Play Halloween Checkers

Halloween checkers in your browser

Halloween checkers on Checkers Online is pumpkins against bats. The Orange pieces carry a carved jack-o'-lantern, the Black pieces carry a bat with its wings spread, and the board is purple-black and bone. It's free, you don't need an account, and the game above is ready to start.

The rules stay the same. You play the same game, against the same computer, with the same rating and saved games as the classic checkers board. Start a game here and you can finish it on the homepage, or the other way round.

What the Halloween board looks like

• Bats and pumpkins: every Black piece shows a bat with spread wings, and every Orange piece shows a carved jack-o'-lantern. Black plays first, and the status line reads "Black's turn" or "Orange's turn".
• Crowned kings: a king wears a crown, so you can pick it out from the men.
• Purple-black and bone squares: the pieces sit on the purple-black squares. The bone ones stay empty.
• Slime-green highlights: the square you select and the Hint marks show in slime green. The legal-move dots keep their usual green.
• A near-black frame: plain, with no pattern.

Around the board, the header and footer go near-black and the main buttons turn pumpkin orange. Nothing moves in the page background. The page stays up all year.

Who to play on Halloween

• The computer: four levels, from beginner to hard.
• A friend at the party: press 2 Players and hand the phone or tablet across after each move.
• A classroom: two students can share one screen with 2 Players, or a pair on separate devices can start a private online game.
• Someone in another house: press Create private game and send the link or code. Play Online pairs you with a player from the regular checkers queue instead. More options are on the play page.

Each player sees the board from their own page. If your opponent came in through the homepage, their screen shows the classic black and white pieces while yours keeps the pumpkins and bats. Chat is limited to six preset emotes, with no typing. Quick matches and lobby challenges are rated with Glicko-2 (guests too). Private games are not. The ratings page explains the numbers.

The rules on the Halloween board

This is standard American checkers. Each side starts with 12 men on the dark squares, and Black goes first. A man moves one square diagonally forward and captures forward only. If you can jump, you must, and the same piece keeps jumping that turn for as long as it can. With two different captures open, take either one. A man that reaches the far row is crowned, and its move ends there. Kings move and capture one square diagonally in any direction. You win by taking every enemy piece or leaving your opponent with no legal move. A game is drawn by threefold repetition, or after 40 moves by each side with no capture and no man move. Does your group play with optional jumps? Use checkers with no forced jump. Every rule is set out on the checkers rules page.

Phones, tablets and school laptops

You don't download anything. The game runs in the browser on phones, tablets, Chromebooks and computers. To move, tap a piece and then the square you want, or drag it there. Games against the computer and games on one screen save on the device, so you can come back to them later. Once you've played one computer game with a connection, those games work offline too, and you can install the site as an app.

More to play after the first game

Try Chinese Checkers, or compare the other versions of draughts in the checkers variants guide. The daily puzzle sets a new position every day, and the strategy lessons help you get better at the game. For a party table with no screens, print one of the free printable checkers boards.

More themed boards: Winter Checkers, Spring Checkers, Summer Checkers, Fall Checkers, Christmas Checkers.

Frequently asked questions

Does my opponent see the Halloween board?

No. The board you see depends on the page you play from. An opponent who joined from the homepage gets the usual black and white pieces, even though your game has pumpkins and bats.

Is Halloween checkers free, and do I need an account?

Yes, it's free, and you don't need to sign up or download anything. Play the computer, a friend on the same screen, or someone online as a guest.

Which side moves first, Black or Orange?

Black, the bats. The rules are standard American checkers, where the Black side always opens. Jumps are compulsory and kings move one square at a time.

Do my saved games, rating and stats carry over?

Yes. This page shares one save slot, one rating and one set of win stats with the homepage, so a game started here can be finished there. There's no separate Halloween rating.

Can we play at a Halloween party or in class?

Yes. Press 2 Players and pass one phone, tablet or laptop between moves. To play on two screens, press Create private game and share the link or code.

Does anything move in the background?

No. The Halloween page has no background animation, so nothing moves behind the board or the text.