5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel
- July 22, 2020
- Thunkspace, LLC
- 6h median play time
Get on Steam"5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel" is a unique chess variant that introduces spatial, temporal, and parallel dimensions to the classic game. It features multiverse time travel, puzzles, different AI personalities, and various starting positions. Players can also enjoy online play with friends or strangers. The game offers an intuitive interface for easy learning and highly-polished diagrams for visual clarity.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- gameplay392 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "5D Chess with Multiverse Time Travel" is a complex and innovative twist on traditional chess, incorporating time travel and multiverse mechanics that create a unique strategic experience. While many players find the mechanics engaging and rewarding once understood, the steep learning curve and sometimes unclear explanations can lead to initial confusion and frustration. Overall, the game is praised for its creativity and depth, appealing to both chess enthusiasts and those looking for a challenging puzzle experience, though some players feel it could benefit from improved tutorials and user interface design.
“The gameplay is engaging and varied; every action is already read from the future and furnished with traps before you were born, and I constantly felt like I was part of this world where everything is absolutely clear and understandable.”
“The mechanics of time travel and multiverse hopping are seamlessly integrated into the chess gameplay, creating an experience that is both familiar and completely new.”
“This is a delightfully creative twist on a legendary game that yields surprisingly balanced and deep strategic gameplay.”
“A fun concept to mess around with, but in the end the gameplay is imperfect at best, and bad at worst.”
“I'd like to recommend the game to my more masochistic friends, but it is just too poorly explained to ever feel like you've got a handle on gameplay, leaving most CPU matches even against the easiest AI to feel arbitrary and unfair.”
“The mechanics of this game are illogical; sometimes bishops will just move horizontally, you may attain checkmate without cornering the king at all in your timeline, and the introduction of new pieces like the unicorn and dragon make it even more confusing.”
- humor140 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- -1 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in this game is widely praised for its absurdity and cleverness, often described as "hilarious" and "stupidly fun," making it a great source of laughter among players. Many reviews highlight the game's complex mechanics that lead to unexpected and funny situations, even as players struggle to fully grasp the rules. Overall, it combines dry humor with chaotic gameplay, resulting in a unique experience that is both entertaining and intellectually stimulating.
“This game is extremely funny, and your $12 is so much better spent here on a joke of a chess game than $60 on any modern AAA buggy garbage.”
“I never thought I'd be laughing that hard at chess of all things, but there is some level of beautiful absurdity to the concepts conjured up by the games I've played of 5D chess.”
“The game is hilarious, complex, ridiculous, and genius all at the same time.”
“You're not funny!”
“You're not funny!”
“You're not funny!”
- graphics78 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the detailed visuals and immersive sound design that enhance the overall atmosphere, particularly in survival horror contexts. Others note that while the graphics are clean and functional, they are basic and lack high production value, which may not appeal to players seeking a visually stunning experience. Overall, the graphics are described as intuitive and supportive of gameplay, with a few standout features, but they do not overshadow the core mechanics of the game.
“The graphics and sound design add an extra layer of polish to the overall experience.”
“The graphics are pretty nice and the sounds are magnificent.”
“As a game, it is great; it has fun animations, a nice graphical style, and a very well-built UI/UX experience.”
“There is little to no production value, with minimal, low-effort graphic design, not much in the way of music or sound effects, certainly nothing resembling a story or campaign, and only a small amount of what might be called level design.”
“Very few would play this game for the graphics.”
“Graphics (detailed analysis): basic, suitable for a chess game.”
- story76 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed feedback, with some players praising its engaging plot and surprising twists that maintain suspense, while others criticize the lack of a coherent narrative or production value. Notably, one reviewer highlighted a specific moment in the game as an exemplary instance of storytelling, contrasting it with the absence of a traditional storyline in other parts. Overall, the narrative experience seems to vary significantly, with some players finding depth and excitement, while others see it as minimal or non-existent.
“The game struck me from the first minutes with its exciting plot and music (abysses of oppression drum roll).”
“In addition, the plot twists and surprises keep you in suspense until the end.”
“Of course, the biggest achievement in the creation of this game is the storytelling.”
“Storyline: none”
“There is little to no production value, with minimal, low-effort graphic design, not much in the way of music or sound effects, certainly nothing resembling a story or campaign, and only a small amount of what might be called level design.”
“There are no scripts or plot twists; just the rules of a game that you already know, plus the ability to jump back in time or into alternate timelines.”
