Board Game • Card Movement • Chess-Inspired

Royal Dash

A 2–8 player board game derived from the mechanics and theme of Chess, combined with a card-driven movement system inspired by Candyland.

Status Playable

Published tabletop project available through Itch.io and playable online through Tabletopia.

Game Preview

Royal Dash Preview

Royal Dash hero image

Project Summary

Project Overview

Concept

Royal Dash is a board game built around Chess-inspired movement cards. Each card represents movement based on a different Chess piece, creating a familiar but more casual movement system.

Goal

The goal was to create a playable tabletop game that combined strategic board movement with easy-to-understand card mechanics and fast multiplayer turns.

Format

The game was designed for 2–8 players, making it flexible enough for smaller matches or larger group play.

Design Process

Design Process

Movement 01

Chess Movement

  • Movement cards are based on different Chess pieces
  • Each card closely follows the movement idea of its matching piece
  • The system keeps the Chess theme without requiring a traditional Chess match
Turns 02

Card-Driven Turns

  • The original idea used a single drawn card each turn
  • Playtesting shifted the design toward a five-card hand
  • Giving players multiple cards created more choice and strategy
Iteration 03

Playtesting Changes

  • Rules and card mechanics evolved through repeated playtests
  • More card types were added over time
  • The design became more flexible and interactive as testing continued
Multiplayer 04

Multiplayer Focus

  • The game is built around group play
  • More players create more board interaction
  • The final design works best as a casual strategy game with multiple players

Core Mechanics

Core Mechanics

Cards 01

Movement Cards

Players use cards to move around the board. Each card is tied to a Chess-inspired movement pattern, giving the game its main strategic identity.

Choice 02

Five-Card Hand

Instead of drawing and immediately playing a single card, players hold five cards, giving them more control over their movement and decisions.

Rules 03

Expanding Rules

Additional cards and mechanics were added through playtesting, helping the game grow from a simple movement concept into a fuller board game system.

Project Focus

Project Focus

Board Game Design Card Mechanics Chess-Inspired Movement Playtesting Rule Iteration Multiplayer Design Tabletop Gameplay Strategy Game Systems

Playable Board Game

Royal Dash turns familiar Chess movement into a casual card-driven board game built for fast multiplayer play.