The road so far

16 October 2026

v0.2.0 – Online

Added

• Accounts with sessions (SQLite), server-side score checks.
• Installable offline app.
• 1v1: hot seat, against the computer, and online duels via invite link with clock, resign and rematch.
• Quick-play queue, friends list and challenges.
• Generated puzzles.

20 October 2026

v0.4.0 – Ready for players: everything from the first round of feedback

Added

• Imprint and privacy pages, feedback form (with captcha) that files reports straight into the tracker.
• Free play as a relaxed zen mode; one click from the start screen into a game.
• Map of the day rotates through the laws; daily streak; your own rank in the rankings.
• Questions & answers window; compendium for looking things up.
• Easy computer for first duels; computer duels via custom game.
• Zoom for big maps on phones; keyboard hints; quick-play statistics.
• Change your password, delete your account; moderation of names.
• Puzzle stars are stored on the account.
• Music in a smaller format (Opus).

Changed

• Calmer menu and game selection; custom games may choose no law.
• Consistent English wording.

Fixed

• Early win in duels, stuck games, tandem mining, star limits on big maps, sound panel and duel layout on phones, start-screen contrast, info bar above the board.

22 October 2026

v0.6.0 – A long road: renown, achievements, the weekly challenge and the conquest run – plus a website

Added

• Roadmap at /roadmap/: a road from the first prototype to the newest release, and what lies beyond the fog.
• After an update, the game selection says once what version is new and links to its stop on the roadmap.
• Website at / in English and German (/de/): what Ninelands is, screenshots, what's new, links to the guide and the roadmap. The language choice is shared with the game.
• Renown and rank: every verified star earns renown, rated online wins too; levels and eight ranks from Squire to High King. Shown under your name, in the profile and after every game.
• Conquest run: a chain of ever harder maps; clear a stage, pick one of three boons, miss the stars and the run is over. Runs continue where you left them; the best run of each account is replayed by the server and ranked.
• Challenge of the week: one map for everyone each week with a twist (bigger map, bandits, fog, missing pieces), its own ranking and two achievements.
• Banners and board themes as level rewards: eight banner shapes for your lands (your duel opponent sees them) and the board themes winter, autumn, desert and night.
• Achievements: 38 goals from your first star to three stars without a bishop – feats in a game are checked by replaying it; every achievement adds renown.
• Personal records in the profile: best gold per law and map size, most lands, stars per mode, longest daily streak, duel record – only your own results.
• Press kit at /press/: facts, descriptions, screenshots, logo and banner, everything as one ZIP.

Changed

• The game moved to /play/. Installed apps open the game as before; old map and duel links are forwarded.

25 October 2026

v0.8.0 – Playing together: friends, festivals, fairer duels – and a hint when a puzzle gets stuck

Added

• Best game of the day: after finishing the map of the day, Watch the best game replays the day’s best game move by move, anonymously – from the result screen or the ranking (#89).
• Friends ranking: the rankings of the map of the day and the challenge of the week switch between Everyone and Friends (with an account); after the map of the day the result tells you how many friends played today and your place among them (#90).
• Festivals and seasons: a hub card shows the season and the next festival. During a festival, stars in three games earn its board theme and banner for good: Halloween (25 October – 2 November) Pumpkin night and Bat, Winterfest (15 December – 6 January) Festive lights and Snowflake, Easter Blossom meadow and Easter egg. The new board theme With the seasons follows the festival or season with the themes you have unlocked (#93).
• Colour-blind friendly mode in the game settings: in duels player 2’s land is striped and their pieces stand on a dashed base, and blocked fields get a dashed frame – colour is never the only sign (#91).
• Hints in puzzles: the new Hint button marks the next move of a best solution, or says how many moves to take back when you have left the best path. After a hint, that puzzle gives at most two stars (also on the server) (#88).

Changed

• Head start in duels: in new duels player 2 starts with 5 gold. Bot duels showed player 1 winning 54–64 % on every map size (with bandits and fog); with the head start it is about 50/50. Online duels already running keep their rules (#92).
• Star goals on 9×9 maps: the gold goal now also counts two greedy computer games, like the big maps. About one in ten 9×9 maps had a far too easy gold goal; now a gold star is about as hard on every map size. Stars on free maps and the map of the day count afresh (old stars and renown stay); campaign and weekly challenge are unchanged (#92).

Fixed

• On the 12×12 and 15×15 maps, the points preview for the right part of the top row was cut off at the edge of the board (#87).

27 October 2026

v0.9.1 – Staying signed in: an honest checkbox, and no new sign-in when the network is slow at startup

Changed

• The checkbox on the login page is now Stay signed in on this device (it used to remember only the name). On by default, as before: you stay signed in for 30 days. Off: the login ends when you close the browser or the app (#100).

Fixed

• If the server could not be reached right when the app started (e.g. network not ready yet), you had to sign in again. The app now tries again a few times and as soon as the device is online (#100).