Skip to main content

Pawnbarian

Pawnbarian Game Cover
92%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
story, grinding
92% User Score Based on 610 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchAndroidSteam DeckiPhoneWindowsLinuxPCTabletWeb BrowserMac OSPhoneiPadMobile Platform
Buy Nowfrom $0.29
Buy NowGet on Steam €8.19Buy NowGet on itch.io Store
Pawnbarian Game Cover

About

Pawnbarian is a single player tactical puzzle game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by j4nw and was released on September 24, 2021. It received very positive reviews from players.

Pawnbarian is a single-player Fantasy Strategy game where you, as the character in the horned helmet, use a deck of chess move cards to clear boards of enemies and progress through the game. With a limited number of moves per turn and the need to figure out enemy behaviors, it's a grinding but fabulous gameplay experience. For a more expansive version, check out j4nw.com/pawnbarian.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Pawnbarian screenshot
Pawnbarian screenshot
Skip User Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 610 reviews
gameplay40 positive mentions
grinding14 negative mentions
  • Pawnbarian combines chess mechanics with roguelike elements, creating a unique and engaging gameplay experience that is easy to learn but challenging to master.
  • The game features a variety of characters, each with distinct abilities, which adds depth and replayability to the gameplay.
  • The short, strategic runs make it a great game for quick sessions, and the satisfaction of executing well-planned moves is highly rewarding.
  • The game can become repetitive quickly due to the limited number of dungeons and upgrades, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
  • RNG elements can sometimes lead to frustrating situations where a bad draw can result in an unavoidable loss, detracting from the overall strategy.
  • Some players feel that the game lacks sufficient content and variety, making it feel less rewarding after completing the initial challenges.
  • gameplay
    134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is a unique blend of chess mechanics and roguelike elements, offering strategic depth through various characters, each with distinct abilities. While the core mechanics are praised for their simplicity and addictiveness, some players find the gameplay repetitive and occasionally frustrating due to challenging enemy combinations. Overall, the game is recognized for its solid mechanics and engaging puzzles, making it appealing to fans of both chess and deck-building games.

    • “The clever combination of various chess rules and challenging gameplay make this game surprisingly addictive.”
    • “The second, and most important thing that’ll make this feel fresh is the possibility to play multiple characters, each with their decks and mechanics, the titular pawnbarian for example, promotes pawns to queens if he finds himself at the top row, opening up more movement possibility and permanently powering you up for that battle, while one of my favorites, the nomad, is able to take enemy pieces from afar without leaving your space, this way making you wrap your head around the concept of when’s better to stay stationary and when to move.”
    • “There are some very, very clever emergent gameplay mechanics that come from the simple rules of chess.”
    • “The roguelike gameplay of this work is essentially very repetitive, and it is very easy for players to get tired quickly.”
    • “It's basically a chess puzzler with rogue-lite deck-building mechanics awkwardly limiting your options, which goes against what I like about chess; the feeling that there are a multitude of options, and the satisfaction of picking the best one.”
    • “I often feel like roguelike deckbuilders use a wide breadth of cards in their game to distract from the fact the core gameplay loop just isn't all that satisfying.”
  • graphics
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a clean and minimalistic art style that enhances the overall puzzle-solving experience. While some users noted the visuals as simplistic, they appreciated the polished execution and professional appearance, with many finding the graphics pleasing and easy on the eyes. Overall, the combination of simple graphics and effective sound design contributes to a satisfying and atmospheric gameplay experience.

    • “The art style is casual yet gorgeous, the variety is large, and the experience is great!”
    • “Simple and clean graphics are pleasing to look at, the music suits the theme well, and the sound the pieces make when they move around is exceptionally satisfying.”
    • “The clean visuals and simple interface keep the focus on puzzle-solving.”
    • “The graphics and audio are a bit monotonous, but polished.”
    • “The graphics and art style for this game are rather simplistic, which doesn't necessarily make it a bad thing.”
    • “The artwork is ok.”
  • replayability
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability due to its distinct dungeons, diverse hero pieces, and the introduction of new classes and difficulties. While some players note a lack of content, many appreciate the creative mechanics that encourage repeated play. Overall, it is regarded as a fun and engaging puzzle game with ample replay value.

    • “There is, however, a lot of replay value, especially with the new classes added.”
    • “The chess-setting is one of a kind and the different dungeons and heroes are just perfect for hours of playing time and replayability.”
    • “Bottom line is, the core game is good, it has some neat ideas and it is fun but it severely lacks content and replayability.”
    • “There are only three 'dungeons' but they have distinct flavors and with the number of hero pieces you can use, there is a ton of replay value here.”
    • “Surprisingly replayable considering how simple it is.”
  • story
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game lacks a traditional narrative, functioning more like a board game with no dedicated story mode, which leaves players without a heart-rending experience or satisfying conclusion. While there are limited characters and quests, players express a desire for a more interconnected story that could enhance the gameplay, particularly through separate campaigns that culminate in a grand finale. Overall, the absence of a compelling story is noted as a significant drawback, though the game remains enjoyable in its current form.

