Castilian Shadows

Castilian Shadows is a two-player abstract strategy game played on a 4x4 board. All 16 pieces are hidden under neutral tokens, and neither player knows what's beneath each one. The setup is fully random—16 chess pieces (2 queens, 2 rooks, 2 knights, and 2 bishops per color) are shuffled and placed randomly. Neutral pieces move and capture like a king—one square in any direction. When a neutral moves (quietly or by capture), it reveals its true identity and becomes the corresponding white or black piece. From then on, it follows standard chess rules. A captured neutral is eliminated permanently without revealing its secret. The goal is to eliminate all 8 of your opponent's pieces. White starts first. If 16 consecutive moves pass without a capture, the game ends in a draw. Every move carries risk—you might awaken a powerful queen or a useless bishop. Capturing an opponent's neutral removes its identity. Victory goes to those who master uncertainty and cold calculation.