Stratego

Stratego brings the classic board game of hidden armies to the computer, preserving the central trick that makes the original so entertaining: you never quite know what the other side is hiding. You arrange your forces, protect important pieces and try to capture the opponent’s flag while figuring out which enemy units are genuinely dangerous and which are merely pretending to be impressive. The computer version adds convenience and an opponent that never needs to stop for dinner, although it also has the unsettling habit of making surprisingly sensible decisions. The gameplay is turn-based and deliberately tactical, rewarding memory, bluffing and careful positioning. Stratego is a good example of how a simple board-game concept can remain compelling when translated to a computer. It is basically military intelligence conducted with tiny pieces, except nobody has to clean the board afterward.