About Strategus
This is Strategus web app, a free online multiplayer Stratego -like game.
Stratego is a copyrighted game concept and trade name by Jumbo Games. This web site is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the copyright owner.
Game rules
Rules are the same of classic Stratego game. If you never played before please review the basic game rules first.
Additional rules defined by the International Stratego Federation are also enforced, namely two-squares rule and more-squares (continuous chasing) rule. For more details see: ISF Game Rules.
Game phases
Initial setup time is unlimited. If your opponent is taking too long you can leave the game (no penalty incurred).
Total game time is 15 minutes per player, plus 3 second per-move free time. No move can take longer than 3 minutes.
Game will be automatically draw if there are 200 consecutive moves (100 per player) without pieces being attacked.
How to play
You need to sign-in to be able to play. There are two sign-in options:
- Anonymous sign-in:
You'll be able to play immediately but friendly matches only. Match results won't be saved and won't count for stats or rankings. - Email verified sign-in:
A link will be sent to your email for verification; you won't be asked for a password. You'll be able to play ranked matches.
You can try to find an open game or create a new game and wait for an opponent.
Match options
New games can be "public" (anyone can find and join the game) or "private" (share the game code or link with the person you want to play, so he/she can join).
You also have the option to play in "incognito" mode. In this case opponent names are undisclosed until the end of the match.
Ranked match results are used to compute the Strategus Ranking, based on Elo ratings.
Strategus Studio
Ongoing games can be watched live and previous games can be replayed at Strategus Studio. All games, friendly or ranked, are automatically saved for replay.
Players can opt-out from public game visibility (either live game watching or recent game replay). Please note that all players are able to replay their own games under any circumstances.
Strategus Podium
Besides the regular friendly and ranked games, verified players can also compete in tournaments at Strategus Podium. There is a dedicated ranking for tournament players; champion and runner-ups earn a badge.
In-game chat and mailbox
To prevent unwanted trash-talking, in-game chat needs to be explicitly enabled by typing "hi" and can be disabled by typing "bye".
You can send direct messages to other verified players using the mailbox system. If receiving offensive messages, you have the option to block the sender (note that will also block the offending player from joining your games).
Fraud and abuse prevention
Although it's difficult to avoid all possible frauds or abuses of the system, there are some online checks and the site is actively monitored to detect "alias" accounts (i.e. the same player using two or more accounts to play):
- Games with opponents sharing the same IP or network address are automatically flagged (no points rewarded).
- Playing ranked behind a VPN is not allowed for new players (players with some background may bypass this check).
- Usage patterns and IP address history are analyzed and used as evidence for alias account disclosure.
Alias accounts are removed from the ranking and appear in a footnote. Player accounts may be disabled or banned for ranked games in some cases like:
- Self-playing using an alias.
- Bogus games, game spamming or losing on purpose.
- Multiple and repeated account creation.
Contact and support
You can contact the site admin by sending a direct message to strategus (verified player account is required to use the mailbox system).