The player commands a fleet of ships in this naval-combat simulation which takes place in the late 18th century.

Five are historic: the Duke of Medina Sidonia (1588); Martin [sic] Tromp (1639); Blackbeard (1718); John Paul Jones (1779); Horatio Nelson (1805); and a fictitious opponent Thor Foote.

Computer Gaming World in 1987 stated that The Ancient Art of War at Sea "offers a powerful editing system and an enjoyable, playable game"[2] that was superior to its predecessor, with excellent documentation.

[6] The game was reviewed in 1988 in Dragon by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in their "The Role of Computers" column.

They agreed that War at Sea was better than its predecessor and called it a "must have", giving the game five out of five stars.