# Carrier Battles — Pacific War Naval Warfare

> Turn-based Pacific War naval and air combat wargame with historical scenarios. (iPhone/iPad app by Cyril Jarnot.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carrier-battles/id1592301610 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Cyril Jarnot](https://appshunter.io/developer/408976539)
- Category: Education, Entertainment
- Price: $9.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.60/5 from 52 App Store ratings · 61 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 1.4 GB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2021-11-21
- Data updated: 2026-09-09
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carrier-battles/id1592301610/reviews.md

## What is Carrier Battles?

This is a classic hex-and-counter digital wargame covering the naval-air battles of the Pacific War, in the South Pacific and Central Pacific in 1942-1943.

Find the forces of your opponent and strike at them before they sink your precious aircraft carriers, while preventing them from invading key points in the theatre of operations or supporting your own amphibious operations.

LEARN MORE

• Solitaire play again powerful US or Japanese AI
• Play by Email
• 11 historical scenarios: Coral Sea May 42, Midway June 42, Eastern Solomon Aug 42, Santa Cruz Oct 42, Guadalcanal Dec 42, Bismarck Sea March 43, 
Rabaul 1943, Guadalcanal Feb 1943, Watchtower Aug.42, US Raids Mar 42, Wake Dec 41
• Varied Hex maps with a scale of 30 miles per hex
• 80 types of warplanes, historical ships
• Naval-air search, radar, progressive intelligence gathering on enemy naval forces
• Air strikes against naval and land targets, surface battles
• Advanced damage system
• Invasion, naval bombardment
• Turn-based system
• A nice on-boarding sequence will guide the player to the depth of the game
• Available in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese , Italian
• No internet connection required to play against the AI

Estimated Playtime: 1h00 to 3h00.

Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Privacy policy: http://cbfg.xooit.org/t536-Data-Privacy.htm#p3416

## Key features

- Solitaire play against AI
- Play by Email multiplayer
- 11 historical scenarios
- Naval-air search and radar
- Advanced damage system
- Turn-based gameplay

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $9.99.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cross-platform Multi-player | $0.99 | per 6 months |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seaplanes + Essex scenario | $2.99 | one-time |
| Adv. fog of war + FS scenario | $2.99 | one-time |
| Submarines + 1 scenario | $2.99 | one-time |
| Admiral | $14.99 | one-time |
| Fleet Admiral | $9.99 | one-time |
| Leyte Gulf | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pilots & Philippine Sea | $2.99 | one-time |
| Indian Ocean Raid | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hailstone 44 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Into the wind | $2.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 61)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carrier-battles/id1592301610/reviews.md

### 4/5 — 有些小问题

*2026-05-04*

1:舰队在自动航行状态下无法正常执行对岸炮击（即使目标在自动航行目标）
2:当友方舰队进攻但被避战后必须再花费两回合再兜一圈才能再次进攻，建议改为可以对本格敌舰发动追击（需要判定）

### 5/5 — 希望加入更多挂载

*2026-04-11*

在太平洋战争中后期，美军战机可以挂载火箭弹等武器，日军零式战斗机也挂载了炸弹，希望加入上述功能

### 5/5 — Review and suggestions.

*2026-04-05*

I’ve been playing the game for a couple years and am a huge fan. Even if some mechanics are difficult to master it is fairly easy to get into. Some suggestions I have are an option to include the 3 Unryu class carriers as options for Philippine Sea as Shinano is already an option and was completed after them. I would also suggest a what if option for the scenario that gives certain Japanese carriers A7M fighters, similar to the one for B7A bombers. Lastly, I think it would be cool if midway had a no coral sea option like Operation FS does, adding Shokaku, Zuikaku, and Shoho to the Japanese, and Lexington to the US, along with having Yorktown keep her fully airwing if you select the Saratoga option

### 5/5 — ビスマルク海シナリオでの違和感

*2026-03-31*

このシナリオをプレイしてて思ったのが日本側でプレイしたときにアメリカ側でプレイしたときの倍ぐらいになっていると思います
可能なら修正してほしいです

### 5/5 — Maravilloso Wargame

*2026-03-04, version 1.14.17*

Uno de los pocos wargames que merecen la pena en IOS, a día de hoy atendido por su creador. Muy bien implementado en ipad. Debes conocer el teatro del pacifico para sacarle todo el provecho. Buen manual y en actualización constante. Horas de diversión si buscas wargame de mesa en IOS.

