Surakarta

Surakarta is played on a 6×6 grid of 36 points, ringed by the game's signature corner loop arcs. You play the light pieces (the bottom two rows); the computer plays the dark pieces (the top two rows). Each side starts with 12 pieces, and Light moves first.

1. Plain move: slide one piece one step to an adjacent empty point — orthogonally or diagonally, any of the 8 directions. A plain move never captures.
2. Loop capture (the signature move): slide a piece along the grid lines, curl around at least one corner loop, and land on the first enemy you reach — removing it and taking its point. The whole path must be clear (every point passed over empty).
3. Capture rules: captures travel along rows and columns only — never along a diagonal, and you can never capture in a straight line without using a loop. You may not jump over any piece, friend or foe. Capturing is optional.
4. Winning: capture all 12 of your opponent's pieces. If the game stalls (50 moves with no capture), whoever has more pieces wins; an exact tie is a draw.

Use the toggle to switch between vs Computer and 2 Players.

Full rules guide & cultural history →

Surakarta is an abstract strategy game from Central Java, Indonesia, named after the historic court city of Surakarta (also known as Solo). Traditionally the board was scratched into the dirt and played with stones and cowrie shells.

Its precise origin and age are not well documented — we should be honest about that. The game reached the West through a 1970 French publication and was later reprinted under the name "Roundabouts."

What makes Surakarta stand out is its loop-based capture: a piece curves around the corner arcs to strike an enemy from a distance. This mechanic is thought to be unique among traditional board games, and it gives Surakarta a character all its own.