Play Surakarta Online
Play Surakarta free in your browser, against the computer or a friend. Surakarta is a strategy board game from Indonesia with a twist you will not find anywhere else: pieces capture by racing around the loops at the corners of the board and striking from a distance. No download and no sign-up.
How to Play Surakarta
Surakarta is played on a 6×6 grid of lines. At each corner, the lines curve round in circular loops that join one side of the board to the next. Each player starts with 12 pieces on the two rows nearest them. You can move one step at a time in any direction, but to capture you must travel along a line and around at least one loop. Capture all of your opponent’s pieces to win.
- Tap one of your pieces, then tap an empty neighbouring point to move it one step.
- Moves can go across, up, down or diagonally.
- To capture, send a piece along a line, round at least one corner loop, onto an opponent’s piece.
- Capture every enemy piece to win the game.
Play on your Phone
Play against the computer or a friend
Play the computer to learn how the loops work and to practise spotting capture paths. The loops make long-distance attacks easy to miss at first, so a few games against the computer is the quickest way to get the hang of them. When you are ready, challenge a friend and take turns.
Surakarta rules explained
- The board. The board is a 6×6 grid of lines with 36 points where the lines cross. Eight loops sit at the corners. The four smaller loops join the second lines in from each edge, making the inner circuit. The four larger loops join the third lines in, making the outer circuit.
- Starting position. Each player has 12 pieces filling the two rows of points nearest to them. The middle two rows start empty.
- Moving. On your turn, move one piece one step to any empty neighbouring point, across, up, down or diagonally. Ordinary moves do not use the loops.
- Capturing. To capture, move a piece along a line of the circuit, through at least one loop, and land on an opponent’s piece. Every point on the way must be empty, apart from the point your piece started from.
- Distance does not matter. A capture can travel as far as the path allows, through more than one loop, as long as nothing blocks the way.
- Capturing is optional. Unlike in checkers, you never have to capture. You can make a quiet move instead.
- Winning. You win by capturing all of your opponent’s pieces.
Surakarta strategy tips
- Follow every circuit. Before you move, trace both the inner and outer circuits from your piece. Captures come from directions that look safe on a normal board.
- Check your own pieces too. Every path you can use to attack, your opponent can use against you. Look along the circuits that pass through your pieces before you leave one exposed.
- Corners are quiet. The four corner points are not on any circuit, so pieces there cannot be captured, but they cannot attack either. Use them to rest a piece, not to win the game.
- Control the circuit crossings. Some points sit on both the inner and outer circuits. Pieces there can attack in more ways, but they can also be hit from more directions.
- Block with your own pieces. A capture path must be clear. A single piece placed on a circuit can shield several of your other pieces.
- Open the board slowly. Early on, the circuits are crowded and blocked. Move pieces off them one at a time and see which paths open for you and which open for your opponent.
- Use the fact that capturing is optional. Sometimes the best move is to wait. A capture that pulls your piece into an exposed spot can cost you more than it wins.
History of Surakarta
Surakarta is named after the old royal city of Surakarta, also known as Solo, in Central Java, Indonesia. It is a little-known game outside Indonesia, and its early history is not well recorded, but its looping capture paths make it one of the most unusual board games in the world. You can read more on Wikipedia’s Surakarta page.
Surakarta or checkers?
Both are two-player capture games with 12 pieces each, but they play very differently. In checkers you capture by jumping over a piece next to you, and captures are usually compulsory. In Surakarta you capture from a distance by travelling round the loops, and you never have to capture. If you like checkers but want something fresh, Surakarta is a good next step.
More board games to try
If you enjoy Surakarta, try Fanorona, a capture game from Madagascar with its own unusual capture rules, or Checkers. For a mill game from Southern Africa, try Morabaraba.
Surakarta FAQ
Is this Surakarta game free? Yes. It is free to play in your browser, with no download or sign-up.
Can I play with a friend? Yes. Play against the computer, or challenge a friend.
Where does Surakarta come from? Indonesia. It is named after the city of Surakarta in Central Java.
Do I have to capture? No. Capturing is optional in Surakarta.
Can a capture go round more than one loop? Yes. As long as the path is clear, a capture can pass through several loops.
Can I play Surakarta on my phone? Yes. The game runs in your phone’s browser.