Stratego Game

How to start playing Stratego Online

The official browser version opens to the title screen with Play as Guest and Use Account. For your first visit, choose the guest option and work through the guided opening. Give the game time to download its resources. In our browser test the first start and the visit to the tutorial each had a separate loading stage.^[1][2]

The tutorial is a reduced board position with pieces already placed. It introduces the flag and gives you a turn on the board. Standard matches have a deployment stage. Compare the official mode descriptions before assuming every mode uses the same army size or starting formation.^[1][5][4]

How movement and hidden ranks work

Most units move one square horizontally or vertically. A Scout can move farther in a straight line through empty squares. A piece cannot cross a lake or another piece. The flags and bombs stay where they were placed. When a moving piece attacks an enemy, the two ranks are revealed and the higher one generally stays. Equal ranks remove each other.^[4]

A Miner can disarm a Bomb when it attacks. A Spy can defeat the Marshal only when the Spy makes the attack. Remember which player is moving before acting on the Spy rule. The usual rank order alone will not predict those two outcomes.^[4][5]

What the tutorial reveals when a Scout hits a Bomb

We loaded the official website in the Best Daily Games player and selected Play as Guest. When the tutorial opened the board, we dragged the blue Scout marked 2 up the clear rightmost column to an unrevealed red piece.

The encounter triggered the combat tutorial. After its prompts the board revealed a red Bomb on that square and removed our Scout. We learned which piece blocked the lane even though the attack failed.

Mark the stationary Bomb mentally after combat and approach it later with a Miner if you need that lane. An opposing piece you have already seen move cannot be a Bomb or the flag. That observation can make a risky probe unnecessary.^[1][4]

Captured by Daily Games from the original game

How to plan your first few turns

A useful opening gathers information without committing the only piece you need for the last part of the game. A Scout can check a distant opponent, a Miner can open a bombed approach, and a Spy can threaten the Marshal if it gets to make the attack. These roles shape where to put each piece during deployment.^[4]

When is a Scout worth risking on the first few turns?

If a straight lane exposes an unknown piece, ask what will change if you learn the rank. A Scout trade is useful when it distinguishes a safe lane from a route guarded by a high rank. When the rank is unlikely to change your plan, you can save the Scout and watch where the opposing piece moves.^[4]

Keep a second route open to your own back rank. A Miner stuck behind friendly units can take too many turns to reach the part of the board where you need it. Check that your own bombs defend the flag without hemming in your useful mobile pieces.^[4]

Which Stratego mode should you choose?

Use the guided board for basic movement and the spot where a battle reveals an enemy piece. The publisher’s mode list describes training against three bots, a single-player campaign and ranked matchmaking. Choose a bot to practice the rules of combat and formation before you compare your opening with other players.^[1][5]

The developer says the web and mobile versions share a multiplayer backend. Match settings and access are controlled by the publisher. On a phone, a landscape screen gives the board and rank numbers more space.^[3][5]