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Pawn of the Dead

Pawn of the Dead Game Cover
57%Game Brain Score
graphics, gameplay
story
86% User Score Based on 14 reviews
Critic Score 63%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchLinuxPCMac OSWindows
Pawn of the Dead Game Cover

About

Pawn of the Dead is a single player and multiplayer puzzle game. It was developed by Aslan Game Studio and was released on February 19, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Pawn of the Dead" is a puzzle-based chess game with 3D graphics and a local 2-player multiplayer mode, including a split screen option. The unique mechanic allows captured white pieces to turn into black ones, adding a new twist to traditional chess gameplay. The campaign mode features 64 story-driven levels and a procedural level generator for endless challenges.

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86%
Audience ScoreBased on 14 reviews
graphics2 positive mentions

  • The game offers a fun twist on classic chess mechanics, making it enjoyable for both beginners and casual players.
  • High-quality cutscenes and an interesting story enhance the overall experience, providing good entertainment value.
  • The graphics, while somewhat outdated, are complemented by fluid animations and a unique premise that adds strategic depth.
  • The game suffers from mediocre design choices and outdated graphics that detract from the overall experience.
  • Many features, such as the campaign scenarios and AI, feel uninspired and can lead to a boring gameplay experience.
  • Technical issues, including frequent crashes when loading new arenas, significantly hinder the enjoyment of the game.
  • story
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is described as interesting yet brief, leaving players wanting more depth. While it has potential appeal for children through its characters and the ability to create their own narratives, the overall experience is hindered by technical issues that disrupt gameplay. Players are hopeful for a more engaging campaign mode in the future.

    • “The story is interesting but leaves the player wanting more as it's a bit short.”
    • “I imagine children could have a lot of fun with this game, with its story and its characters.”
    • “What enraged me the most is that the game lets you choose from several discreetly but boringly designed arenas, but crashes every single time when you try to load one that you haven't been to yet during story mode.”
    • “Pawn of the Dead attempts a simple twist on chess and supports it with a short story mode.”
    • “They have their way of creating their own stories, but the randomly generated puzzles could entertain them for long after the story mode is finished.”
  • graphics
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally appreciated for their nice visuals and animations, with some users noting that they are enjoyable and well-executed for an early access title. However, there is a consensus that the graphics appear outdated, which detracts from the overall experience despite the game's potential.

    • “It hurts, because as a chess game, POTD has potential... it's all there: nice graphics and animations, good AI, and the premise forming the base (i.e. black pieces aka zombies converting white pieces into zombies instead of capturing them) is awesome and intriguing.”
    • “Price is low for the graphical fidelity, and it's a very stable game, especially for an early access title.”
    • “I personally like the graphics, but I have to admit that they're undeniably outdated.”
  • gameplay
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay features an intriguing undeath mechanic that encourages defensive play, even against weaker opponents, while the puzzle elements enhance the experience with innovative rule changes to traditional chess. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its novelty, though players express a desire for additional mechanics and levels in future updates.

    • “The puzzle mechanic is nice and it benefits from every little rule change made to chess.”
    • “The twist to the classical chess mechanics was quite novel.”
    • “I'd like to see some new mechanics and new levels in the future if possible.”
    • “The undeath mechanic was the only thing I was looking forward to, and while I almost didn't find it bad, it forces you to play extremely defensively, even if you're up against nothing but a horde of pawns.”
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Frequently Asked Questions

Pawn of the Dead is a puzzle game.

Pawn of the Dead is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac OS, Windows and others.

Pawn of the Dead was released on February 19, 2021.

Pawn of the Dead was developed by Aslan Game Studio.

Pawn of the Dead has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its story.

Pawn of the Dead is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Warhammer 40,000: Regicide, Age of Fear: The Undead King, Songs of Conquest, Grey Goo, Chessaria: The Tactical Adventure and others.