- music46 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its immersive quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, particularly in survival horror contexts. However, others criticize the lack of a substantial soundtrack and suggest that the sound effects can be annoying, indicating a need for a more developed audio experience. Overall, while the sound design is noted as polished, many players feel that the music is the weakest aspect of the game.
“The game struck me from the first minutes with its exciting plot and music (abysses of oppression drum roll).”
“Graphics impress with their detailing, and music and sound accompaniment immerse you in what is happening, creating an inexpressible atmosphere of survival horror.”
“I strongly recommend you listen to the Umineko soundtrack as you play this game; they fit together perfectly.”
“There is little to no production value, with minimal, low-effort graphic design, not much in the way of music or sound effects, certainly nothing resembling a story or campaign, and only a small amount of what might be called level design.”
“If I have to pinpoint something out, the music effects are kind of annoying, and it lacks some proper statistics tracking/ranking system.”
“What it needs: weakest area for me is music.”
- emotional40 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits intense feelings, ranging from frustration and despair to profound accomplishment and nostalgia. Many players report crying during gameplay, highlighting the game's ability to evoke deep emotional responses, whether through challenging mechanics or its narrative elements. Overall, it serves as a powerful tool for emotional exploration and reconsolidation, making it a unique experience for those willing to engage with its complexities.
“10/10, I cried.”
“After half an hour I won, don't know how, I cried.”
“Has even been proved relevant to some emotional reconsolidation work I've done in therapy sessions, where I can't change the past but I can go back and imagine an alternate timeline, which changes my present possibility landscape.”
- replayability22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find value in mastering its mechanics and engaging with puzzle modes, others feel it lacks substantial replay value outside of achievements and variants. Many reviewers suggest that the game is more of a novelty than a long-term play, with limited enjoyment for casual players.
“When first playing the game, learning the mechanics can be very engaging, and it technically has some replay value in the puzzles section.”
“Very balanced and replayable (even with 42 variants included in the game).”
“Achievements really give some players a lot of replay value as well, though chess has a charming replay value on its own that has persisted for centuries.”
“It has low replayability for me.”
“It just doesn't have a lot of replayability for that reason.”
“I'm also convinced that all but the best players will spend their whole lives getting used to every rule, or even learning them, so there's some replayability in that.”
- optimization16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for running smoothly on most systems, but there are significant concerns regarding AI performance, with reports of slow processing times and instances where the AI gets stuck, leading to frustratingly long wait times. While some players find the game worth the price despite these issues, others suggest that updates are needed to enhance performance further.
“Optimization: excellent, runs smoothly on most systems.”
“Amazing game, well worth the price in optimization alone.”
“Optimization: [5d/5d]”
“I like it, but I think they should bring some updates that improve the performance. Playing against the machine can lead you to some cases where the machine gets stuck thinking, and you end up waiting and staring at the machine for more than 20 minutes until it finishes processing and makes a move.”
“Then next there is the performance and optimization of the game.”
“Game performance is bad (slow AI), so you definitely need that nonexistent continue.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Players overwhelmingly agree that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring an unrealistic commitment akin to having a "second life" to keep up with the demands.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- stability12 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 83 % negative mentions
The game's stability is mixed, with some users reporting rare bugs and glitches, while others find it quite buggy and frustrating, particularly regarding the interface and time travel feature. Overall, experiences vary, with some players enjoying the humor despite the technical issues.
“No glitches as far as I can tell thus far.”
“The game interface is terrible and is so unplayably buggy.”
“It's also buggy, which is super frustrating after putting a lot of effort into one game :/”
“Quite buggy and there is no point to actually use the time travel feature.”
- monetization6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is criticized for lacking microtransactions, which some users perceive as a missed opportunity for revenue generation, labeling it a "cash grab."
“The game offers a fair approach to in-game purchases, ensuring that players can enjoy the experience without feeling pressured to spend money.”
“I appreciate that there are no microtransactions, allowing me to fully immerse myself in the game without interruptions.”
“The absence of microtransactions makes this game refreshing and enjoyable, as I can focus on gameplay rather than spending money.”
“What a cash grab.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its impressive graphics and detailed sound design, which together create an immersive experience that effectively captures the essence of survival horror.
“The graphics impress with their detailing, and the music and sound accompaniment immerse you in what is happening, creating an inexpressible atmosphere of survival horror.”
