A new digital board game called Tiao just launched, blending elements of Checkers and Go into a two-player turn-based strategy experience. The game was originally designed by Andreas Edmeier, who spent years refining the rules through playtesting and iterative design. Developer trebeljahr built the browser-based platform with multiplayer, AI opponents, over-the-board play modes, and a full achievements system.

The implementation uses a modern web stack: TypeScript, Next.js, Express, WebSockets, and MongoDB power the real-time gameplay. The project runs on a Hetzner VPS deployed via Coolify, with better-auth handling user authentication. Features include ELO matchmaking, an achievements system, and OpenPanel analytics. The entire stack is fully dockerized for easy deployment and scaling.

The game is free to play at playtiao.com with source code available on GitHub under the AGPL license. This open-source approach allows the community to examine, modify, and contribute to the project. The developer built the core platform in approximately two weeks, demonstrating rapid prototyping capabilities with the chosen tech stack.