The Check Deck Board Game

This wonderful little addition to my families game table has resurrected checkers in our home. I never thought checkers could be a tactical game but these cards bring the need for planning on your part on how best to use your cards and a bit of chaos to your opponent when you do. I highly recommend this product! It does for checkers what "Nightmare Chess" did for chess.

Wow! This is sooooo small! I should have looked closer at the shipping weight and dimensions! This is the size of your palm! Not worth the price, barely worth a dollar. In fact I would have passed on this item if it were in the dollar store. DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY!

This Check Deck Board Game is gobs of fun! When was the last time you played checkers? I knew the answer to that. The last time we (my husband & I) played checkers was in 2012 when we cruised to Alaska by boat that summer. We had many board games on board to keep us occupied in the evenings or when it rained. So it's been 5 years for us. I received this Check Deck cards, and we played with them and were laughing...having fun. It makes the game of checkers much more interesting. You just do what the card says, Well, I'm getting ahead here. Each player gets 7 cards. Then the player either does what's spelled out to them on the drawn card OR they can make a normal checkers move. According to the rules, a move is moving a space, a jump, a double-jump, etc. They also point out that younger or less experienced players may want to play only with the black cards in the beginning as the red cards are more complex. To give you an example of a red card turn, this is the card I had played: "Freeze one of your opponents pieces for TWO turns. (You also get to move this turn)". That was SO much fun to freeze one of their checkers for two plays. Anyway, we had fun, and we certainly hope you do too.

At first glance, I thought this was a real checkers board, but soon realized it is actually a deck of cards with a checkerboard print on the back of each card. You still need to own your own checkerboard and checkers. This is sort of like Community Chest and Chance in the game of Monopoly. Each player is dealt 7 cards. There are 18 red and 16 black cards. For easier and less complicated games, you can play with only the black colored cards. The red cards are more complicated. And you can mix the card colors. The rules don’t really say when or if you play your cards. Apparently you have to make up some of the rules yourself. The game rules are rather terse. I included the rules in my photos below, but you may not be able to read the fine print.So basically this turns the game of checkers from a game of strategy into a game of chance. Just about the time you think you have the game won, your opponent can sabotage you. So if you like the element of surprise and chance, then this will change up the game considerably. Sometimes two opponents can become so good at a certain game, it is difficult for either person to win. This will change those odds considerably.

Looks can be deceiving. Initially, I thought this was a folded checker board, but it is in fact a deck of cards that work with your existing checker board. If you don't have one, you can get a cheap one at the dollar store.My granddaughter is very competitive, especially when it comes to playing checks. She does a lot of smack talking, especially when she wins. This game adds another element to your average checkers game, one that has the granddaughter talking less trash.Rules:1. Each player is dealt seven cards.2. A player can either play a cad (following the instructions on that card) or make a normal checkers move.3. As per checkers rules, a move is defined as moving a space, a jump, a double jump, etc.4. Younger or less experienced players may choose to play with only the black colored cards and add in the more complex red colored cards as they become more experienced.My granddaughter is 6, soon to be 7, and she has no problem following this game.

This game evoked some wonderful memories of time spent with family. Checkers was a favorite of my family and my wife's family. My wife always "took me to the cleaners" when we played. To my chagrin she passed the "Checkers" gene to our son. Needless to say they find it amusing; at my expense! I'm excited about "The Check Deck" game. "The Check Deck" brings a unique spin to a time honored game by adding an element of tactical thinking while playing. I've been playing with my wife in an attempt to hone my skill set before my son's next visit. He's going to love this game. It's a hoot to throw a curve ball (card!) at the right moment. The game is easy to grasp, fun to play and brings families together. That's a winning combination. This game will be added to our traveling "game" bag for family trips! Leave the cell phones in another room and enjoy some family time together playing "The Check Deck." I would definitely recommend this game to a friend.

When I first looked at the product picture and name of the product, I thought it was a giant checkers board I could play on the deck or outside. But reading the description I found it was a deck of cards used to enhance a game of checkers. Just the deck of cards, not a board or game pieces. I took a chance on it anyways and after playing a couple games I can say it's fun and definitely puts a spin on a standard game of Checkers.The only thing I thought could be improved was that the rules could be expanded from just the single card of rules provided. Even if it was just a site to go to where you could check out for more detailed explanations and maybe some examples of game play of the various cards. Without that, we had a little confusion on how some of the cards were meant to be interpreted.I like that it came with the little case so we can easily store the cards with our board.