DragonScaleGames
Out now Strategy · 2 players Free to play Easy to learn

Salpakan Tactics!

Hidden ranks. Bold bluffs. One flag to capture.

The Filipino battlefield classic, rebuilt as a bright 3D board game. Hide your ranks, read your rival, and send your Spy at their Five-Star General. Play the AI in your browser, or anyone online.

Web browser Play now Android Soon Steam Soon
Play free in your browser How to play
Screenshots

Take a closer look.

Every rank hidden: only the referee sees both armies.
A clash, and a Battle Clip when you win it.
Powerups: fog, decoys, intel and traps.
Arenas from cultures all over the world.
Make the board yours.
Boot Camp: learn the ranks in five minutes.
Ranked, quick matches, rooms and friends.
Made for phones, tablets and PCs alike.

Every rank hidden: only the referee sees both armies.

So easy to play

Learn it in five minutes. Play it for years.

No dice, no thick rulebook. Three simple rules, and Boot Camp walks you through your first game on the real board.

3rules to learn
5minutes to your first game
1tap to set up your army

Hide your army

Place your 21 pieces where you like, or tap Shuffle and the game sets them up for you. Your rival can't see a single rank.

Clash: higher rank wins

Move one square at a time. When two pieces meet, the referee checks them in secret: the higher rank stays, equals both leave.

Take the Flag

Capture the enemy Flag, or walk your own Flag to the far side of the board. That's the whole game.

Try a clash

Pick your piece and an enemy piece, then hit Clash. This is every rule in the game.

Spy
General of the Army

Your Spy against their General of the Army. Who stays on the board?

The ranks, from the top

  1. General of the Army
  2. General
  3. Lieutenant General
  4. Major General
  5. Brigadier General
  6. Colonel
  7. Lieutenant Colonel
  8. Major
  9. Captain
  10. First Lieutenant
  11. Second Lieutenant
  12. Sergeant
  13. Private ×6

Spy ×2 beats every rank above Private, even the General of the Army. Only a Private can catch it.

Flag loses to everything, so hide it well. Capture theirs to win.

About the game

The battlefield classic, made new.

Two armies of 21 pieces face each other across a board, every rank hidden from the other side. When two pieces meet, a referee compares them in secret: the higher rank stays, the lower one leaves, and equals knock each other out. Only the result is ever shown.

Win by capturing the enemy Flag, or by marching your own Flag across to the far row. Privates are many and brave, Spies take out any officer, and Generals rule the board -- until a Spy finds them.

Salpakan Tactics! keeps the game you grew up with and adds a little mischief: optional powerups (fog, decoys, intel, traps), ranked seasons, guilds, a world of hometown leaderboards, and a shop of boards, arenas and pieces from cultures all over the world. Every match is free to play.

The story of Salpakan

A Filipino classic, born at a family table.

Its Filipino name, Salpakan, is all about the clash: two hidden pieces, head to head. Here's how a family's game night became a game the whole country knows.

  1. 1970
    Level 1

    Born at a family table

    In the Philippines, Sofronio H. Pasola Jr. dreams up a new battle game with his son Ronnie. Their first tries are on an ordinary chessboard.

  2. +2 Spies
    Level 2

    The Spies sneak in

    Ronnie adds two Spies, inspired by spy movies. Then the family hides every rank, like a hand of cards. The twist that makes the game is born.

  3. 1973
    Level 3

    Out into the world

    On 28 February 1973 the game is released to the public. Some chess players grumble that it wants to replace chess. Players love it anyway.

  4. 1974
    Level 4

    Campus champions

    On 7 July 1974 the University of Santo Tomas holds its first tournament, open to students from grade school to college, and schools across Metro Manila join a yearly inter-school meet.

  5. Today
    Level 5

    Every generation

    Taught by parents and older cousins, played in classrooms, dorms and family get-togethers. Now in 3D and online, with a referee that never peeks.

  6. New!
    Level 6

    A new twist: powerups

    Salpakan Tactics! adds powerup cards you earn by playing: freeze a piece, fake a rank, peek at one, set a trap. Want it pure? Switch them off for the classic game.

Why it's a classic

Tap a card to flip it.

Salpakan Tactics! is our own take on this Filipino classic, with its own art and code. We're not connected with the original game's makers.

In action

Every match tells a story.

01

Set up in secret

Shuffle your army or place every piece by hand, then send a friend one link to your table.

02

Every clash is a reveal

Your Spy against a hidden piece: the referee decides, and only the winner is shown.

03

Powerups for the bold

Freeze a piece, fake a rank or peek at one: cards you earn by playing. Or switch them off.

04

Win it with style

Battle Clips play when your piece wins a clash: fireballs, lightning and plenty more.

05

Make the board yours

Try on arenas, boards and pieces in My Board before you wear them. Your rival sees them too.

06

Take the Flag

Capture the enemy Flag, or march yours home, and the board throws you a party.

Hidden ranks, real bluffs

Only the referee sees both armies. Every clash is a reveal, and every quiet piece might be the Spy.

Play anyone, anywhere

Quick matches, ranked seasons, private rooms and friend invites: the same account on the web, phone and PC.

Powerups for the bold

222 cards of fog, decoys, traps and intel. Or switch them off for the classic game.

Learn in five minutes

Boot Camp teaches the ranks in eight short drills on the real board, then a first game against the Rookie AI.

Make the board yours

Arenas, boards, pieces, toppers and taunts from cultures all over the world, with Battle Clips when you win a clash.

Climb with your town

Leaderboards for your city, province and country, guilds to join, and titles to earn.

Questions

Good to know

Is it really free?

Yes. Every match, mode and powerup is free: powerups are bought with credits you earn by playing. The shop sells cosmetics (arenas, boards, pieces) that change how your board looks and never help you win.

Do I need an account?

Not to start: Boot Camp and games against the Rookie AI work straight away. Make a free account (or continue with Google) to play online, climb the rankings and keep your items on every device.

How do the ranks work?

From the Five-Star General down to the Private, the higher rank wins a clash and equal ranks both leave the board. The Spy beats every rank above Private, but a Private beats the Spy. The Flag loses to everything, so guard it well.

Can I play with friends?

Send a friend a link to your table, host a private room with a password, or add friends and invite them from the game. Quick matches and ranked seasons are there when you want new rivals.

How do I pay for an item on the web?

Tap Buy in the game's shop: you come here to pay in pesos with GCash (PayPal is coming). Upload your receipt, and once it's checked the item is yours in the game, usually within a minute. See Support for help.

Which devices does it run on?

Any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Apps for Android and Steam (with controller support for the Steam Deck) are on the way, with the same account everywhere.

Ready, General?

Your first match is free and takes a minute to start.

Play Salpakan Tactics!