Stratego

Stratego is a two-player strategy board game in which each player secretly arranges an army of 40 pieces on a 10×10 board and tries to capture the opponent’s flag.

Stratego is a two-player strategy board game in which each player secretly arranges an army of 40 pieces on a 10×10 board and tries to capture the opponent's flag. The game is a chess-like wargame with hidden information, ranked pieces, and special units such as bombs and scouts. It has been played in Europe since World War II and in the United States since 1961.

Gameplay

Each player places their pieces secretly in the four rows closest to them before play begins. The board includes two impassable lake areas made of 2×2 squares each. Players take turns moving one piece at a time. Most attacks are resolved by comparing rank values. Pieces are hidden from the opponent, creating uncertainty and requiring memory, deduction, and bluffing.

Components and ranks

The standard game uses 40 pieces per side, representing military ranks with special abilities for certain pieces. The exact piece list varies somewhat by edition, but the game commonly includes a Flag, Bombs, Scouts, Miners, a Spy, and ranked officers.

Winning the game

A player wins by capturing the opposing Flag or by preventing the opponent from making any legal move. Some rule sets also describe victory when the opponent has no movable pieces remaining.

History

Stratego is based on the earlier French game L’Attaque and has been played in Europe since the Second World War era. It entered the U.S. market in 1961 and has since appeared in multiple editions and variants.