Evil Jester 2026

Evil Jester is a chess like game of pure luck and hidden risk. Each player controls 12 pieces on a 5x5 board. The twist is that one of your own pieces is secretly marked as "loaded" by the server before the game starts, and neither you nor your opponent knows which one it is. All pieces look identical.

The Evil Jester moves like a super king. It can reach any of the 24 surrounding squares in one move, including those a normal chess king would need two moves to get to. It can move up to 2 squares in any direction (orthogonally, diagonally, or like a knight) and can jump over any pieces in between. Capturing is mandatory. If you can take an opponent's piece, you must do so.

The game ends immediately when a capture happens on the opponent's secret piece. If you take a non secret piece, it is simply removed and the game continues. Starting positions are always random. The winner is simply the player who gets lucky first.

A game lasts on average 6 to 7 captures. With 12 pieces per player, the chance of hitting the secret piece on any given capture is 1 in 12. Evil Jester is fast, unpredictable, and works perfectly as a five minute break between serious matches or as a party game with friends.

—description from the designer