Gigachess
- May 10, 2015
- Drixxel Soft
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Gigachess" is a single-player Turn Based Strategy game where you defend against relentless waves of enemy Pawns in a chess-based puzzle board. The game features multiple modes including Endless, Puzzle Attack, and Knight's Dungeon, with various difficulty levels and new features such as Autosaves, Hyper states, Mutators, and a Level Editor. Survive the Pawn onslaught in this addictive and deeply strategic remix of classic chess.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Xbox
Reviews
- Gigachess offers a unique twist on traditional chess mechanics, providing engaging puzzle modes and an endless challenge that can be enjoyable for fans of chess and puzzle games alike.
- The game features a charming retro pixel art style and a decent soundtrack, which adds to the overall experience despite some graphical limitations.
- Players appreciate the high replayability and the developer's responsiveness to feedback, with updates improving gameplay and adding new content.
- The game suffers from technical issues, including low-resolution graphics, uncustomizable controls, and a lack of polish that detracts from the overall experience.
- Many players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking depth, leading to a short engagement time and a sense of boredom after initial play.
- The game is often misrepresented as a chess game, which can disappoint those expecting a traditional chess experience rather than a puzzle-focused variant.
- graphics13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the use of outdated retro pixel art that lacks polish and depth, leading to a simplistic visual experience. While some appreciate the nostalgic pixelated style and its integration with the game's design, others find the visuals lackluster and frustrating, particularly due to issues like indistinct item graphics and a poorly designed user interface. Overall, the graphics may appeal to fans of retro aesthetics, but they fall short for those seeking modern visual quality.
“Very nice graphics, it all neatly ties together.”
“The design is just right presentation-wise as well, with the addition of the arcade elements and the pixel-graphics look.”
“The graphics feature a nice pixelated retro style, the music is good in retro regards too and the sound effects are suiting.”
“A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
“While there are options to change the resolution for the game, all this does is scale up the simplistic 2D art assets used to make the game, which makes little or no difference to the graphics quality.”
“There is a big negative for me, and that is the pixel graphics.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players finding it engaging and innovative, particularly praising its blend of chess mechanics with puzzle-solving elements. Others criticize it for being repetitive and simplistic, noting a lack of variety in enemies and strategic depth. Despite its flaws, many appreciate the game's low price and the enjoyable challenge it offers for puzzle enthusiasts.
“The price is low, but it offers a lot of gameplay hours.”
“This is a great game that uses chess as a springboard for some pretty interesting mechanics.”
“A surprisingly solid chess puzzle game, with different game modes that use the basic rules of chess in conjunction with some new mechanics to create very interesting levels, which you solve while listening to a very good soundtrack.”
“Gameplay couldn't keep me hooked at all.”
“Gameplay is boring: everything happens on a plain 8x8 chess board, you have only one type of enemy - pawn (with a kind of different breed) and a pair of strategic elements: block for one square and a bomb.”
“The overall mechanics, powers, and enemies in the game are deceptively simple, so even if you don't know anything about chess, it is still easy to learn and play.”
- music9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received positive feedback for its retro style and quality, enhancing the overall experience, particularly during gameplay. However, some players expressed a desire for more music options, specifically wishing that the menu music could be used during gameplay. While the soundtrack is generally well-received, a few users noted that the ability to turn off the music is a beneficial feature.
“Love the music and the graphics.”
“The graphics feature a nice pixelated retro style, the music is good in retro regards too and the sound effects are suiting.”
“A surprisingly solid chess puzzle game, with different game modes that use the basic rules of chess in conjunction with some new mechanics to create some very interesting levels, which you solve while listening to a very good soundtrack.”
“Tiny sound-a-like soundtracks.”
“Only con is the music, which can be turned off.”
“I wish that the menu music was an option out of the 3 during-game music options available; it's the best of them all.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has been met with indifference, as many gamers found it unengaging and lacking appeal.
“Hardly a success story; gamers just weren't all that interested in the game.”
“The plot felt disjointed and lacked any real depth, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“Character development was minimal, leaving me feeling disconnected from the story.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly without any noticeable glitches reported by users.
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game easy to learn, contributing to its very high replayability, making it enjoyable to revisit multiple times.
“Easy to learn, with very high replayability.”
“The game offers countless strategies and paths, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple endings and character choices, I find myself coming back for more every time.”
