King of the Bridge

About

"King of the Bridge" is a unique spin on chess, where you must defeat a troll in his twisted version of the game, with over 20 unusual rules, to cross his bridge. The game features a lengthy rulebook to decipher, and the troll will stop at nothing to cheat and taunt you. With multiple endings, speedrun mode, and numerous achievements, this is not your typical chess game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,126 reviews

humor98 positive mentions

grinding16 negative mentions

Unique and creative twist on chess that adds humor and fun gameplay.
Short and sweet experience, well worth the low price, with replayability through achievements.
Engaging mechanics where players can cheat back if they catch the troll cheating, creating a fun dynamic.

Game is very short, often completed in under an hour, leading to limited replay value.
AI can be predictable and not very challenging after learning the rules, making it less engaging over time.
Frustrating mechanics where false accusations can lead to instant losses, detracting from the overall enjoyment.

humor
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "King of the Bridge" is widely praised, with players noting its clever and charming dialogue, funny animations, and the absurdity of its chess mechanics. Many reviewers found themselves laughing out loud during gameplay, appreciating the game's lighthearted take on chess and its engaging, whimsical rules. Overall, the game is described as a delightful and humorous experience that is both entertaining and memorable, making it a standout in the indie game scene.
- “The animations and sound effects reflect very well the essence of the game so that the experience gets memorable and humorous.”
- “It's so funny when the troll does something egregious like jump your rook over four chess pieces and you call him out on it and he's like 'who, me???'”
- “King of the Bridge is a charming chess experience featuring a humorous troll, a wacky rule book, and a king which doesn’t quit.”
gameplay
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
50%
7%
The gameplay is praised for its creativity, unique mechanics, and engaging challenges, making it enjoyable for a wide audience. Players appreciate the fun of mastering the rules, uncovering multiple endings, and achieving various accomplishments, despite some criticisms regarding simplicity in graphics and certain gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game offers a satisfying experience, blending humor with innovative gameplay, although it may be short in duration.
- “Honestly one of the better games of 2024, the gameplay is creative and can be enjoyed by all kinds of people.”
- “The art style is lovely and the gameplay is challenging and innovative.”
- “What a wonderful little game, won’t take you long to finish but it is well worth it for the novel gameplay alone.”
- “Since you can't cheat, there's no point in calling out the computer when it cheats, so the core mechanic of the game is just gone.”
- “There's no mechanic, for example, to track the troll's building suspicion.”
- “Basically they never bothered to test that the game worked on Mac; it turns out the dialogue boxes don't work. If you are on Mac, the game will just softlock at the first dialogue, right before gameplay starts, but they have it listed as though it works on Mac, so Steam will let you buy it on Mac, and all of a sudden the devs messed you over.”
graphics
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
28%
9%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming and unique art style, often described as simple and reminiscent of classic pixel art, which some players find appealing despite its basic execution. While the visuals may not be groundbreaking, they effectively complement the gameplay and contribute to the overall aesthetic experience, with many reviewers praising the game's creativity and charm. However, a few critiques mention that the graphics can be too simplistic or low-quality for some players' tastes.
- “The art style is lovely and the gameplay is challenging and innovative.”
- “And if all of that wasn't enough it is so charming, from the funny dialogue to the charming visuals, this game is genuinely cream of the crop, major props to whoever designed this masterpiece.”
- “I love the art style and the good execution of gameplay.”
- “The graphics are very simple and basic, made with pixel art and a color scheme that reminds me of the first Game Boys with tones of green and low screen resolution, but this isn’t a deal breaker because the gameplay is what the game is all about.”
- “King of the Bridge is a short indie, low-budget chess game with simple graphics, but it has creative and original gameplay.”
- “Graphics are not very important for a game like this, but in this case they are just too crappy.”
replayability
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
53%
11%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it offers multiple endings and achievements that encourage players to revisit, many reviewers note that the overall experience is quite short, leading to limited replay value once the main content is completed. Some players express a desire for additional modes or content to enhance replayability, but overall, it remains a fun, albeit brief, experience that can be enjoyed multiple times.
