Race to the far side — or wall your rival out
Play Barricade online free
Each turn you either step one square toward the opposite edge or spend a barricade to block someone else. You can lengthen their route, but never seal it off completely.
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Players
2-4
Length
15 min
Difficulty
Easy
Mode
Competitive
What is Barricade?
Race across the board — or wall your rival out of it. 2-4 players.
If you have played Quoridor, you already know the idea: Barricade is inspired by it and adapted to play online, everyone on their own phone, with bots for missing players.
Quoridor is a trademark of its publisher. Apateon is not affiliated with or endorsed by it.
Barricade on Apateon
How to play Barricade
- 1Each player starts on one edge of the board and wants to reach the opposite one.
- 2On your turn you either step one square forward or place a barricade to send someone the long way round.
- 3You can never wall a player in completely — first one across wins.
Full Barricade rules
The goal
- •Your pawn starts on one edge of the 9x9 board and must reach the opposite edge.
- •First pawn to touch its own goal edge wins the game outright.
- •Everyone can see everything — there are no hidden cards and no dice. Only the board.
Your turn: one or the other
- •Either move your pawn one square up, down, left or right — never diagonally.
- •Or spend one barricade to block a groove between squares. You cannot do both in a turn.
- •Two players get 10 barricades each; three or four players get 5 each.
Pawns in the way
- •If another pawn stands on the square you want, hop straight over it and land beyond.
- •If a barricade or the board edge sits right behind them, slip past them diagonally instead.
The one barricade rule
- •A barricade lies flat across two squares and stops movement through that groove.
- •Barricades may not overlap, cross, or sit end to end in the same groove.
- •You may never place one that leaves any player with no route at all to their goal — you can lengthen a path, never seal it.
How to play it well
- •The scoreboard shows how many steps each pawn still needs — that is the real score.
- •Walling early wastes barricades; walling when you are behind is what wins races.
- •Every barricade you spend is one you cannot use later, so make each one cost your rival several steps.
Tips to win at Barricade
- •Do not spend barricades early: they are worth far more when your rival is close to their goal and each wall forces a long detour.
- •Check the step counter: if you are ahead, move; if you are behind, it is time to build.
- •Place each barricade so it lengthens your rival's path without lengthening yours: a wall that slows you both is wasted.
- •Keep a barricade for the end: whoever runs out of walls can no longer respond.
Why Apateon
One code for the whole night
One room, one 4-letter code, every game. Switch games without inviting anyone again.
No account
Type your name and play. No sign-up, no passwords.
Bots fill empty seats
Missing someone? A bot takes the seat so you can start right away.
Phone and web
Some play from the app, others from a browser — all in the same game.
If you like Barricade, try
FAQ
How many barricades does each player get?
10 each with two players, and 5 each with three or four.
Can you trap a rival in Barricade?
No. A barricade can lengthen someone's path, but it can never leave them with no route to their goal.
Can you jump over another pawn?
Yes. If another pawn is on the square you want, jump straight over it; if a barricade or the edge is behind it, go round it diagonally.
How many people can play Barricade?
Barricade plays with 2 to 4 players. If you are short, Apateon fills the empty seats with bots.
How long is a game of Barricade?
A full game takes about 15 minutes.
Can I play Barricade online for free?
Yes. Barricade is free in your browser and in the Apateon app, with no sign-up.
Is Barricade like Quoridor?
It is inspired by Quoridor: the same idea, adapted to play online for free, everyone on their own phone, with bots for missing players.
Do we all need to be in the same place?
No. Everyone uses their own phone or computer, so you can play around one table or remotely, for example over a video call.