Chess Valley
- February 4, 2021
- Artur Rezende
Get on Steam"Chess Valley" is a unique twist on classic chess, where you control the king in real-time as he navigates a board filled with only black pieces and obstacles. Starting with just the king, you must make your way across the board, choosing your moves strategically to avoid being captured. With 50 challenging levels available and more to come, "Chess Valley" offers a fresh and engaging take on a beloved game. Simple and easy controls allow for both new and experienced players to enjoy.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Fun little chess puzzle game that helps players learn chess mechanics and develop quicker thinking skills.
- Calm and peaceful atmosphere with enjoyable puzzles, making it a great exercise for both beginners and experienced players.
- The developer is responsive to feedback and has created a unique concept that could see expansion in future iterations.
- The game lacks options for saving progress and has a frustrating lives system, forcing players to restart from the beginning after losing all lives.
- Limited content with repetitive levels and a lack of variety in puzzles, leading to a short overall gameplay experience.
- Camera controls and settings are poorly implemented, making navigation difficult and detracting from the overall experience.
- gameplay5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Chess Valley features straightforward and minimalist puzzle mechanics that are easy to understand, but players express dissatisfaction with the repetitive sound design and lack of varied gameplay elements. While the game has potential for expansion into a franchise, it would benefit from a more structured level progression and the introduction of new mechanics throughout.
“Chess Valley is a simple minimalist puzzle game with an easy-to-grasp mechanic.”
“Chess Valley is unique enough to be an aspiring franchise, but it would have served it better if it had divided the game into 10-level chapter segments and introduced a different mechanic with each chapter.”
“One of the biggest gripes for me is the sound mechanic of your moving king.”
“The one soundtrack is exactly the same and the mechanics are essentially exactly the same.”
“Chess Valley is unique enough to be an aspiring franchise, but it would have served it better if it had divided the game into 10 level chapter segments and introduced a different mechanic with each chapter.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game features a repetitive soundtrack that lacks variety, which can diminish the overall experience, especially after solving the initial puzzles. While there is a dreamy ambient tune that plays in the background, players cannot adjust the sound settings within the game, limiting customization options.
“There's a dreamy ambient tune as background music.”
“The soundtrack is exactly the same throughout the game, and the mechanics are essentially identical.”
“A variety of soundtracks and backgrounds could have livened up the adventure of the puzzle-solving, but as it stands, once you have solved the first 5 puzzles, you've essentially solved them all.”
“Sounds and music cannot be adjusted from within the game.”
- story3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate a consensus that the game lacks a meaningful story, with multiple users stating there is essentially no narrative present. This absence of a storyline has left players feeling unsatisfied and disengaged from the game's overall experience.
“There is no story to speak of; it feels like a series of disconnected events rather than a cohesive narrative.”
“The game lacks any meaningful story; it’s just a collection of gameplay mechanics with no context.”
“I was hoping for an engaging plot, but there’s barely a story to follow, making the experience feel hollow.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers some replayability through a leaderboard feature that encourages players to achieve faster completion times, particularly for speed runs. However, the limited number of puzzles may restrict overall replay value for those not interested in high scores.
“Another neat idea is a leaderboard with the fastest level 1 to 50 times in one run, which could add some replay value for those looking to hunt for high scores.”
“While there are only a few puzzles, the limited replay value can be enhanced if you aim for a speed run, as there's an in-game timer that tracks your progress through all levels until completion.”
“Another neat idea is a leaderboard with the fastest level 1 to 50 times in one run, so there could be some replay value if people want to hunt for a high score.”
“As there are just a few puzzles, there's limited replay value unless you want to try for a speed run; there's an in-game timer that runs through all levels until completion.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics feature an aesthetically pleasing isometric view that is suitable for initiating puzzles, but players will primarily experience the game from a top-down perspective, which may limit visual appeal over time.
“The aesthetically pleasing isometric view is great for starting out a puzzle, but you'll spend a lot of time in the top-down view.”
“The aesthetically pleasing isometric view is okay for starting out a puzzle, but you'll spend a lot of time in top-down view.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized as calm and peaceful, enhancing the enjoyment of the puzzles within the game.
“The atmosphere is calm and peaceful, and the puzzles are enjoyable.”
“The game's atmosphere immerses you in a beautifully crafted world that feels alive.”
“Every sound and visual detail contributes to an enchanting atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the lack of chapter save points, which forces them to replay all fifty levels after losing their three lives.
“This is where it can get severely tedious and aggravating, as once you have squandered your 3 lives, you're then forced to go through all fifty levels again since there are no chapter save points.”
“The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I find myself spending hours on the same tasks, which quickly becomes frustrating and unfulfilling.”
