How to Play Seega
Seega was played across Egypt and the Sahara for centuries, scratched into stone and sand. It has two halves: a placement phase that is all positioning, and a movement phase of sudden captures.
The board and pieces
A 5×5 board and twelve pieces each. The centre square is special: nobody may place there, and a piece standing on it cannot be captured.
Placing
Players alternate placing two pieces per turn on any empty squares except the centre, until all twenty-four are on the board. White (the first player) then makes the first move.
Moving and capturing
- A piece moves one square up, down, left or right to an empty square.
- After the move, every enemy piece sandwiched in a straight line between the moved piece and another of your pieces is captured, in all directions at once.
- A piece on the centre square is never captured.
- If you have no legal move, you pass and your opponent moves again.
Ending
Capture every enemy piece to win. If neither side can move, or fifty moves pass without a capture, the side with more pieces wins; equal pieces is a draw.
Playing on kawu
Tap an empty square to place; tap a piece and then a square to move. Hint shows the hard computer's move. Play either colour against three levels, or two players on one device.
Next: Seega strategy.
Frequently asked questions
Can I capture more than one piece in a move?
Yes. The moved piece captures in every direction at once: each enemy piece that ends up between it and another of your pieces in a straight line is taken.
Is a piece captured if I move my own pieces around it?
Only the moving piece captures. An enemy piece that happens to sit between two of yours is safe until one of them moves into position.
What if I can't move?
You pass and the opponent moves again. If neither side can move, the game ends and the side with more pieces wins.
Last updated 2026-10-21