Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Checkers Variant

I had to design a checkers variant for work. While I was not very exited about this at first, I am pretty happy with the result. It's a simple variant anyone can play so I thought I would post it for all your hardcore checkers fans. You don't have to be ashamed.

Just to give some perspective:
Goals from the client - multiplayer version of classic boardgame but "with a twist!"
Goals from myself - incorporate CN characters and speed up gameplay. I chose checkers because it appeals more to our demographics than chess or backgammon.

What you need - 1) a set of checkers 2) one token for each player

Rules:
- All normal checkers rules apply.
- No huffing (i.e. you must make a jump if one is available)
- Set up game normally but place your token on the most back/middle checker.
- The token piece acts like a king
- On your turn, when there is no available jumps, your token piece can switch places with any of your diagonally adjacent pieces
- If your token piece is jumped, the token is placed on the most back/middle checker possible.
- If your token piece reaches the king row you win

Pretty simple but this creates many new strategies such as:
- Run your token piece to the king row (obviously)
- Setting up a safe chain of adjacent pieces and switch your token across the board each turn
- Create multiple jumps by switching your token piece
- Move all your checkers forward to ensure your token will not respawn too far from the king row if jumped
- Move a piece into the king row and then sacrifice all your other pieces so your token respawns in the king row

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