About This Game
So. I wanted to build a proper chess game. Strong engine. Good puzzles. Clean board. Then I wrote one character.
That became The Crownless Road, a five-act story with six challengers, 31 rivals, 37 battles, side quests, choices that come back later, and five endings. Losing bends the story instead of stopping it. I wanted every game to matter, even the ones that hurt.
There is a lot outside the tale too. Ten engine levels, local two-player chess, online rooms, 330 tactics puzzles, a free analysis board, and a full review that grades every move. The Royal Codex teaches the rules. Yes, even en passant. I checked twice. Pawns are sneaky.
You can change the board and pieces while a match is running, copy games as PGN, and pick up where you left off. It all runs in the browser for free. I hope you find a favorite road through it.
The complete corresponding source for this game is available here.
How to Play
Choose The Crownless Road for the story, Challenge the Pantheon to face ten engine rivals, Two Players for a shared board, or Tactics Puzzles for a quick test. Click or drag a piece to move it. Press N for a new game, Z to undo, H for a hint, A for The Reckoning review, F to flip the board, B to open the Codex, and Escape for the menu. Online play needs a multiplayer relay address entered in Settings.
Game Details
I started with one chessboard. Then I gave it 31 rivals, five endings, 330 puzzles, and a monarchy because the board got ideas.