### 5/5 — The Ultimate Carrier Strategy Game is Here!

*2026-03-01*

Following in the tradition of classic boardgames like “Flattop”, Carrier Battles has finally made it possible to properly simulate carrier warfare in the Pacific.  Although the computer certainly makes things a lot easier to play than the old hex-counter wargames, there’s still quite a bit to learn, but after a certain point the game is tunable to the level of detail and control you wish to manage. 

As a suggestion, most folks prefer to learn more by “doing” than by choking down documentation. In that vein, I think the game could be made more accessible—and more fun—for beginners and veterans alike by expanding the variety of Tutorials to include truly replayable mini-scenarios that not only isolate particular skills and mechanics, but can also be tuned, randomized, or even played competitively, opening up options for players looking for getting a “quick fix” of Pacific naval warfare in a short amount of time. 

Example mini-games: for Search, a race against time to try and spot enemy carriers before they spot you. For Strike, a standoff between two airfields, trying to destroy more airplanes than they lose.  Then perhaps a surface-to-suface scenario, trying to bring transports to engagement while avoiding an intercepting fleet. Next up, maybe a “Tokyo Express” scenario where the player must rush in to either land supplies on or bombard an airfield then get back to cover before daylight. For full mini-games, trying close and sink a carrier using only surface task forces (playable from either side) or even just a one vs one carrier duel. 

As another thought, the list of Tutorials can be made shorter by having optional elements on each that users can select to set complexity or difficulty to their liking. In the airfield vs airfield idea, for example, there might an option to add surface ships trying to to bombard or land transports on the enemy field—much like the first (repulsed) Japanese attempt to land on Wake Island. Other features can have their own Tutorials too: subs, cruiser search planes, etc etc. 

Regarding tunability, I wonder if perhaps even historical scenarios can be made less complex by adding an option to delegate certain forces to AI management?

Also, regarding randomization, maybe the game could benefit from a very basic scenario creation capability - even if it’s nothing more than a little tunability for the above-mentioned Tutorials. Nothing fancy: players choose the month, the map, and maybe the type of mission, then checkboxes that set the probability of various ships or bases being there. To keep things simple, the loadouts for these ships and bases can be predetermined based on the year and month selected: even starting locations can even be predetermined to make things even simpler - perhaps you might limit players only to variations on existing scenarios. 

All in all, Carrier Battles is a truly great game!

**Developer response:** Thanks for this lovely review, the first of 2022  !
What do you mean by "stack vs single unit mode is not quite there" ?  You still have the choice to move air units by unit, stack or variable count

### 5/5 — The Ultimate Carrier Strategy Game is Here!

*2026-02-25*

Following in the tradition of classic games like “Flattop”, this game has finally made it possible to properly simulate carrier warfare in the Pacific.  Although the computer certainly makes things a lot easier to play than the old hex-counter wargames, there’s still quite a bit to learn, but after a certain point the game is tunable to the level of detail and control you wish to manage. 

In regards to learning, I humbly suggest most people learn best by “doing” rather than trying to choke down endless documentation: in other words, I think the game could be made a LOT more accessible with a much wider variety of Tutorials: not just demonstrations of particular skills, but fully playable mini-scenarios, limited in scope, that can be tuned, randomized, or even played competitively, especially for players looking for getting a “quick fix” of Pacific warfare in a very limited time. 

Some ideas for Tutorials: for learning search, an airfield trying to spot transports closing in. For strike management, perhaps a standoff between two airfields, each trying to inflict a certain number of losses on each other.  Another tutorial might be solely surface ships, trying to spot then bring another task force to a surface engagement. Next up, perhaps a “Tokyo Express” scenario where the player must attempt to land supplies on or bombard a critical airfield before daylight. To learn carrier operations, perhaps a single carrier trying to spot mulitple surface ships trying to close in, then perhaps a 1v1 carrier duel. As players gain mastery, additional elements steadily increase complexity: the airfield vs airfield idea can be elaborated to reducing an airfield’s capability enough to land transports (much like the first Japanese attempt to invade Wake Island). Other features can have their own Tutorials too: subs, cruiser search planes, etc etc. Finally, even full scenarios can be made more manageable if there was an option to delegate certain forces to the AI for management.

