Concise rulebook · Up to 6 players
Place three-dimensional blocks, claim the grid, protect territory, and bridge over what stands in your way.
The game in eight rules
Use this as the table reference. The photographed walkthrough is preserved below for demonstrations and edge cases.
Open the one-page printable cheatsheet →Objective
Place blocks to claim and capture tiles. When the game ends, the player with the most points wins.
At the table
Setup
OverGrid supports up to six players and multiple grid layouts. Each player starts from the home tile marked with a white diamond in their color.
At the table
Your turn
Make one connected construction on the grid, confirm the move, then remove the blocks to reveal the territory change.
At the table
Placement
Blocks may rest on ordinary tiles and patterned claimed territory, including territory owned by another player.
At the table
Territory
A tile under a valid move becomes part of your territory. Patterned tiles are claimed; solid-colored tiles are captured.
At the table
Height tiles
Tiles marked with black dots can be claimed only when the tallest block above the tile matches the required height exactly.
At the table
Bridging
A bridge may pass over black tiles or captured enemy tiles. The blocks must arch above those tiles without resting on them.
At the table
End game
Claiming and capturing tiles advances the game-progress tracker. When it fills, the final round is triggered.
At the table
Supporting material · 46 photographed frames
The original in-game walkthrough, transcribed frame by frame and kept in capture order.
Evidence log
46 frames · 4 player turns · 4 core mechanics
Frames 3288–3296 · 19:03:58–19:05:19
The tutorial introduces the board, block placement, connected territory, and the difference between claimed and captured tiles.
General rule
In this three-dimensional strategy game, you’ll take turns placing blocks to claim and capture territory.
You’ll earn points for any territory you control, and the player with the most points at the end of the game wins!
The opening board is empty. The counter reads 68 tiles left until the final round, and each player begins at 10 points.
General rule
This grid is the play area. Each player is assigned a color, and the colored tiles show each player’s territory.
The white diamonds mark each player’s home tile, which is where they start the game.
The empty grid shows blue, yellow, green, and red home tiles, each marked by a white diamond.
Blue player
On each turn, you’ll make your move using three of the Strata blocks.
The Blue Player will need these three blocks for their first turn:
Three line drawings identify the exact physical block shapes needed for Blue’s first move.
Blue player
The blocks you place have to follow three basic rules for the move to be valid.
Place your blocks in the following highlighted positions to learn the rules:
The close grid view introduces a highlighted practice footprint while game progress remains at 68.
Blue player
Rule 1: At least one of your blocks has to be on or next to your existing territory.
A blue-highlighted footprint touches Blue’s home tile, and the interface asks for the first block.
Blue player
Rule 2: All three blocks must be touching each other on at least one flat side (touching only on corners doesn’t count).
The three physical blocks form one face-connected group; corner-only contact would not satisfy this rule.
Blue player
Rule 3: Blocks can’t be placed on top of black tiles or on the solid-colored tiles of your opponents. And all blocks must be fully inside the grid.
The placement reaches toward Yellow’s solid home tile, illustrating a protected cell and the grid boundary.
Blue player
When the move is valid, the background will light up in your player color.
Press the Confirm button to end your turn.
The photographed side panel simultaneously reads “MOVE NOT ALLOWED · Block not aligned to grid,” likely a transient state during the tutorial. The contradiction is preserved here as captured.
Blue player
Now remove the blocks to see your new territory.
The physical blocks remain on the grid. Blue’s score previews a jump from 10 to 105 while the tray says “Remove your Blocks.”
Frames 3297–3303 · 19:05:25–19:05:58
Blue completes the first guided placement and establishes how blocks, score previews, confirmation, and removal work.
Blue player
No tutorial prose appears in this frame. The photographed placement is the instruction.
With the blocks removed, a large patterned Blue region is visible at upper left. Blue now has 105 points, including the displayed +95 change.
Blue player
These blue patterned tiles have been claimed by the Blue Player, and are worth 5 points each.
The patterned treatment distinguishes claimed Blue tiles from solid captured tiles.
Blue player
These solid-colored tiles have become captured for 10 points each.
