Excel Checkers - Download and Play Classic Checkers in Excel

Excel Games
Excel Checkers - Download and Play Classic Checkers in Excel

Checkers is one of the most popular board games in the world, and now you can play it directly in Microsoft Excel! Whether you’re an office worker looking for a quick break or a board game enthusiast, Excel Checkers provides an engaging experience right inside your spreadsheet. In this article, we’ll introduce the rules of Excel Checkers, guide you through creating a Checkers board in Excel, and offer a free downloadable Excel Checkers file with VBA-powered gameplay.

1. Introduction to Excel Checkers

What is Excel Checkers?

Excel Checkers is a fully playable Checkers game within Microsoft Excel, designed for both friendly matches and strategy practice. With Excel Checkers, you can experience the classic 8x8 Checkers board right inside a spreadsheet, utilizing Excel’s grid system for a seamless gameplay experience. Thanks to VBA macros, Excel Checkers enables smooth piece movements, mandatory jumps, and automatic king promotions, making every match dynamic and engaging. Whether you're playing against a friend or honing your skills, Excel Checkers brings the traditional board game to life within Excel.

Why Play Checkers in Excel?

play checkers game in excel

  • No additional software required – Just open the Excel file and start playing.
  • Free to download and play – No subscriptions, no ads.
  • Great for quick entertainment – Play during work breaks or leisure time.
  • Customizable – Modify rules, board design, and play styles.

2. Classic Excel Checkers Game Rules

Before diving into Excel Checkers, let’s quickly review the fundamental rules of Excel Checkers to understand how the game is played within Excel.

Excel Checkers Board and Pieces Setup

  • Excel Checkers is played on an 8x8 grid, just like traditional Checkers, with alternating dark and light squares.
  • Each player in Excel Checkers starts with 12 pieces, placed on the dark squares of the three rows closest to them.

Excel Checkers Movement Rules

  • In Excel Checkers, regular pieces move diagonally forward one square at a time.
  • Capturing (Jumping) is mandatory in Excel Checkers – if a piece can capture an opponent’s piece by jumping over it to an empty square, it must do so.
  • When a piece reaches the last row on the opponent’s side in Excel Checkers, it becomes a King, gaining the ability to move diagonally in both directions.

Excel Checkers Winning Conditions

  • A player wins Excel Checkers when their opponent has no remaining pieces.
  • If a player is unable to move due to being completely blocked, they automatically lose the game in Excel Checkers.

3. Creating a Checkers Board in Excel

checkers game version for excel To play Excel Checkers, you first need to create a Checkers board layout. There are two main methods to do this:

Method 1: Manually Formatting Cells

  1. Open a new Excel sheet.
  2. Select an 8x8 range (e.g., A1:H8).
  3. Format alternating cells with dark and light colors to create the Checkers pattern.
  4. Adjust column width and row height to create perfect squares.

Method 2: Using Conditional Formatting

  1. Select the 8x8 range where the board will be.
  2. Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule.
  3. Choose "Use a formula to determine which cells to format."
  4. Enter this formula for dark squares: 
    =MOD(ROW()+COLUMN(),2)=0
=MOD(ROW()+COLUMN(),2)=1

5.Choose a dark color fill. 6.Repeat the steps for light squares with the formula. 7.Apply the formatting, and your Excel Checkers board is ready!

4. Making Excel Checkers Interactive

To turn your board into a real playable Checkers game, you need to use VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) to handle:

  • Valid moves and turn-based logic.

  • Capturing mechanics (jumping over opponent’s pieces).

  • King promotion when a piece reaches the last row.

  • Automatic move tracking and result detection.

If you’re new to VBA, check out online tutorials or use the pre-made Excel Checkers file provided below!

5. Download and Install Excel Checkers

checkers excel game version for download

Ready to play? Download our fully functional Excel Checkers file for free!

➡ Download Excel Checkers

System Requirements:

Compatible with: Excel 2016, Excel 2019, Excel 365

How to Enable Macros:

  • Open Excel and go to File > Options > Trust Center.

  • Click Trust Center Settings > Macro Settings.

  • Select "Enable all macros" (Recommended for trusted files).

6. More Classic Games in Excel

If you enjoy Excel Checkers, you might also like these other Excel-based games:

Excel Tetris – Play the classic falling block game in Excel.

Excel Chess – Challenge an AI or play against a friend.

Excel Battleship – Sink your opponent’s fleet in an Excel-based Battleship game.

Excel Bejeweled – Match colorful gems in a grid and score points by creating combinations of three or more. This Excel version of Bejeweled brings addictive puzzle gameplay right into your spreadsheet.

Excel 2048 – Merge tiles with the same number to reach 2048! Swipe in different directions to combine numbers in this addictive Excel-based number puzzle game.

Excel Bubble Shooter – Shoot and match bubbles of the same color to clear the board. This interactive Excel game adds fun mechanics to the traditional bubble shooter format.

7. Conclusion

Playing Excel Checkers is a fun and unique way to enjoy the classic board game. Whether you create your own Checkers board in Excel or download our Excel Checkers file, you’ll have an exciting game ready to play anytime. Give Excel Checkers a try, share this Excel game with friends, and dive into even more exciting Excel games!!

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