What is Ataxx?
Ataxx is a two-player abstract strategy board game played on a 7x7 grid. Each player starts with two pieces in opposite corners and tries to finish with more pieces than the opponent.
On your turn you move one of your pieces to an empty square. A one-square move clones the piece, while a two-square move jumps it. After the move, every adjacent enemy piece is converted to your colour.
- Move one of your own pieces on each turn.
- Move one square to clone and keep the original piece.
- Move two squares to jump and leave the original square empty.
- Convert all enemy pieces next to the destination square.
- The player with the most pieces when the board is full or no moves remain wins.
How to play Ataxx online
Click or tap one of your pieces, then choose a highlighted destination. The inner highlights are clone moves, and the outer highlights are jump moves. The board updates immediately after the surrounding pieces are converted.
This online Ataxx game includes several board grids inspired by classic blocked-square variants. The Classic grid is open and tactical, while Cross, Diamond, Gate, Bridge, Fort and Maze boards change which routes are safe.
- Choose a grid before starting a new match.
- Play against AI or use two-player mode on the same screen.
- Try Easy AI while learning captures.
- Use Medium AI for sharper move scoring.
- Use Hard AI when you want deeper look-ahead.
Ataxx strategy for beginners
The first Ataxx habit to learn is counting conversions. A move that flips three or four pieces can look amazing, but it may also leave a new piece exposed to an even bigger reply.
Cloning usually grows your territory, while jumping can break out of a crowded corner or reach a valuable conversion square. Strong Ataxx strategy balances both instead of jumping whenever a long move is available.
- Prefer clone moves when they safely add material.
- Jump when it reaches a high-value square or escapes pressure.
- Watch the opponent's biggest conversion threats.
- Use blocked squares as shields.
- Late in the game, count empty squares and safe flips carefully.
Clone or jump: the key decision in Ataxx
Every Ataxx move is one of two types, and choosing between them is the core skill. A clone (or grow move) copies one of your pieces into an empty square one step away — the original stays put, so your piece count goes up by one. A jump moves a piece two squares away — the starting square is left empty, so you reach new ground without gaining a piece.
Because cloning adds a piece and jumping does not, clone whenever it is reasonable and save jumps for territory no clone can reach. After any move, every enemy piece touching your landing square flips to your colour, so the true value of a move is the clone bonus plus the number of pieces you convert.
- Clone (1 square): keeps the original and adds a new piece, so your total grows.
- Jump (2 squares): relocates a piece without adding one, useful for reaching far cells.
- Landing next to enemy pieces flips them all to your colour.
- Prefer clones; a needless jump can hand the opponent the square you left.
- Count the conversions before you move, because the biggest flip is usually the best move.
How board layouts change Ataxx strategy
This Ataxx board comes in eight layouts — classic, cross, diamond, duel, gate, bridge, fort and maze — and the blocked squares in each one reshape the whole game. On the open classic board, central control and steady cloning decide matters. On layouts with walls and narrow corridors, a single choke point can shut a whole region off from your opponent.
Use the walls to your advantage. A piece tucked behind a barrier is hard to flip, and a corridor that only you can enter lets you clone safely while denying the opponent room to grow. Before you commit, look at which empty squares each side can actually reach: on cramped layouts, reachable space matters more than the current score.
- Classic: an open 7x7 board where centre control and cloning dominate.
- Walled layouts (gate, bridge, fort, maze): choke points and safe pockets matter most.
- Corners and edges are strong, because fewer neighbours means fewer pieces you can lose to a flip.
- Claim a corridor you can enter first to lock the opponent out of free space.
A short history of Ataxx
Ataxx began as a two-player arcade video game released around 1990 by Leland Corporation, and the same capture-by-contagion idea has since appeared under names such as Infection. Its blend of simple rules and sharp tactics made it a natural fit for computer opponents, and it became a popular test case for game-playing AI.
The version here keeps the classic 7x7 board and the clone, jump and flip rules, then adds extra layouts and adjustable computer difficulty, so you can play a quick casual match or a longer tactical battle right in your browser.
AI difficulty levels
Easy AI plays legal moves with a light preference for captures, so it is good for learning the rules. Medium AI scores conversions, piece count and mobility before choosing a move.
Hard AI searches ahead, compares likely replies and values stable territory. It is still designed as a friendly browser opponent, but it gives a much more strategic Ataxx challenge.
Why Ataxx is a logic and strategy game
Ataxx has no hidden information and no luck. Every legal move can be inspected, every flip follows from adjacency, and each board layout creates a different set of spatial constraints.
That makes Ataxx a natural fit for players who enjoy logic puzzle games but also want a competitive strategy game with quick turns and a clear scoring goal.