Epic 10.5%, Legendary 2.5%, at least one Rare. Legendary crate, 4 items, gems only: Rare 55%, Epic 35%, Legendary 10%, at least one Epic. Victory crate, 2 items, won by playing: Common 75%, Rare 21%, Epic 3.5%, Legendary 0.5%. An Epic or better is guaranteed within ten crates. Crates bought with gems are for players 18 and over.
- Where is my progress saved?
- In the browser you play in. Clearing its site data removes your items, trophies and quests.
- Can I play Broadside Bay on my phone?
- Yes. Broadside Bay runs in your phone's browser with nothing to install, on Android and iPhone. Turn the phone sideways to play. It has on-screen touch controls, and plays with a keyboard on a computer too. Friends can join the same room from their own phones, tablets or computers.