Astral Checkers Draughts

Gameplay follows the standard rules of draughts. Each player begins with 12 or 20 pieces (depending on board size) placed on the dark squares of the first three or four rows. Pieces move diagonally forward one square. Capturing an opponent's piece is mandatory and is performed by jumping over it into an empty square immediately beyond. Multiple captures in a single turn are required if available. A piece reaching the opponent's back row becomes a "King," denoted by a larger, brighter orb, and gains the ability to move and capture diagonally in any direction. The game ends when a player has no remaining pieces or no legal moves. Controls are executed via mouse or touch input. A player selects a piece by clicking or tapping it, which highlights all legal destination squares. Clicking or tapping a highlighted square moves the piece. To perform an Astral Shift, a player presses the "Shift" button located at the bottom of the screen. This action is available only once per player per game and can be used at any point during the player's turn before making a move. The board rotates 90 degrees clockwise, and the turn passes to the opponent. The game does not include a timer or undo function. A pause menu allows for game restart or exit.