Paper Flags

Everything hinges on the fold

Paper Flags is a two-player strategy game on a 9×9 board. Every pieces starts folded: moving one square diagonally forward, contained and deliberate. Unfold it, and it becomes a flag: sliding any number of squares along a rank or file, like a rook with somewhere to be.

That change—one piece, one action, no movement—is enough to end a game.

A screenshot showing the board in early-game

Three Actions | Constant Pressure

On your turn, you choose exactly one: move a piece, fold a flag down, or unfold a piece into a flag. The board is never still.

Victory comes one of three ways. Territory, Domination, and Overrun. To Dominate your opponent, reduce them to three pieces or fewer. To Territorially Overpower them, plant three flags on your opponent's back row.

If your opponent is one legal action from winning, you are Under Threat and your next move must break it. If you can't, you are Overrun.

Mid-game screenshot showing flag-pieces deep in enemy territory

For chess players and strategy fans

The structure is recognizable: two players, perfect information, no luck. The driving goals of territory and elimination are familiar. But the fold mechanic shifts the calculus in ways that take more than a couple of games to really feel. Pieces don't just threaten where they stand, they far more often threaten what they might become.

A piece sitting quietly on the fourth rank is a flag waiting to seize control.

A screenshot showing two very cautious players, who have each unfolded many flags before making any advances

Features

Player vs Computer: Four AI difficulties, from approachable to punishing

Player vs Player: Local hot-seat on the same screen

Play Online: Invite a friend for a remote match

Computer vs Computer: Watch the AI battle itself

Controller Support

Multi-platform play

About

Paper Flags is developed by Stephen Merriam at Winterlude Interactive.