The StackWorks Start Page (index.html) lets you choose a game variant and configure common options before launching.
Settings chosen here are saved in your browser (localStorage) and will be used when the game page loads.
Tip: Each section on the Start Page can be expanded/collapsed by clicking its header. Your expanded/collapsed choices are remembered in your browser; the first time you visit, all sections start expanded.
The Pieces dropdown selects the same options found on the game’s Info panel. Your choice is applied when the board loads.
If you choose the Glass pieces, additional dropdowns appear: Glass colors (piece color-pair presets) and Glass bg (choose between Original, Felt, and Walnut backgrounds).
These are applied when the game loads:
The Layout setting can also be changed in-game via Options → Layout.
The Start Page now exposes the same highlight-style options used in the game pages, so you can choose your preferred Classic or Modern setup before launching.
In Chess, that means the combined Move preview selector. In the other variants, it means separate Move preview hints and Move hint style controls, with Modern previews using selected-square, dot, and ring cues.
These match the Players section on the Start Page and game pages:
Click Launch to open the selected game page. If a game variant isn’t available yet, Launch will be disabled.
To play online, set Play mode to Online. Use Create to make a room (Player 1), then use the Lobby list to Join, Spectate, or Rejoin rooms.
After creating a room, the game UI shows the Room ID in Info → Online. Use the copy button next to “Room ID” to copy it to your clipboard.
When you create a room, the game also shows a sticky Waiting for opponent… toast. Tap it to copy an invite link you can share.
Private-room spectating: if you created a Private room, seated players can copy a secret spectate link from Info → Online using the Ⓦ button.
While connecting, the game may show toast notifications like Connecting…, Reconnecting…, and Reconnected. You can disable toasts via Show toast notifications on the Start Page.
If you run into issues, open Info → Online and use ⓘ to view/copy a diagnostic blob you can paste into a bug report (and it will also be uploaded to the server for this room).
When joining, the Start Page will automatically open the correct variant page for that room.
Online input is blocked until both players have joined (so a single client can’t accidentally play “both colors” while waiting).
Leaving: in online games, Return to Start Page suspends the room so you can rejoin it later. If you simply close the tab, the server starts a disconnect grace period.
Disconnect behavior:
When you are on a game page, shortcuts use Ctrl (Windows/Linux) or Cmd (macOS). Shortcuts are disabled while typing in a text field.
Analysis mode (Chess variants only): toggle via the Analysis button or Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+A. In online rooms, analysis moves are local-only and are not submitted to the server. AI/bots are paused during analysis.
For game rules and gameplay instructions, see the variant help pages.