Game of the Generals

The idea

You each command 21 pieces. You cannot see your opponent's ranks — only where their pieces stand. Win by capturing their Flag, or by walking your own Flag to their back row.

Moving

• Tap one of your pieces, then tap a highlighted square.
• With a keyboard, focus the board, use the arrow keys, then press Enter or Space.
• One square at a time, up, down, left or right. Never diagonally.
• Move onto an enemy piece to challenge it.

Challenges

• The higher rank wins and the loser leaves the board.
• Equal ranks destroy each other.
• A Spy beats every officer — but loses to a Private.
• A Private beats the Spy, and loses to everything else.
• Anything takes the Flag. Flag against Flag: the attacker wins.

You are never told what you were up against. You learn which of your own pieces fell, and nothing about theirs — not what killed it, and not what you just killed. Work it out from how they play.

Ranks, strongest first

★★★★★

General of the Army

★★★★

General

★★★

Lieutenant General

★★

Major General

★

Brigadier General

◆◆◆

Colonel

◆◆

Lt. Colonel

◆

Major

▌▌▌

Captain

▌▌

1st Lieutenant

▌

2nd Lieutenant

▲

Sergeant

▬

Private — beats the Spy

✻

Spy — beats every officer

⚑

Flag — lose it and you lose

Setting up

Your 21 pieces are dealt at random across your three home rows. Tap two squares to swap them, Shuffle to re-deal, then Ready. Play starts once both sides commit.

A match with no capture for 60 turns is a draw.