Claimed tiles become captured when they’re surrounded on all sides by that player’s territory, the black tiles, or the edge of the grid.
Solid blue cells inside the upper-left territory show which claimed tiles became captured.
General rule
The territory tracker goes up whenever tiles are claimed or captured. When it’s full, the game will end once all players have taken their final turns that round.
The game-progress circle is roughly one-quarter full and 53 tiles remain until the final round.
Yellow player
Territory claimed by players can still be easily taken by their opponents. We’ll demonstrate using the Yellow Player’s turn. Gather these blocks:
Three line drawings introduce Yellow’s block set while Blue’s new territory remains on the board.
Yellow player
You can use your blocks to take some of the Blue Player’s claimed tiles.
Place your blocks in the following positions:
Yellow’s home tile sits directly beside the patterned Blue territory that the move will cross.
Yellow player
No tutorial prose appears in this frame. The photographed placement is the instruction.
A yellow-outlined footprint covers several patterned Blue tiles beside Yellow’s home tile; a small block reference card remains visible.
Frames 3304–3313 · 19:06:04–19:06:59
Yellow takes Blue tiles, creates a captured tile, and reveals the exact-height rule for dotted tiles.
Yellow player
No tutorial prose appears in this frame. The photographed placement is the instruction.
The first portion of Yellow’s multi-block structure covers highlighted cells. The counter reads 52 tiles until the final round.
Yellow player
No tutorial prose appears in this frame. The photographed placement is the instruction.
Another block expands the structure; game progress drops from 52 to 49 remaining tiles.
Yellow player
You can use your blocks to take some of the Blue Player’s claimed tiles.
Place your blocks in the following positions:
The completed or near-completed white block arrangement sits over Yellow highlights and former Blue territory.
Yellow player
When a move is valid, the score tracker previews any score changes.
You can see that the Blue Player will lose points because you’re claiming some of their territory.
The preview shows Yellow rising from 10 to 85 and Blue falling from about 105 to 75.
Yellow player
And you can see that you’ll earn points for both claiming and capturing tiles with this move.
Press Confirm to end your turn.
The same valid placement shows Yellow’s claimed- and captured-tile gains before confirmation.
Yellow player
Now remove the blocks to see how the territory changed.
The physical construction remains on the grid and the counter now reads 46 tiles until the final round.
Yellow player
These tiles were all claimed from the Blue Player’s territory. One tile became captured because it’s surrounded on all sides by both your tiles and the board edge.
Captured tiles are much harder for other players to take, so try to capture tiles as much as possible to protect your territory.
Blocks are gone. Patterned Yellow cells show claims, while the solid treatment marks the newly captured tile.
Yellow player
Did you notice that these tiles weren’t claimed, even though you had blocks on them?
The unchanged board emphasizes dotted height tiles that did not change ownership.
General rule
Tiles with black dots are height tiles, and can only be claimed by building the exact height over them with one or more blocks.
Height tiles are worth bonus points when captured.
Several two-dot and three-dot tiles remain visible within the post-Yellow board state.
General rule
Height is measured by the tallest block on a tile.
Blocks can be placed in different orientations to match different heights. The example blocks below can be placed to claim double height tiles and triple height tiles.
Two diagrams show how alternate block orientations create the heights needed for double- and triple-height tiles.
Frames 3314–3321 · 19:07:03–19:07:41
Green demonstrates double- and triple-height tiles, including why only captured height tiles award bonuses.
Green player
On the Green Player’s turn, we’ll demonstrate both claiming and capturing height tiles. You’ll need these blocks.
Three line drawings identify the physical blocks required for Green’s demonstration.
Green player
Place your blocks on the grid in the following positions. Pay attention to each block’s orientation:
Green placement targets appear opposite Yellow territory, with 46 tiles still remaining.
Green player
No tutorial prose appears in this frame. The photographed placement is the instruction.
The first Green block covers the target cells. Progress falls from 46 to 42 remaining tiles.
Green player
No tutorial prose appears in this frame. The photographed placement is the instruction.
A second block creates a taller connected structure. The progress count drops from 42 to 39.
