RPG Chess

RPG CHESS - A TURN-BASED RPG, EXCEPT IT'S ALSO CHESS

Every capture triggers a battle. RPG Chess reimagines chess as a turn-based
strategy game with classic RPG combat: your pieces fight with stats, elements
and abilities, and the game is won by defeating the enemy King.

EVERY CAPTURE IS A BATTLE

Move a piece onto an enemy and the board gives way to a 1v1 duel. Both sides
secretly queue two commands, then watch them resolve in speed order. Land a
knockout, or win on remaining HP when both pieces survive. Winner claims the
square. Damage carries across the game, so every fight you pick makes the
next one riskier.

LEVEL UP BY PLAYING CHESS

Your pieces gain experience from moving on the board. Push a pawn up the file,
or position a bishop to threaten the King. Every move can level up your piece and
have it grow stronger, unlocking new abilities.

100+ ABILITIES ACROSS 6 ELEMENTS

Over 100 unique abilities, each with its own cinematic animation and effect.
A piece's primary ability sets its element, so every loadout choice is also a
choice about what that piece is strong and weak against. Fire, Water, Air and
Earth counter each other in a classic cycle, while Light and Void are locked in
a mutual rivalry that cuts both ways. Match a piece's element to its attack for
bonus damage. You start with a set of 32 abilities and unlock the rest
naturally as you play.

BUILD YOUR TEAM

Assemble your army in the Team Builder and shape it with your ability
collection. Because a piece's primary ability decides its element, building a
loadout means deciding your team's coverage across the whole board. Your King
matters most of all: The ability you equip there sets the King's element and
becomes your team ability, strengthening every piece you field and granting a
board-wide passive for the entire game.

ASCENSION - THE ROGUELITE CAMPAIGN

Draft a starting army and climb the King's Tower: 16 hand-built floors, each
guarded by a unique King with their own signature power. Recruit defeated
enemies into your army, level your pieces across floors, and adapt as the
board shape changes beneath you. Turn on permadeath and a single lost game
ends the run.

SINGLE-PLAYER & MULTIPLAYER

Play the tutorial, take on the CPU across multiple difficulties, or share a
screen for local couch multiplayer. Online play runs through private Steam
lobbies, so you can invite friends directly.
(Public matchmaking and ranked play are not part of Early Access.)

CHESS REMADE

Castling, en passant and promotion all work as you'd expect, and you can play
on Chess960 or smaller 4x4 and 5x5 boards. Moving into check is perfectly legal,
and the only way to win is to defeat the enemy King in battle.

Build your team, evolve your strategy, and find out what chess looks like when
the pieces fight back.