What Is the Stratego Game?
Stratego is a two-player strategy game built around concealed ranks and capturing an opponent’s flag. You arrange your army before play, then learn about the opposing formation through movement and attacks. Choosing what to reveal is part of the challenge.
For a physical edition, Jumbo’s Stratego Original product page describes a two-player set with forty pieces per army. There are different editions and variants, so use the booklet for your own set rather than assuming every version shares the same setup.
This guide separates that game from Hidden Flag Play, the independent 6×6 browser game hosted here. Our smaller board and custom rules make it a different game, not an official Stratego edition.
How Does Stratego Work?
The following outline refers to Stratego Original’s 2019 Royal Jumbo / PlayMonster rulebook. It is a starting point, not a replacement for that edition’s complete rules.
- Set up secretly. Arrange forty pieces in your four starting rows on the 10×10 board, keeping their identities hidden from the opponent.
- Move or attack. Most movable pieces travel one orthogonal square. Scouts can travel farther along a clear straight line. Pieces cannot cross lakes or jump other pieces; bombs and flags stay put.
- Resolve a clash. Higher ranks normally win; equal ranks both leave. A Miner can remove a bomb. A Spy defeats the Marshal when the Spy attacks, not when the Marshal attacks the Spy.
- End the game. Capture the enemy flag, or leave the opponent without a legal move on their turn.
Use the rulebook for rank numbering, repetition and chasing restrictions. Those details matter; the custom rules on our homepage are not a guide to standard Stratego.
Check which version you have
“Stratego” does not identify one universal setup. The Original / Duel / Infiltrator booklet, for example, describes a ten-piece Duel format and an Infiltrator variant as well as Original. Its editions have specific starting arrangements and special rules. Match the name and components on your box to the instructions you use.
A useful question before playing is: “Which rules are we following?” Agreeing on the edition is more reliable than importing a remembered rule from another board, an app or this website.
Where Can You Play Stratego?
These are external services. Check their current device support, sign-in requirements, pricing and terms on arrival. We checked the official links and listing on 15 November 2026; we do not claim to have tested a complete official online match or every advertised mode.
If you specifically want official rules or play against other people, follow those official options. Hidden Flag Play cannot provide an official match, transfer a ranking, or connect you to a Stratego account.
How Is Hidden Flag Play Different?
Both ideas involve concealed pieces and a flag to capture, but the details below describe two different experiences. The comparison uses the cited Original board-game rules, not every official digital mode or variant.
| Feature | Stratego Original | Hidden Flag Play |
|---|---|---|
| Field | 10×10, with lakes | 6×6, no blocked terrain |
| Army | 40 pieces per side | 12 pieces per side |
| Opponent here | A two-player tabletop game | Local computer only; no live multiplayer |
| Movement | Includes the Scout’s long-range move | Every numbered piece moves one square |
| Special pieces | Miner and Spy have distinct exceptions | Rank-2 Sapper defeats mines; no Spy rule |
| Rules to use | Your edition’s official booklet | The custom pocket rules on our homepage |
In Hidden Flag Play, your twelve pieces begin in the bottom two rows. Swap two friendly pieces or shuffle them, then begin. Combat reveals identities, and surviving combatants remain revealed. The interface marks that information with a diamond, so you can see which identities are public.
The numbered pieces are ranks 1–5. There is no long-range move, and a Runner is not a Stratego Scout. A rank-2 Sapper is the only piece that can remove one of our mines. A match draws after eighty consecutive individual moves without combat. Treat these as this game’s rules, not transferable advice for another edition.
Our computer opponent uses a basic move-scoring system. It does not offer ranked competition or adjustable difficulty. Optional Save and Restore work with this browser’s anonymous identity; they are not an official account, cloud profile or cross-device guarantee.
A DIFFERENT FIELD TO EXPLORE
Try an Independent Hidden-Piece Game
If a compact board and custom rules suit what you want to play, try Hidden Flag Play. The homepage explains the pieces before you commit to a match, and the game loads only when you press Play.
If you came for official Stratego, use the official options above. If you came to experiment with hidden ranks against a computer, our game is ready in your browser.
Try Hidden Flag PlaySources and Updates
This introduction was checked on . Official product descriptions, rulebooks and listings are linked below; the comparison of Hidden Flag Play describes the game implemented on this website.
- Jumbo — Stratego Original, product 19496: physical edition, components and official online link.
- Royal Jumbo / PlayMonster — Stratego Original rules, 2019 (PDF): the Original rules summarized here.
- Original, Duel and Infiltrator rulebook (PDF): examples of edition-specific variants.
- Stratego Online and its official Google Play listing: external digital options.
Found a mistake? Email support@hiddenflagplay.com with the page, the edition and the relevant rule source. We can review this guide; we cannot provide account or purchase support for the official services.
Stratego is a registered trademark of Royal Jumbo B.V. It is named here to identify and compare the game. Hidden Flag Play is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the rights holders.