# Embervale - Checkers — Walk, leap, hold the lawn > Strategic board game with AI, local, and online multiplayer modes. (iPhone/iPad app by Hays Software Development, LLC.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/embervale-checkers/id6818881858 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Hays Software Development, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/362310887) - Category: Games, Board, Strategy - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 18.0 · 13 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-10-31 - Data updated: 2026-11-13 - Monetization: free ## What is Embervale? Embervale is a board game for iPhone and iPad. Two sides, Ember and Vale, try to keep a piece on the lawn. The field is an upright 8 by 8. The pale inner 4 by 4 is the lawn. Ember and Vale alternate across the 48 outer squares, 24 pieces each, so both colors start on every side. You can play three ways. Pass one device back and forth. Ember moves first. Or play solo as Ember or Vale against an automaton: Greenhorn, Keeper, Warden, or Sharp. The automaton thinks on the device, then plays. Or play a Game Center match against someone on another Apple device. Ember opens by stepping onto the lawn from any edge, and Vale enters from the opposite edge. Each side then makes one more quiet slide. No leaps until both sides have moved twice. Drag a piece onto a highlighted square, or tap a piece and then tap where it should land. After that, a piece walks one square up, down, left, or right, or leaps the next piece onto the empty square beyond. Leaping your own piece is allowed and does not take it. Leaping an opponent takes that piece off the field. After a leap you may leap again with the same piece, or end the turn. Extra leaps are never required. After the opening, you lose if you have no piece of yours on the lawn. You also lose if it is your turn and you have no legal move. Game Center matches are correspondence. Ember is the first seat. Vale is the second. Sign in, invite a friend, or take an open match. When you finish a turn, Game Center stores the position for the other player. You do not have to stay in the app. A turn is given a very long timeout so it does not expire in ordinary play. Leave returns to the start screen and does not resign. Forfeit does. Solo and Two Player still work if you are not signed in. When you are signed in, wins, streaks, and achievements can be reported, and the start screen can open Game Center’s dashboard, achievements, and challenges. On a folding iPhone, the same match can be played closed on the outer screen, open on the inner screen, or in a tent or book pose, with the hinge as the fold through the middle of the field. The app does not ask you to create an account, and it has no purchases and no ads. ## Key features - Solo play against AI - Local two-player mode - Online Game Center matches - Intuitive drag-and-drop controls - Correspondence play - Folding iPhone support ## Is Embervale safe? Not enough ratings yet to assess Embervale. ## Is Embervale legit? Embervale - Checkers appears legitimate, with a few gaps. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Embervale is 65 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data. ## Frequently asked questions about Embervale ### How do you win Embervale? You win Embervale by being the last player with a piece on the central lawn, or by forcing your opponent into a position where they have no legal moves on their turn. ### Does Embervale have ads? No, Embervale is completely ad-free. The app does not contain advertisements, allowing for an uninterrupted gaming experience. ### Can I play Embervale offline? Yes, you can play Embervale offline in both solo mode against the automaton and in the local two-player mode, where you pass the device back and forth. ### What are the different AI difficulties in Embervale? Embervale offers four AI difficulties: Greenhorn, Keeper, Warden, and Sharp, allowing players to choose a challenge that suits their skill level. ### Is Embervale available on Android? Currently, Embervale is designed for iPhone and iPad, meaning it is not available on Android devices. It is exclusively for Apple's iOS platform. ### How does correspondence play work in Embervale? In Game Center matches, play is asynchronous. Each player takes their turn when convenient, and the game state is saved, allowing for long timeouts so turns don't expire easily. ### What is the age rating for Embervale? Embervale has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of players, including younger audiences interested in strategy games. ### How often is Embervale updated? The latest version of Embervale is 1.1, which was last updated on November 3, 2026. Future updates will likely focus on bug fixes and potential new features. ## Version history (last 3 releases) ### 1.2 — 2026-11-12 What's new in 1.2: • Classic 1986 rules for all new games • Settings gear with a How to Play guide • Pieces now drop into place at the start of a game • Fixed Game Center reopening after a game • Stronger, smarter computer opponents that adapt to how you play ### 1.1 — 2026-11-03 The opponent now adapts to your skill, and there are 18 new Game Center achievements to earn. ### 1.0 — 2026-10-31 No release notes. ## More apps by Hays Software Development, LLC - [Full Broadside](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/full-broadside/id6818886203) - [Dovetail Dash](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dovetail-dash/id6822322252) All apps by Hays Software Development, LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/362310887 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-11-13.*