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Friendly cartoon kids playing a warm game of draughts at a wooden checkerboard in a cozy castle hall, one disc being crowned with a gold crown

CrownTales

Every piece is one row away from a crown. Learn draughts the way it is really won — move on the diagonal, take the forced jump, chain your captures, and seize the endgame.

Play Draughts Learn to play
Level 1

Start here

Play Draughts A full game of draughts against the computer — move on the diagonal, take the forced jump, and crown a king. Find the Shot A position with a winning shot hiding in it — read the board and find the move that wins material. Endgame Trainer Seize the endgame — the few-piece finishes where one right move decides the whole game. Learn to Play Short steps on real pieces — the diagonal move, the forced jump, chaining captures, and crowning a king.
Brain Break Take a quiet moment between games — a fun riddle or a short breather. Brain breaks help you remember what you learn.

All activities

Play draughts

Play Draughts A full game of draughts against the computer — move on the diagonal, take the forced jump, chain your captures, and crown a king. Turkish Draughts (Dama) The straight-line draughts played on all 64 squares — men march and jump forward and sideways (never diagonally), and a crowned king flies like a rook down a whole rank or file. Take the biggest jump; play a full game vs the computer. Giveaway Checkers The upside-down draughts — you WIN by giving all your pieces away (or getting fully stuck). The moves are ordinary checkers and capturing is still forced, but the goal is flipped: steer the forced jumps to leave the computer holding the pieces. Frisian Draughts (Frysk Damje) The deepest draughts, on the 10×10 board — men march diagonally forward but CAPTURE in every direction, straight and slanted, forwards and backwards. The forced jump is by VALUE, not count (a king is worth one-and-a-half men), and flying kings sweep the whole board. Play a full game vs the computer. Pass-and-Play Two players share one device and take turns at the board — the same real draughts, face to face. Play a Friend Share a room code and play a friend on the same board — a quick networked match. Learn to Play Short steps on real pieces — the diagonal move, the forced jump, chaining captures, and crowning a king. Little Crowns (ages 6–8) A gentle, audio-first first taste for younger players — the little slide, the King’s four ways, and the surprise that a checker can’t go backward. Big buttons, read aloud.

Sharpen your play

Find the Shot A position with a winning shot hiding in it — read the board and find the move that wins material. Endgame Trainer Seize the endgame — the few-piece finishes where one right move decides the whole game. Board Vision Train your eye for the board — which squares are dark, where a piece can jump, and what is under threat. Pattern Trainer Learn the recurring shapes — the shots and traps that come up again and again. Predict the Move Call the best move — or the winning shot — BEFORE the reveal, then find out why. A guess is the point.

Practice & together

My Games Every game you play against the apprentice is saved on this device — replay it move by move and get a kind, move-by-move review. Nothing that names you leaves the device. Mixed Practice A short round across the kits you have played — brought back to make it stick. Tactics Rush A calm minute on shots you already know — the clock counts up, stop whenever you like, no penalty for a miss. Quick round — a calm sprint Quick recall of kits you have mastered. Self-paced; turn on a timer only if you want one. Trick Questions Brain-teasers with a twist — spot why the obvious move is a trap. Teach the Cast Teach a draughts idea to a cast member still learning it — teaching makes it stick. Draughts Duel (hotseat) 2–4 players take turns on one device — same questions for everyone, highest first-try score wins. Crown Quest — the map A progression trail through every kit. Clear each stop of real practice, then move on. Progress Your levels, days active, and how each skill area is coming along — saved on this device.
Concept Kits — 16 kits of draughts strategy

A short round of questions with a hint whenever you get stuck. Progress stays on this device.

Kit 1: Diagonal Movement Foundations · grades 4-5 · 25 questions Kit 2: The Forced Capture Foundations · grades 4-5 · 25 questions Kit 3: Multi-Jump Chains Foundations · grades 4-5 · 25 questions Kit 4: Crowning Foundations · grades 4-5 · 25 questions Kit 5: King Movement Foundations · grades 5-6 · 25 questions Kit 6: Double-Threats Tactics · grades 5-6 · 25 questions Kit 7: The Shot Tactics · grades 5-6 · 25 questions Kit 8: Tempo & Parity Endgame · grades 6-7 · 25 questions Kit 9: International 10x10 Variants · grades 6-7 · 25 questions Kit 10: Turkish Draughts Variants · grades 6-7 · 25 questions Kit 11: Comparing Variants Variants · grades 6-7 · 25 questions Kit 12: Opposition Endgame · grades 7-8 · 25 questions Kit 13: Double-Corner Fortress Endgame · grades 7-8 · 25 questions Kit 14: King-and-King Endings Endgame · grades 7-8 · 25 questions Kit 15: Solved Games (Chinook) Solved Games · grades 7-8 · 25 questions Kit 16: Capstone — Draughts Mastery Foundations · grades 7-8 · 25 questions

More ways to play

Quiz Arena Crown Run Best Moves Skills
Where this game comes from

Draughts (checkers)

Draughts grew from alquerque, an older game, which a Spanish king described in his Book of Games in 1283. Players in France moved it onto a chessboard in the Middle Ages.

One thing to hold: A king is two discs stacked: a piece crowned when it reaches the far side.

Why it matters: In the 1500s players added the rule that you MUST capture when you can. That one rule changed the whole game.

Sources: H. J. R. Murray, A History of Board-Games other than Chess (1952) · Alfonso X, Libro de los juegos (1283)

Built from these ludemes

A ludeme is a building block of a game's rules. This one combines:

Capture
CrownTales mascot

Meet the cast — the characters who teach this

Each one stands for an idea you’ll practice. Tap a character to read their illustrated story and hear their audio drama.

Ensemble stories — the cast together

Explore all the stories →

What next? Pick a door

Chosen from what this app is about. What you open is remembered on this device only.

📚 Books for CrownTales

Read the story, print a workbook, or color the cast — free PDFs to read offline or print at home.

Browse all books →

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