A Stratego board you can share with a second player
This board is the same classic game as the home page, built for two people sitting at one keyboard, tablet or phone. Both armies deploy at the start, then you take turns: make your move, say hand it over, and pass the device.
It is the closest thing to the physical box you can get in a browser. Nothing to print, nothing to set up on the table.
How the two-player version works
- Deploy both armies. Each side places forty pieces on its own four rows - flag, six bombs, five miners, eight scouts and the rest of the ranks. The screen hides the second army while it is being placed.
- Take turns. One player moves one piece, then passes the device. Some versions of this board also offer an online pool where you wait for a remote opponent; if you land there, use the local two-player mode instead of waiting.
- Resolve fights out loud. In a shared-screen game the other player cannot see the hidden ranks, so announce the result the board shows.
- Win the same way. Capture the flag, or leave the opponent with nothing that can move.
Two players on one screen: what changes
Losing the fog of war is the whole point. On one device you still cannot see the other army, but you can watch your opponent hesitate, and that tells you more than any hint system. Keep a finger on the piece you are about to move and watch where their eyes go.
The downside is rules honesty: in a shared-screen game both players see the result of a fight, so there is nothing to argue about as long as you both read the board before passing.
When to use which board
- Play against the computer if you are alone, want to learn the ranks, or want to practise an opening without an audience.
- Stay on this page if there are two of you and you want the real thing: hidden armies, bluffs, and the awkward silence when a Marshal walks into a bomb.
Phones and tablets
The board is square and fills the screen width, so a phone held in landscape gives both armies a readable four rows. Tap Fullscreen before you start; on a shared screen the buttons at the edges are easier to hit than the ones near the middle.
Rules you will need before the first move
The Marshal (10) beats everything except a bomb and a Spy that attacks it. Only the Miner (3) can defuse a bomb. The Scout (2) moves any distance in a straight line and the Spy only wins against the Marshal when it is the one attacking. Those four lines explain most of what happens in a first game - the full rules page has the rest.