A CLASSIC BATTLE OF HIDDEN STRATEGY

Stratego Game — Play Stratego Online Free

The Stratego game is a battle of wits, not just strength. Command 40 pieces, protect your Flag, and discover what your opponent is hiding. Play in your browser, one clever move at a time.

40 pieces. Countless possibilities.Free to playAI: no account needed

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AI PRACTICE · ONLINE ROOMS
CLASSIC · 40 PIECES
Beginner AIHIDDEN ARMY
Your army · Red10 = HIGHEST RANK

Click two of your pieces to swap them. Happy with the layout? Start game.

◈ No download · No signup · No move timerYour hidden ranks stay hidden from the AI.

Choose Stratego online vs computer for free practice without an account, or sign in for Stratego two player matches. Create a private room, share its link with a friend, or find an opponent through automatic matchmaking. The beginner Stratego AI remembers battles but cannot inspect your unrevealed army. Once paired, preparation lasts two minutes; turns allow thirty seconds before a random legal move. Registered players can save formation templates and resume their room after reconnecting. No download is required.

New to the game? Start here
LESS GUESSING. BETTER MOVES.

A little knowledge goes a long way.

Keep these essentials close to the board.
01

THE MISSION

How to Play Stratego in 3 Minutes

Your mission is to find the enemy Flag before your opponent finds yours. Arrange forty pieces across your four home rows, then take turns moving one piece. Click a soldier and a highlighted destination to move or attack. Enemy ranks stay concealed until a battle gives you information. A Scout can travel farther than other soldiers, so use it to investigate an open lane. Read the introduction, then try an untimed AI match.

Explore how to play Stratego
02

THREE EXCEPTIONS TO REMEMBER

Stratego Rules at a Glance

Most battles favor the higher numbered soldier, and equal ranks remove both pieces. Three exceptions matter immediately: a Miner removes a Bomb, a Spy defeats a Marshal only when the Spy attacks, and any movable soldier can capture the Flag. A Bomb survives attacks from other soldiers. Neither Bombs nor Flags move, and lakes block every piece. This preview also blocks a fourth consecutive crossing between two squares and declares a draw after three identical positions.

Read the complete Stratego rules
03

KNOW YOUR FORTY

Stratego Pieces and Ranks

This board uses the numbering where Marshal 10 is strongest and Spy 1 is weakest in an ordinary fight. Each army has one Flag, six Bombs, eight Scouts and five Miners, alongside the officers shown below. Scouts move any clear distance along a row or column; other mobile pieces move one square. Some older sets number their officers in the opposite direction. Compare the piece names before bringing rules from a different edition to this board.

Check all pieces, ranks and moves
04

A FORMATION WITH A REASON

Best Stratego Setup for Beginners

There is no formation that wins by itself. The suggested layout protects a back row Flag with Bombs while leaving Scouts and Miners near open lanes. Its tradeoff is visible: concentrated Bombs can advertise the area worth investigating. Before you start, swap a few pieces to change the pattern, keep a Miner available for the endgame, and avoid trapping every strong officer behind immobile pieces. Use the starter formation as a practical lesson rather than a guaranteed best setup.

Compare eight original opening formations
05

INFORMATION IS PART OF YOUR ARMY

Strategy: Beating a Human Opponent

Against a person, ask what each move tells both players. A piece that moves cannot be a Bomb or Flag; a long straight move identifies a Scout. A failed attack can still reveal an important defender, but sacrificing your only Spy just to test an unknown piece is expensive. Remember the identity of a battle survivor as it moves. In this preview its face turns hidden again, so the public battle log helps you track what you learned.

Explore twelve practical Stratego strategies
06

WHICH GAME ARE YOU PLAYING?

Classic, Junior or Fantasy?

This preview offers the classic forty piece format on a ten by ten board. Junior and fantasy editions can change the army, presentation or special rules; they are not selectable modes here. If you are comparing a Stratego app, free Stratego games or a Stratego game review, first check the piece count, rank direction and battle exceptions. Those details tell you more about whether two versions match than their artwork or the word classic on a menu.

Compare Classic, Junior and other editions
Your next move is on the board.

Try a formation. Learn an opponent. Find the Flag.

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