I released a shogi game with a twist: cheat cards. It runs in the browser, phones included.
What is it?
- The rules are ordinary shogi, except that at the start of each turn you are offered three cheat cards and may play one before you move.
- There are 11 cards, such as letting a pawn advance two squares, freezing an opponent's piece for a turn, or adding a rook to your hand.
- Cards cost energy, which builds up each turn. Passing on a card earns a little extra, so the strongest cards are best saved for the right moment.
How to play
- vs CPU: choose the strength (easy / normal / hard), your side, and the time control (none, or 3 / 10 minutes sudden death).
- vs a friend: create a room to get a six-character room ID and an invite link. The game starts when your friend joins, and you can come back through the same link if you close the page.
- The game keeps a move record (including the cards played), highlights the last move, and handles repetition draws and time-outs.
How it works
The rules engine is UI-independent TypeScript, and the CPU thinks in a Web Worker so the page stays responsive. For online play, both players run the same engine from the same random seed; the PHP server only relays the moves and enforces the clock.