Hopcairn

Twelve slate stones against twelve chalk stones on a mossy hillside. Hopcairn follows the English draughts rules: stones move diagonally forward, captures are compulsory, jumps chain into multi-jumps, and a stone that reaches the far row becomes a king (a two-stone cairn) that moves both ways.

Pick an opponent: an AI that looks two, four or many moves ahead, or a friend sharing the screen. Every stone that may move is outlined, landing squares glow, and jumps hop across the board one capture at a time.

• Three AI strengths: alpha-beta search with a capture extension; Easy also slips now and then
• Full English rules: forced captures, multi-jumps, crowning ends the move, kings move one square both ways
• Draw rule: 40 moves in a row without a capture end the game as a draw, with a meter in the panel
• Two players: local mode on one keyboard or screen
• Help when you want it: legal-move highlights, a hint and undo
• Keyboard or touch: cursor and Enter, or tap a stone and its square; wins per level are saved

Code and text written with AI assistance; checked by PN Scripts with automated tests. Every shape is drawn and every sound synthesised by code; there are no AI-generated image or audio files.

Controls

• Arrow keys / WASD: move the cursor
• Enter / Space: pick up a stone, then choose its square (one hop at a time in a multi-jump)
• Tap a stone, then tap the landing square
• U: undo your last move, H: show a hint
• P / Esc: pause, M: sound

Made by PN Scripts.