ChessCraft
- December 16, 2021
- Stuart Spence
Get on SteamChessCraft is a strategy game that offers a unique twist on traditional chess. Create and customize your own chess boards, pieces, and rules in this AI sandbox, then play against the computer or friends in local or online multiplayer mode. With 80 built-in boards in adventure mode, ChessCraft provides endless possibilities for strategic gameplay and creative expression.
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Linux
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Reviews
- The game offers extensive customization options for creating unique chess pieces and boards, providing endless possibilities for gameplay.
- It features a flexible AI that adapts to custom rules and pieces, making it enjoyable for both casual and hardcore chess players.
- The game is affordable and provides a fun experience, especially for those who enjoy experimenting with different chess variants.
- The online mode is reportedly broken, affecting multiplayer gameplay.
- The user interface is clunky and feels like a mobile port, lacking features like fullscreen mode and proper scaling for PC.
- There are persistent bugs, particularly with the AI and custom pieces, which can disrupt the gaming experience.
- graphics5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are generally decent, with standout designs in custom piece skins and the RPG map. However, the quality of assets is inconsistent, ranging from beautifully crafted artwork to poorly rendered elements. Players express a desire for more customization options, such as the ability to import their own graphics.
“The graphics are really nice.”
“Where the graphics really shine are in the piece designs (i.e. the skins when you're making custom pieces, or when you unlock the templates from playing the RPG), and the RPG map.”
“The ability to import one's own piece graphics would be great as there is currently no camel or wildebeest, for example.”
“The graphics are outdated and lack the detail expected from modern games.”
“Character models look flat and lifeless, making it hard to connect with the game.”
“The environments feel bland and uninspired, lacking the vibrant visuals that could enhance the gameplay experience.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its flexibility and creativity, allowing players to design custom pieces, which enhances the overall fun. While some find it to be just regular gameplay, the intuitive moveset creation becomes easier once the basic mechanics are grasped.
“In terms of gameplay, it is very flexible, offering a lot of creative capabilities. The opportunity to create custom designs on pieces makes the chesscraft game even more fun to play.”
“Creating the moveset is intuitive once you understand the basic mechanics.”
“The gameplay feels very basic and lacks depth.”
“The mechanics are clunky and make the experience frustrating.”
“There are too many bugs that disrupt the gameplay experience.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is primarily tailored for mobile devices, which may detract from the user experience on other platforms, particularly due to a subpar user interface. Overall, while performance is generally solid, it reflects its mobile-first design.
“The performance ranking is top-notch, making it one of the best in its category.”
“The game is optimized for mobile, ensuring a smooth experience despite its complex mechanics.”
“The user interface could use some improvement, but overall, the optimization for mobile devices is impressive.”
“The only thing that really sucks about it is the user interface; it's a mobile game first and foremost, and everything is optimized for mobile.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, making it a worthwhile purchase even for those who may not excel at chess, despite its challenging visual presentation.
“If you can stomach a game that is somewhat hard to look at but has an absolute ton of replayability, this is a must-buy even for people who can't play chess well.”
“The variety of strategies and outcomes keeps me coming back for more; every playthrough feels fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple paths and choices, each run offers a unique experience that makes you want to dive back in immediately.”
“The game lacks meaningful choices, making each playthrough feel repetitive and dull.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to return, as the side quests are uninspired and forgettable.”
“While the mechanics are solid, the lack of variety in levels and challenges severely limits replayability.”
