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Below the Crown

Below the Crown Game Cover
95%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
story, optimization
95% User Score Based on 86 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Below the Crown Game Cover

About

Below the Crown is a single player tactical turn-based strategy game with a horror theme. It was developed by Misfits Attic and was released on April 21, 2026. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Welcome to the Dungeon The Emperor wants gold, and you're just the wizard to get it. Journey into the depths with a Rook, an Archer, and maybe a spell or two. Upgrade your party, learn new skills yourself, and discover what’s really going on in the darkness below. Spend the gold you find to help you survive - or risk saving it for the Emperor. Chess meets Awesome No memorizing openings, long dr…

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Below the Crown screenshot
Below the Crown screenshot
Below the Crown screenshot
Below the Crown screenshot
Below the Crown screenshot
Below the Crown screenshot
Below the Crown screenshot
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95%
Audience ScoreBased on 86 reviews
gameplay9 positive mentions
optimization1 negative mentions
  • Innovative and refreshing chess roguelike blending classic chess mechanics with roguelike and puzzle elements to create engaging tactical gameplay.
  • Excellent presentation featuring a distinctive retro cyberpunk aesthetic with vibrant neon visuals, immersive sound design, and a captivating atmospheric vibe.
  • Accessible for both chess experts and novices thanks to clear rules, helpful UI features like hints and danger indicators, and a manageable pacing without harsh time constraints.
  • Limited content variety and progression with repetitive gameplay over time and lack of substantial new unlocks or evolving story elements in the current state.
  • Some balance issues with certain upgrades trivializing challenges, and occasional bugs or performance slowdowns reported, particularly on certain platforms.
  • Minor usability drawbacks such as absence of draw move arrows, somewhat awkward UI navigation at first, and limited undo functionality that doesn't cover all mistake scenarios.
  • gameplay
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay offers a fresh and accessible twist on traditional chess mechanics, blending roguelike, deck-building, and puzzle elements to create engaging, fast-paced challenges with surprising depth. Players appreciate its balance of familiarity and innovation, enhanced by eerie, atmospheric design, making it enjoyable even for those less skilled at chess. Overall, it delivers a fun, layered experience that combines strategic complexity with approachable mechanics.

    • “Gameplay-wise I appreciate that it's not too chess, while still being enough chess that things are familiar and don't need a lot of explanation.”
    • “This game is pretty perfect for me, with the roguelike puzzles, easy-to-understand mechanics with lots of surprising depth.”
    • “Now, playing the game, it's clear that it came together as hoped: layers of deck-building, roguelike, dungeon-crawling, RPG mechanics upon the timeless, indefatigable mechanics of chess piece movement.”
    • “Someone else said it as well -- it's like a worse version of chess with stereotypical rogue-like mechanics thrown in.”
  • graphics
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics feature a unique neo-retro, minimalistic art style with a psychological horror vibe, creating a distinctive and atmospheric visual experience. The well-defined, cathode-ray tube-inspired visuals are both aesthetically pleasing and instantly recognizable, complementing the game's overall mood and gameplay.

    • “The art style is quite unique for a chess-based game.”
    • “The neo-retro minimal visuals and atmosphere are superb.”
    • “The graphics are well defined, and starting pieces, like the rook and the bishop, are instantly recognizable.”
  • atmosphere
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a superb neo-retro minimalist atmosphere that is both eerie and relaxing, appealing strongly to fans of chess and tactical gameplay. Its immersive and uncanny ambiance is praised for enhancing the overall experience, making it a standout aspect even in early access.

    • “The neo-retro minimal visuals and atmosphere are superb.”
    • “I came for the puzzle/roguelike gameplay and the eerie atmosphere, and I'm not disappointed.”
    • “Narratively, there's not much in the early access, but I already like how the "psychological quiz" affected the gameplay, and again, the atmosphere is nice, uncanny but still relaxing in a way.”
  • music
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music is widely praised for being relaxing and beautifully complementing the game's aesthetics, with many players highlighting it as one of the most enjoyable and vibing soundtracks they've experienced in a video game.

    • “This is a challenging roguelite attempt at chess with one of the most vibing soundtracks I ever had the luck to enjoy in a video game.”
    • “Beautiful aesthetics and music, can't wait to play more!”
    • “Music is nice and relaxing.”
  • story
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story is considered somewhat underwhelming, with less escalation and development than expected, leading to a less engaging narrative experience.

  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game runs smoothly and is stable on Linux, providing a reliable experience for users on that platform.

    • “Runs great on Linux as well.”
  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization shows promise but is currently hindered by performance issues and lacks depth. It may improve with future updates.

    • “A lot of potential, but too shallow and has performance issues in its current state, might check in later”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is appreciated for its unexpected and quirky moments, such as the amusing scenario of being caught playing chess at a wedding.

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Below the Crown Released

April 21 on bluesnews.com
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Frequently Asked Questions

Below the Crown is a tactical turn-based strategy game with horror theme.

Below the Crown is available on PC and Windows.

Below the Crown was released on April 21, 2026.

Below the Crown was developed by Misfits Attic.

Below the Crown has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked Below the Crown for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Below the Crown is a single player game.

Similar games include Pawnbarian, Drop Duchy, Rack and Slay, Fights in Tight Spaces, StarVaders and others.