Checkersland

Enjoying a simple board game with a friend is somehow even more difficult nowadays, due to all the things you could be doing on the Internet instead. Hence, even simple casual activities such as playing cards take place in a virtual environment, thus exchanging the warmth of having company for the vast emptiness of cyberspace.

Checkersland allows you to enjoy the game of checkers with either a computerized opponent, or with any of the other players from all over the world. Not only that, but the game provides you with a whole array of different variants when it comes to the rules, so you can enjoy it in the same form as you always did. Naturally, in case you decide to play against humans, they must also prefer the same variant as you do.

Gameplay-wise, there’s very little to explain, seeing as how everything works exactly like it does in real life. Moving the pieces around is achieved using the mouse, although there is no drag-and-drop function. Instead, the legal moves are highlighted on the board once you select a certain piece, which is definitely easier to grasp even if you haven’t played the game before.

As mentioned before, the game comes with a multiplayer component to help you hone your skills against other human players. Starting an Internet game is as easy as starting one with the AI, although you do have to register as a user. In case you decide to play as a guest, you lose the ability to keep track of your statistics and engage in private matches with friends.

From a technical point of view, everything is about as straightforward as possible, since there’s not much to the game of checkers, besides the board and the pieces, you only have the scoreboard to worry about, which displays the current standings, in case you engage in multiple matches. However, there are some more advanced options that can be customized as well, depending on your preferences.

In the end, Checkersland delivers on its promises and it provides the players with everything they might need in order to enjoy their favorite board game. Hence, if you have a passion for checkers, this would be a good place to meet other people that share the hobby.