    • “Story: my mind is racing with the notion of a narrative.”
    • “I feel if it isn't too much, to form a story in which natural intertwines the three playable characters, either through separate campaigns that explore a plot that links to a bigger motive, and the three characters end up all being played in the final act in a grand finale.”
    • “This is a really cool game - and it's also in active development; I'm hoping more characters and quests are added (and modding would be awesome) but even as is it's a lot of fun!”
    • “Just a disclaimer, all gameplay and no story; you won’t find a heart-rending experience here.”
    • “Think of it more like a board game, as there's no story mode.”
    • “I feel if it isn't too much, to form a story in which naturally intertwines the three playable characters, either through separate campaigns that explore a plot linked to a bigger motive, and the three characters end up all being played in the final act in a grand finale.”
  • music
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally described as clean, minimal, and thematically appropriate, enhancing the overall experience. While some players find the soundtrack engaging and satisfying, others consider it unremarkable or even annoying, leading them to prefer their own music. Overall, the sound design complements the gameplay but lacks standout elements.

    • “The UI, graphics, music, and sound design are clean and wonderfully minimal.”
    • “Great little atmospheric puzzle game with nice visuals and music.”
    • “Oh and seriously good music with satisfying game mechanics.”
    • “The sound just isn’t good; it just sounds annoying, and I have found myself turning it off to play my own music.”
    • “Music is unremarkable.”
    • “Music/sounds fit the game, but there's nothing to write home about.”
  • grinding
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often exacerbated by enemy buffs that complicate encounters and lead to frustration. While some appreciate the bite-sized nature of the gameplay for quick sessions, many feel that the limited content and lack of engaging achievements make the grind feel like a chore, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “I'm really frustrated because the core of this game is so good, but it's bogged down by the fact that it just loads enemies with buffs that make it more tedious and annoying to deal with.”
    • “The game at its core already suffers a bit from sometimes you just get a bad hand and can't actually find a way around the board, but when you couple that with enemies that have abilities like summoning more enemies, attacking, moving, and immune on certain conditions, it just becomes a tedious mess.”
    • “The game is not worth its price even on sale; with this little content and how boring and repetitive it generally is, it would be a tedious chore to play even as a free game.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a simple yet enjoyable optimization puzzle utilizing familiar chess pieces, and its basic visuals ensure smooth performance without any running issues.

    • “Simple but fun optimization puzzle using familiar chess pieces and movement.”
    • “As for performance, the game is visually rather basic, so it has no trouble running.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its strong atmosphere, effectively enhancing the puzzle experience with appealing visuals and music. Reviewers highlight that it successfully creates an immersive environment suitable for its genre.

    • “Altogether, it is really atmospheric for the type of game that it is.”
    • “Great little atmospheric puzzle game with nice visuals and music.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its engaging core concept of chess puzzles transformed into battles, complemented by well-designed mechanics and abilities. This combination creates a compelling experience that draws them back even after long breaks.

  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a humorous take on chess, incorporating elements of shogi within a roguelike format, which adds a unique and entertaining twist to traditional strategy gameplay.

    • “A hilarious chess-based roguelike that even includes shogi!”
    • “This game combines humor and strategy in a way that's both entertaining and engaging.”
    • “The witty dialogue and quirky characters make every playthrough a joy.”
Skip Game Offers

Buy Pawnbarian

4h Median play time
15h Average play time
7h Main story
38h Completionist
2-40h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs
Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Pawnbarian

Games Like Pawnbarian

Shogun Showdown Image
95%3.6kreviews

Shogun Showdown

2024Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchAndroidPlaystation 5+18
Monster Train Image
90%13.9kreviews

Monster Train

2020Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchAndroidPlaystation 5+15
Dicey Dungeons Image
85%5.4kreviews

Dicey Dungeons

2019Casual Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchAndroidPlaystation 5+15
Fights in Tight Spaces Image
85%3.7kreviews

Fights in Tight Spaces

2020Strategy
PCPlaystation 4Xbox One+3
Forward: Escape the Fold Image
84%470reviews

Forward: Escape the Fold

2022Casual Turn-based Strategy
LinuxPCTablet+8
More games like Pawnbarian
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Pawnbarian is a tactical puzzle game with fantasy theme.

Pawnbarian is available on Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, iPhone, Windows and others.

The main story can be completed in around 7 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 38 hours to finish. On average players spend around 15 hours playing Pawnbarian.

Pawnbarian was released on September 24, 2021.

Pawnbarian was developed by j4nw.

Pawnbarian has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

Pawnbarian is a single player game.

Similar games include Shogun Showdown, Monster Train, Dicey Dungeons, Fights in Tight Spaces, Forward: Escape the Fold and others.