Green player
The score tracker preview shows that you’ll earn a triple height tile bonus of 30 points with this move.
Press Confirm to end your turn.
All three blocks are placed. Green previews 10 to 100 points, including a visible 30-point height-tile bonus; about 36 tiles remain.
Green player
No tutorial prose appears in this frame. The photographed placement is the instruction.
After block removal, Green territory fills the upper-right. Yellow is upper-left, Blue lower-left, and Red’s home tile sits lower-right; 36 tiles remain.
Green player
The Green Player claimed this double height tile because the block over it matched a height of two.
But they didn’t get the height tile bonus because the tile hasn’t been captured.
The double-height tile is part of Green’s claimed territory, but its patterned state shows that it is not captured.
Green player
This triple height tile was claimed because the block over it matched a height of three.
It became captured because it was surrounded by Green’s territory and the edge of the grid.
Capturing this tile earned the Green Player the triple height tile bonus.
The triple-height tile is enclosed by Green territory and the board edge, so its solid captured state awards the bonus.
Frames 3322–3330 · 19:07:45–19:08:27
Red builds over a black tile and captured Green territory without touching either, then claims both.
Red player
Strata is not just a game about building ON the grid. It’s about building OVER the grid.
Let’s use the Red Player’s turn to learn about bridging. Grab these blocks:
Three block diagrams begin the bridging lesson. Scores read Red 10, Blue 75, Yellow 85, and Green 100.
Red player
Black tiles and other player’s captured tiles can still be claimed if you bridge your blocks OVER the tiles without touching them.
Place your blocks in the following positions:
The lesson targets both a black tile and captured Green territory while the counter stays at 36.
Red player
No tutorial prose appears in this frame. The photographed placement is the instruction.
A translucent red footprint runs from Red’s lower-right area toward two Green tiles. The block drawing communicates the required orientation.
Red player
No tutorial prose appears in this frame. The photographed placement is the instruction.
White blocks cover the lower-right portion of the footprint. One red-highlighted target remains near Green territory and the counter drops to 33.
Red player
No tutorial prose appears in this frame. The photographed placement is the instruction.
Additional blocks create a raised span over the highlighted squares, with open space visibly left under the bridge.
Red player
This move creates bridges over a black tile and over one of Green’s captured tiles. You can see that the blocks arch OVER those two tiles, but aren’t directly touching them.
Press Confirm to end your turn.
The open arches clear both target tiles. The score preview shows Red 10 to 60 and Green 100 to 65.
Red player
Now remove your blocks to see the effect of bridging.
The physical bridge remains on the board while Red previews 60 points and 32 tiles remain.
Red player
Both the black tile and Green’s captured tile are now part of your territory. Bridging is powerful!
After removal, a red corridor passes through the former Green area and includes both bridged tiles.
General rule
You can stack blocks together to make bridges, as long as all blocks are still touching the grid, and touching each other on flat sides.
Some black tiles have height bonuses. Build a bridge of the exact height to claim them.
A small diagram shows a stacked bridge crossing a black height-bonus tile.
Frames 3331–3333 · 19:08:31–19:08:39
The tutorial closes with the complete scoring table, the final-round trigger, and player-count variants.
General rule
Scores and turn order are tracked here. Remember: Claimed tiles are worth 5 points each. Captured tiles are worth 10 points each.
Capturing a single height tile is worth 10 points, capturing a double height tile is worth 20 points, and capturing a triple height tile is worth 30 points.
Scores will change often, as players lose points when their territory is claimed by other players.
The final score panel reads Red 60, Blue 75, Yellow 85, and Green 65.
General rule
Now that all players have had a turn, the game moves to the next round.
You can see that 32 more tiles need to be claimed or captured before the final round is triggered. Any players who have not gone that round will get to take their final turn before the game ends.
The completed first-round board remains visible behind the overlay, and the progress readout shows 32 tiles left.
General rule
Strata can be played with up to six players, with a variety of different grids to choose from.
Have fun playing Strata!
The final territory map sits behind the completion modal and its “Back to Title Screen” button.