An animated history adventure
Play The Road: recognize a strategy, counter it, and know why.
History comes to life. One bold move at a time.
Meet an original cast of characters in adventures inspired by surprising moments from history. Follow the clues, discover different points of view and explore a world of stories, creativity and chess.
Episode 1 premieres November 5, 2026.
- First look
- The Letter in the Cellar
- Episode
- CC-101 · Pilot
- Scene
- 07 · The vault
- Place
- London
- Date
- 4 Nov 1605
One world, everywhere
Same cast. New ways to explore.
Discover our first stories and get a glimpse of the comics, collections and activities in development. Your favorite characters will have more adventures to share.
Stories
Short animated adventures inspired by real events, brought to life by the Checkered Crown cast.
Pilot in production
The Road
Play the free browser adventure. Recognize an opening strategy, counter it, and understand why.
Playable preview
Comics & books
Illustrated adventures to enjoy at your own pace. The first planned issue follows The Letter in the Cellar.
In development
Merch
Character-inspired clothing and keepsakes are in development. See what we’re planning.
In development
Puzzles
Planned jigsaws and pattern activities invite families to look closer and make discoveries together.
Planned
Coloring
Planned character pages with bold outlines and plenty of room for imagination.
In developmentSeason 01
Seven nights a crown almost fell.
Explore the tales planned for our first season: mysterious letters, secret journeys and choices that changed the course of a night.
The Letter in the Cellar
London · 1605
Barrels under Parliament, and one unsigned letter that gives the game away.
CC-102The Men in the Aisle
Florence · 1478
A banking family tries to take a city during Sunday Mass.
CC-103The Drawer the King Couldn’t Open
Madrid · 1578
A royal secretary holds papers his king can never admit exist.
CC-104A King Can Be Fired
The Low Countries · 1581
A room of clerks writes a king out of the law with nothing but ink.
Two sides of the story
Crown and Check.
Each adventure follows people with different plans. Discover what they hope for, what they risk and how their choices shape the story.
Crown
The people in power.
The people protecting the way things are. What will they notice, and how will they respond?
Check
The people with a new plan.
The people trying to change what happens next. Will their plan succeed, or will a small clue change everything?
The company
Six characters. A new role in every tale.
Our cast takes on new roles and costumes in each adventure. Meet the travelers, messengers and everyday people who bring the past to life.
Rook
Steady, strong and ready to help
Knight
Ready for the next journey
Bishop
A careful reader of every clue
Pawns
Everyday people who make a difference
King
Leadership brings responsibility
Part of the cast
Queen
A different view from the crown
Part of the castThe Road · browser game
The story first. Then the strategy.
The Road is a free browser chess adventure with a prologue plus fourteen true-history chapters: fifteen stops in all. Explore the stories, try opening ideas, and take a useful challenge into your next game.
- See it: watch an opening pattern on the board.
- Face it: discover how to respond.
- Make it: swap sides and try the idea yourself.
- Name it: learn the opening’s name after exploring its idea.
The next adventure
Follow the Crown.
Our first look arrives October 16. Episode 1, The Letter in the Cellar, premieres November 5, 2026. Follow along for new stories, character moments and discoveries.
Waitlist
Get premiere updates.
Hear about the November 5 premiere, new stories, the first comic and Road updates. Email updates are for ages 13+. Parents can sign up for younger readers.