The board game where you block your opponent
Barricade is a two-player strategy board game built around one idea: block your opponent. Each player has one pawn and 10 walls. On every turn you either step your pawn toward the far side of the board, or place a wall to make your opponent's route longer. The first to reach the other side wins. It takes a minute to learn, and you can play it free in your browser with no account.
How the blocking works
Walls (called barricades in the game) are two squares long and sit in the grooves between squares, horizontally or vertically. Once placed, a wall stays for the rest of the game and blocks both players, so a wall you place to slow your opponent can get in your own way too.
You have 10 walls for the whole game. Placing one uses your turn, so every wall is a step you didn't take. When you run out, all you can do is move.
Walls can't overlap or cross each other, but two walls placed end to end leave a gap that a third wall can pass through. The details are in the rules on placing barricades.
The one rule that keeps it fair: you can't trap anyone
A wall may never cut a player off completely. Both pawns must always have at least one path to their goal, however long it is. So blocking in Barricade means making your opponent's path longer, not sealing it.
That one rule is where most of the strategy comes from. You can build a long detour, a narrow corridor or a dead end that forces a walk back, but you can never close the last door.
Race or block? The decision every turn
Every turn comes down to one question: move, or place a wall? A good way to decide is to count. How many steps does your pawn need to reach its goal, and how many does your opponent's? If you're ahead, moving is often enough. If you're behind, a well-placed wall can add several steps to their route for the price of one turn.
Timing matters as much as placement. A wall placed too early can simply be walked around. Walls saved for later can decide a close race, but by then your opponent may already be on a path that's hard to block.
And watch your own route. A wall that blocks your opponent can lengthen your path too, and running out of walls while your opponent still has some leaves you with nothing to answer them with.
A board game with walls and pawns, nothing else
The whole game is a 9×9 board, two pawns and 20 walls, 10 for each player. There are no cards, no dice and no hidden information: both players see everything, and the better plan wins.
With only two kinds of move, step or place a wall, new players can play a full game straight away. The way walls combine gives experienced players plenty to think about.
Jumping and other details
When the two pawns meet face to face, you can jump over your opponent to the square behind them. If a wall or the edge of the board is in the way, you step diagonally beside them instead.
That's the last rule worth knowing before your first game. The rest, with diagrams, is on the How to Play page: jumping over players.
Ways to play online
- Online: casual or ranked games against other players in real time, or a private room for a friend. Start from the home page.
- Against the computer: four levels, from a gentle start to a real challenge. Play the computer.
- On one device: pass and play with someone next to you. Play on one device.
- Puzzles: a daily puzzle where one good move wins. Try today's puzzle.
- Watch: live games from strong players on Barricade TV.
- Four players: King of the Hill, a race to the centre of a bigger board. How King of the Hill works.
Play your first game
The quickest way to learn is to play. Start a game in your browser: it's free and you don't need an account. Barricade is also on iOS and Android.
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