At a glance
- Genre
- Real-time tactics (RTT) · strategy war game
- Price
- Free to play, no ads, no in-app purchases, no sign-up
- Platform
- Desktop web browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox with WebGL 2)
- Battle length
- About 5 minutes
- Modes
- Single player vs AI: 6 vs 6 quick battle and a ten-city campaign
- Controls
- Mouse and keyboard (WASD, Q/E, Space)
- Languages
- English, 简体中文, 繁體中文, 日本語, 한국어, Tiếng Việt, ไทย
- Version
- 1.6
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
How to play
One battle is enough to learn the basics:
- Left-click a regiment to select it. Hold the left button and drag to box-select several.
- Right-click the ground to move. Right-click an enemy to attack.
- WASD to pan, scroll wheel to zoom, Q/E to rotate, Space to pause.
- Double-click a regiment or unit card to focus it. F focuses the selection. Ctrl+A selects all. Esc clears the selection.
- Spearmen beat cavalry, swordsmen beat spearmen, cavalry beat archers and archers beat swordsmen. Flank and rear attacks deal bonus damage.
- A regiment whose morale hits zero routs. Defeat or destroy all enemy forces to win.
Units and counters
The four unit types form a counter cycle: spearmen beat cavalry, swordsmen beat spearmen, cavalry beat archers and archers beat swordsmen. Attacks on a unit's flank or rear deal extra damage.
| Unit | Role | Strong against | Weak against |
|---|---|---|---|
 Spearmen |
The steady backbone of the line. Long spears blunt cavalry charges. | Light Cavalry | Swordsmen |
 Swordsmen |
A balanced melee force, good at tying down spearmen. | Spearmen | Archers |
 Archers |
Ranged firepower that needs a front line to protect it from cavalry. | Swordsmen | Light Cavalry |
 Light Cavalry |
Mobility and charges are its strength. Hitting archers from the flank is most effective. | Archers | Spearmen |
Generals
Each side is led by a general who brings a passive aura and an active skill.
-
Liu Bei
Imperial Kinsman
- Aura
- Benevolence Where the lord stands, nearby allies gain slightly more morale and defense.
- Skill
- Rally Briefly boosts attack and morale for nearby allies.
-
Cao Cao
King of Wei
- Aura
- Command A tight formation. Nearby allies gain attack and morale.
- Skill
- Tiger-Leopard Charge Briefly boosts movement and attack for nearby allies.
-
Sun Quan
Marquis of Wu
- Aura
- Hold Jiangdong Anchored on waterways and formation. Nearby allies gain defense.
- Skill
- Volley of Arrows Briefly boosts ranged firepower for nearby allies.
Campaign mode
Start in Chengdu with Liu Bei's Shu army and move, recruit and attack across a ten-city map of China. Every attack becomes a real-time battle whose result is written back to the map; hold seven cities to win. Progress is saved in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Three Kingdoms strategy game I can play without downloading?
Yes. Sanguo: Beacon runs entirely in your desktop browser: open the page and start a battle. There is nothing to download or install, no account to create, no ads and no in-app purchases, and it is free.
How do you play Sanguo: Beacon?
Left-click or drag to select regiments, right-click the ground to move and right-click an enemy to attack. Use the counter cycle — spearmen beat cavalry, swordsmen beat spearmen, cavalry beat archers, archers beat swordsmen — and strike flanks and rears until the enemy's morale breaks.
How long is a battle, and is progress saved?
A quick battle takes about five minutes. Campaign progress is saved automatically in your browser; it is lost if you clear site data or switch browsers.
Can I play on a phone or tablet?
Not yet. The game needs a mouse and keyboard. Open it on a computer in Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox.
Is Sanguo: Beacon unblocked at school or work?
There is nothing to install, so it runs in any desktop browser with WebGL 2. Whether the site itself opens depends on that school's or company's network filters.
What kind of computer do I need?
A browser and graphics driver that support WebGL 2. The first battle downloads about 20 MB of models and music, which your browser then caches.
Which languages are supported?
Seven: English, 简体中文, 繁體中文, 日本語, 한국어, Tiếng Việt, ไทย. You can switch at the top of the page.
Is this an official SEGA game?
No. Sanguo: Beacon is made by an independent developer and uses artwork and music licensed from SEGA. It is not an official SEGA or Creative Assembly product and is not endorsed by either.
Is Sanguo: Beacon multiplayer?
No. It is single player: every battle is fought against a computer-controlled army.
Is Sanguo: Beacon an RTS game?
It is closer to real-time tactics: there is no base building or resource gathering. You command an army of six regiments in real time, and battles are decided by positioning, unit counters and timing.
Updates
- The campaign now uses a hand-painted map of China, with the ten cities at their real locations.
- The interface is available in seven languages.
- Battle music added: deployment, march, tension, combat, and victory or defeat themes.
Known limitations
There is one battle map so far, which campaign battles also use. Touch controls and multiplayer are not supported yet.
Ready when you are
One click starts a battle. No download, no account.
Play on a computer
This game needs a mouse and keyboard, so phones and tablets aren't supported yet. Send the link to your computer and start playing there.