How to Play the Battle Game

Game Setup

The Battle Game is a two-player and whole-class reading game in Bitsboard. Divide your group or classroom into a Red Team and a Blue Team. Give each player a number or have each team line up so the first player on each team steps up to read head-to-head against the opposing team.

Launch the Battle Game on any Bitsboard flashcard board and two words appear immediately—one word for the Blue Team and one word for the Red Team. The Blue Team player reads the blue word aloud while the Red Team player reads the red word aloud.

Scoring Options

In the Game Settings you can select one of two scoring options:

First to answer: The first player to read their word aloud accurately earns a star for their team. Speed is rewarded, but accuracy comes first—if the first player misreads the word, the opposing team automatically scores a point.
Both can answer: Speed does not matter. Both players take their turn reading their word aloud, and every player who reads their word accurately earns a point for their team.

In both modes, scoring is controlled by the teacher or parent. After each round, tap the screen and award the star to the Blue Team, the Red Team, Both Teams, or a Draw.

Example Session

In the screen below, you see two words—one for the Blue Team (star) and one for the Red Team (bag). Both teams have earned one star so the score is tied 1–1.

In the First to answer mode, tap the screen as soon as the first player reads their word. If they have read the word accurately, they earn a star. If they read it inaccurately, the other team gets a star. If both players read their words at the same time, tap Draw so neither team gets a point.

In the Both can answer mode, tap the screen once both players have tried to read their words, then award the round to the Blue Team, the Red Team, or Both Teams. In Game Settings, you can configure how many rounds each match lasts.

Once the match is over, the final scoreboard displays the winning team:

To exit the game or change settings mid-match, tap the top row of the screen to reveal the Home and Settings buttons.

Recommended Boards for Classroom Battle Games

Phonics & CVC Reading Hub — Run head-to-head decoding battles with short vowels and CVC word families.
Printable Phonics Worksheets — Pair live classroom Battle rounds with printable take-home practice sheets.
Battle Game Overview — Explore full game settings, customization options, and an interactive preview.