The strategy board game Chinese Checkers is unrelated to checkers, nor does it originate in China, nevertheless, this particular adaptation draws heavily on Chinese themes. Tiào Ch'i translates to "jump chess", and computer AI players are given the names of deities from the ancient Chinese pantheon. Each player controls a contingent of numbered tiles, but in the graphical version these can be replaced with pictorial tokens, representing the 12 animal signs of the Chinese zodiac.

2 to 6 players may participate, with each player attempting to relocate all his tokens to the opposite side of the star-shaped game board. One piece may be moved per turn - either by advancing a single step onto an empty space, or by a series of jumps over other tokens. Human or CPU control may be chosen for each player, all computer opponents have a unified skill level (Novice, Expert or Master) which may be changed in mid-game.