- “Multiple endings, humor, and replayability included.”
- “This is a silly fun type of game that's short enough to finish but has replayability and different endings to explore, and a pretty low price as well - definitely worth a try.”
- “Even when you've beaten the game, there is plenty of replayability - different speed modes to play, trying to get all 30+ achievements, and even every normal game is different.”
- “The only negative thing about this game is the low replay value. After beating the troll and finishing all the achievements, there's little to do. I hope the developers will add something like a game mode with random rules every match, or even some different types of enemies with their own rules. I would gladly pay for a well-crafted DLC that provides this, but even if this is the final product, I will 100% recommend it for its cheap price.”
- “The only thing I would say is a downside is that there isn't much replay value since there is no further path or story to complete.”
- “Very short (sub 1 hour) with minimal replayability outside of achievement hunting.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant drawback, often describing it as tedious and frustrating. While there are moments of enjoyment, much of the gameplay is spent grinding for achievements and enduring repetitive tasks, leading to a sense of burnout. The grind is particularly pronounced when attempting to reach various endings or complete specific challenges, detracting from the overall experience.
- “There's probably an hour or two of great fun, with the rest of my playtime being spent grinding out achievements.”
- “Getting to any ending at all is a frustrating task, and is just grindy, even after unlocking all the rules.”
- “There were a lot of other achievements and maybe I would have had more fun going for those, but after grinding for like 3 hours to beat the 'no cheat' run, I was just done with the game.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The game's story is described as simple and effective, revolving around a challenge with a troll while crossing a bridge, leading to four possible endings based on gameplay choices. However, many users criticize the lack of depth and engagement in the narrative, with some expressing disappointment over the minimal replay value and overall execution. While some appreciate the cute sprites and humor, others find the story lacking and unworthy of investment.
- “Cute with fun gameplay and simple but effective story/conflict.”
- “There isn’t a very elaborate story; you’re trying to cross the bridge and the troll is there challenging you. Depending on what you do during the chess match, you will unlock one of the four different endings the game has.”
- “Sprites are cute, the story is funny, and the effects are well-made.”
- “This game is terrible. What a waste of $4. This game is just playing over and over again. Please do not buy this game; they could have made it more engaging, but no, this game has no storyline and no good art. I would not recommend this game. I will refund this game right away; it's a giant pile of garbage. Imagine being gifted this; it's the worst game I have ever played. Delete this game!”
- “There isn’t a very elaborate story. You’re trying to cross the bridge, and the troll is there challenging you. Depending on what you do during the chess match, you will unlock one of the four different endings the game has.”
- “The only thing I would say is a downside is that there isn't much replay value since there is no further path or story to complete.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its effective sound design and immersive dialogue, which successfully evoke the intended fantasy setting. Reviewers appreciate the blend of simplicity and efficiency in creating a captivating environment that enhances the experience of "puzzle chess" and "challenge chess." Overall, the atmosphere contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The dialogue and background noise give the game a nice atmosphere that I think reproduces the fantasy setting that the developer was going for.”
- “Overall really good concept, awesome atmosphere (really like the sound design), simple but quite efficient.”
- “It creates a great atmosphere of a sort of 'puzzle chess' and 'challenge chess'.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is consistently praised as incredible, complementing the overall gameplay and art, contributing to a highly enjoyable experience that reviewers strongly recommend.
- “Incredible gameplay, incredible art, incredible music, incredible game, buy it now.”
- “Incredible gameplay, incredible art, incredible music, incredible game, buy it now.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by players' strong reactions, indicating a deep personal investment in their gameplay experience. The repeated phrase suggests frustration and a sense of protectiveness over their in-game assets, reflecting the game's ability to evoke intense feelings.

Buy King of the Bridge

King of the Bridge
$2.99
See offer on Steam

4h Median play time

4h Average play time

2-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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