The parlour is open.
Upstairs at the Lamplight, a draughts board is set under the lamp. Play the house regulars at four strengths, with every rule of the real game - compulsory captures, multiple jumps, kings and proper draws - and Reversi, Four in a Row and Nine Men's Morris at the tables beside it. Free in your browser on a phone, tablet or PC - no account, no adverts.
The room upstairs, a game at each of the four tables, and a win.
The room - pick a table, a regular and a stake
Draughts - pick a piece and the lit squares show where it can go
Reversi - the legal squares light up
Four in a Row - a winning line
Nine Men's Morris - a mill takes a man
A win - the chips and your record
Compulsory captures, jumps carried on to the end, kings crowned on the far row, and draws by agreement, repetition or forty quiet moves - every rule enforced, so you can only make a legal move.
Draughts under the lamp, and Reversi, Four in a Row and Nine Men's Morris at the tables beside it - each with its own board, its own rules walkthrough and its own record.
Cecil, Mabel, Rufus, Otis, Pearl, Ines, Agnes, Winston and Dolores. Some trade pieces at every chance and some never accept a draw; the stronger ones join you as you level up.
Two players on the same PC, phone or tablet, taking turns at the same board - no chips change hands.
Pieces hop when they jump, Reversi discs flip over, Four in a Row discs drop down the rack, and the regulars chat across the table.
The first time at each table walks you through the rules. The squares you can move to light up, and the Hint button shows what a strong player would do.
Undo your last move and the reply. Offer a draw when the board is level, or resign and start again.
Stake chips on a game and win them back with a bonus from the house against the stronger regulars. They can't be bought or cashed out.
Gain experience as you play. Eighteen trophies to win - a hat-trick of captures, all four corners, a running mill, beating Dolores - and your record against every regular at every table.
Colour-blind pieces, square names, bigger text, reduced motion, an overhead view and the pace the regulars play at.
Play with a mouse or touch screen, or with the keyboard or a gamepad - the board fits a phone held upright as well as a wide PC screen.
No account, no adverts, nothing to buy. The whole parlour runs on your own device and your progress stays there.
Most free checkers apps pay for themselves with adverts or by selling coins, and many play one game only. Lamplight Draughts does none of that.
| Feature | Lamplight Draughts | A free checkers app | An online board-games site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free - no adverts, no in-app purchases | Free, ad-supported | Free to start, memberships sold |
| Four classic games in one | ✓ draughts, Reversi, Four in a Row, Morris | Usually one | ✓ |
| Teaches you the rules | ✓ walkthrough, legal moves and hints | Sometimes | Rarely |
| Works fully offline | ✓ | Sometimes | ✕ |
| No account needed | ✓ | Often | ✕ |
| No adverts | ✓ | ✕ | Varies |
No. Chips are for play only. You can't buy them, cash them out or exchange them for anything, and if you run low the house stands you 200 more for free.
Yes - English draughts, the game Americans call checkers, on the full 64-square board. Captures are compulsory and a jump carries on to the end, so one move can take several pieces. A man that reaches the far row is crowned and becomes a king that moves both ways. Games are drawn by agreement, when the same position comes round three times, or after forty moves each with no capture.
Three more classic board games at the tables beside the draughts board: Reversi, with the standard start and passes; Four in a Row, seven columns of six; and Nine Men's Morris, with placing, moving, mills and flying when you're down to three men.
Nine house regulars - computer players run by the game - at four strengths, from Cecil, who is still learning, to Winston and Dolores, who play close to their best. Each has their own style: some trade pieces at every chance, some guard their back row, and some will never accept a draw. The stronger regulars join you as you level up. You can also play a friend on the same device.
Yes. The first time you sit at each table it walks you through the rules a step at a time, and How to play brings them back whenever you like. The squares you can move to light up, the Hint button shows what a strong player would do, and Take back undoes your last move.
No - play it straight from your browser, on a phone, tablet or PC, and add it to your home screen like an app. A free Windows app for the Microsoft Store is on its way.
No account. The browser edition needs a connection the first time it loads; after that the whole parlour is stored on your device and works offline.
On your own device. Your level, trophies, record and any game in progress stay on the device you play on, and you can erase them yourself in Settings. In your browser, your chips are shared with Lamplight Card Room and the other Lamplight games, so you're playing with the same stack.
Free in your browser, with a Windows app coming soon. Play chips only, never real money. No account, no adverts.
