Slide an amazon, shoot an arrow, burn a square. Keep enough open board for your pieces while the other side runs out.
In Game of the Amazons, two players battle for territory on a 10x10 board. Each side has four amazons, and each amazon moves like a chess queen. After moving, it fires an arrow, and its landing square stays burned until the match ends. No pieces are ever captured. The board just keeps shrinking until one player can’t make a move.
That simple idea leads to tense, slow-building games. Every arrow you fire is both an attack and a wall.
How a turn works
Player 1 goes first. A turn always has two steps, and both use the same amazon.
First, slide one of your amazons as far as you like in a straight line. It can go sideways, up, down or along a diagonal. It can’t jump over other amazons or burned squares.
Second, that amazon shoots an arrow from where it now stands. The arrow follows the same straight-line rules and must pass through empty squares only. Shooting back into the spot your amazon vacated is allowed. Wherever the arrow lands, that square is burned and shown with a crosshatch. Nothing can enter or cross it again.
The game helps you along. Once you pick an amazon, its legal destinations light up. After it moves, the squares it can shoot at are marked.
The win condition
If your turn arrives and all four of your amazons are stuck, you lose. So the goal is to trap all four enemy pieces using burned squares, the board edge and other pieces, while keeping your own pieces free.
A line below the board shows how many empty squares each side can currently reach. Watch it closely. If your number falls much faster than your rival’s, your amazons are being squeezed.
Strategy notes
- Spread out early. Send your amazons toward big open areas before the board gets carved up.
- Shoot to block. One well-aimed arrow can close off a whole region from an enemy amazon.
- Keep every amazon active. A piece stuck in a tiny pocket barely helps you, so get it out before the door shuts.
- Seal off pockets late. As the game winds down, close off areas where your side has the bigger share of open space.
About the computer levels
Easy is a good place to learn how arrows shape the board. Medium is tougher. Hard searches two turns deep, but a single turn can offer over a thousand combinations of move and shot, so it only checks the most promising choices. That’s why it may pause briefly before it plays.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make a move | Arrow keys and Enter to pick an amazon, its new square, then the arrow square | Click an amazon, then its destination, then the square to shoot at | Tap an amazon, then its destination, then the square to shoot at |
| Start a game against the computer | — | Click "vs Computer", pick Player 1 or 2 and a level, then click "New game" | Tap "vs Computer", pick Player 1 or 2 and a level, then tap "New game" |
| Play a friend on one screen | — | Click "2 Player (local)" | Tap "2 Player (local)" |
| Take back a move | — | Click "Undo" | Tap "Undo" |
| Give up the current game | — | Click "Resign" | Tap "Resign" |
Game of the Amazons FAQ
Is Game of the Amazons for one player or two?
Either. Pick "vs Computer" to play alone, choosing whether you move first or second and an Easy, Medium or Hard level. Pick "2 Player (local)" to share one screen with a friend and take turns on the same board.
Can I play it on a phone or a Chromebook?
Yes. Tap an amazon, tap where it should go, then tap the square to shoot. On a Chromebook or laptop the mouse works the same way, and you can also use the arrow keys with Enter to make each choice.
Does my game save if I reload?
Yes. A game in progress is kept and comes back after a reload, so you can stop in the middle of a long match. Undo lets you take back a move, and Resign ends a game you can't save.
How long does a game usually take?
It varies, because the game only ends once one side is fully boxed in. Early turns go quickly, but the middle of the game often needs careful thought, since every arrow permanently shrinks the board for both players.