Regarding randomization, I think the game could benefit from a very basic scenario creation capability - even if it’s nothing more than a little tunability for the above-mentioned Tutorials. Nothing fancy: players choose the month, the map, and maybe the type of mission, then checkboxes that set the probability of various ships or bases being there. To keep things simple, the loadouts for these ships and bases can be predetermined based on the year and month selected: even starting locations can even be predetermined to make things even simpler - perhaps you might limit players only to variations on existing scenarios. 

I hope these suggesions are not overwhelming, and thanks for the great game!

**Developer response:** Thanks for this lovely review, the first of 2022  !
What do you mean by "stack vs single unit mode is not quite there" ?  You still have the choice to move air units by unit, stack or variable count

### 4/5 — 好的游戏

*2026-01-17*

游戏是挺好的，就是有点小贵；希望有生之年能用上任务编辑器模式，想搞舰队问题演习和架空历史了

### 5/5 — 太卡了

*2026-01-16*

太太太卡了。很好的游戏，希望能优化

**Developer response:** Fixed with version 1.12.7

### 4/5 — Fleet merge gets disappeared

*2025-12-24*

I tired to merge my fleets and sometimes my ships got disappeared and will not reappear in the game, I think this bug needs to be fixed, thank you

## Frequently asked questions about Carrier Battles

### What is Carrier Battles?

Carrier Battles is a digital wargame that recreates the naval and air battles of the Pacific War in 1942-1943. It features a hex-and-counter system for strategic gameplay, allowing players to command historical fleets and aircraft.

### What are the key features of Carrier Battles?

Key features include solitaire play against a powerful AI, Play by Email multiplayer, 11 historical scenarios like Coral Sea and Midway, detailed naval-air combat with search and radar, an advanced damage system, and turn-based gameplay. It also includes varied hex maps and historical ship and aircraft types.

### How much does Carrier Battles cost?

The app is free to download and play, but it offers in-app purchases. This monetization model allows players to access additional content or features through optional purchases.

### Can I play Carrier Battles offline?

Yes, you can play Carrier Battles offline when playing against the AI. An internet connection is not required for single-player sessions, making it suitable for playing on the go.

### What historical periods does Carrier Battles cover?

The game focuses on the naval-air battles of the Pacific War, specifically covering the South Pacific and Central Pacific regions in 1942 and 1943. It includes scenarios from major engagements during this critical period of World War II.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.15.23 — 2026-09-05

Santa Cruz : the Japanese seaplane tender force starts closer to Santa Cruz islands so that it may establish a seaplane base.

Mogami cruiser has only 3 turrets after April 43.
N1K-J labelled with its prefix because N1K was another type of plane.

Carrier damage flight deck was sometimes logged several times but there is only one damage level.

Miscellaneous wording fixes in Chinese

Multiplayer:
- Do not show invalid scenarios (whatever their reason of being)
- The number of new games in the lobby was written from right to left (ex: 61 instead of 16)

### 1.15.22 — 2026-08-30

Subs
- Submarine set-up area was lost during multiplayer games.
- A propulsion damage mus the performed on a ship hit by a torpedo launched from surface ship or submarine.

Miscellaneous fixes in air to air combat.

Leyte Gulf:   
- 2 TF added to to the US set-up
- A US TF able to move 2 hexes was sometimes teleported.

Coastal batterie fire suffers malus against BB

### 1.15.21 — 2026-08-22

Miscellaneous surface ship fixes in scenarios.
Retiring force were unable to leave the map from the column with highest number. The same from the highest row.
B7A is considered as a dive bomber when equipped with bombs.

### 1.15.20 — 2026-08-11

Bug fixes:
- The delete will appear as soon as a game is finished.
- Air unit confused / aborted status could turn out damaged after loading a saved game.
- Philippine Sea: it was not possible to unload at Palau.
- More freedom for the players to unload on the objective of their choice.

### 1.15.19 — 2026-07-29

Damage:
- After a hit, destroyed flight deck damage will be tested even of the deck is already damage, hence increasing the chance of terminating air operations 

Bug fix:
- Possible duplication may occur if a strike fs forced to return to base at night

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## More apps by Cyril Jarnot

- [Carrier Battles 4 Guadalcanal](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carrier-battles-4-guadalcanal/id961994680)
- [Napoleon's Eagles](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/napoleons-eagles/id6475722890)
- [No Retreat! Russia](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/no-retreat-russia/id6755461879)

All apps by Cyril Jarnot: https://appshunter.io/developer/408976539

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-09.*