The Rookery

About

"The Rookery" is a roguelike game that combines army-building challenges with chess. You can craft your army by collecting pieces, boosts, relics, and consumables, and face off against 10 different bosses with unique abilities. The game features a wide range of difficulty and unlocks harder levels and crazier items as you complete runs. No information available on the release date or developer/publisher.

Genres & Tags

Strategy

Play Modes

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

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 57 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

The Rookery combines chess with roguelike elements in a fun and engaging way, making it enjoyable for both chess enthusiasts and casual players.
The game features a variety of mechanics and abilities that allow for creative strategies and unique gameplay experiences, keeping each run fresh and exciting.
It has a well-designed tutorial and user interface, making it accessible for players of all skill levels, while still providing a challenging experience.

Some players have reported issues with game balance, particularly with certain bosses being significantly more difficult than others.
There are technical issues on platforms like Steam Deck and Linux, which can hinder gameplay for some users.
The runs can feel short, and players have expressed a desire for an endless mode or more content to extend gameplay.

gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
36%
27%
The gameplay is a unique blend of chess and shogi mechanics, enhanced by an "ascension level" system that accommodates players of varying skill levels, making it accessible and enjoyable for both novices and chess enthusiasts. It features engaging roguelike elements, including interesting bosses with unique mechanics and a limited relic system, which adds depth without overwhelming complexity. Overall, the gameplay is described as fun, challenging, and creatively designed, appealing to fans of strategic games.
- “The gameplay is simple, offering much variety to all chess fanatics.”
- “But even if you pretty much suck at chess (like me), the 'ascension level' system, which is more of a handicap level system, lets you have fun with all the crazy combo-building mechanics.”
- “The gameplay itself is incredibly engaging and quite challenging.”
- “That's so fancy I feel so cool, but less so the parts involving memorizing openings and thinking about pawn structure and so forth. The gameplay of the Rookery is basically repeatedly doing the first thing without worrying about the other things.”
- “Relics are a mechanic similar to those in Slay the Spire, except in the Rookery you only have around 3 relic slots, which change based on difficulty level and during each run.”
- “At the time, I was convinced that adding a mechanic to choose your route through the map instead of a fixed layout would make the game more interesting, but I'm starting to realize that it would possibly just add more complexity without achieving what I naively hoped it might.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its clever and whimsical humor, featuring a variety of amusing interactions and unique achievements that stand out in its genre. Players appreciate the witty design elements, which include playful references and charming effects that enhance the overall experience.
- “If you've ever seen the Stockfish vs. ChatGPT meme and thought it was hilarious, well, often it can feel like you're ChatGPT wreaking havoc on the board - making their queen into your queen, spawning knights out of the aether, and teleporting pawns across the board to do your bidding.”
- “There are literally hundreds of clever and/or adorable ideas packed into every corner, from unique effects like Draco’s to hilarious achievements like 'Vegan' (win without killing a donkey).”
- “The game has a humor and wit that jumps off the screen, more overtly clever than many of its genre peers.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game boasts impressive replayability, with players noting that its variety of opponents, relics, and customizable difficulty contribute to a fresh experience in each run. Many reviewers highlight its strong replay value, making it a standout title in the roguelike genre.
- “A single run of the game (about 20 chess matches) takes me about an hour, but the game has enough different opponents, relics, and boosts that it has good replay value.”
- “The rookery has a combination of elegance, customizable difficulty, and replay value that makes it a gem of the roguelike genre.”
- “As with many roguelikes, this game has a lot of replayability.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The graphics are considered basic and align with the screenshots, lacking in detailed animations for actions like teleportation and explosions. However, the user interface is functional and user-friendly, allowing for easy navigation without a keyboard.
- “The graphics are visually appealing and create an immersive experience.”
- “The user interface is functional and easy to navigate, enhancing the overall visual experience.”
- “The animations and visual effects, like teleportation and explosions, could use a bit more coherence for a smoother experience.”
- “The graphics are as basic as the screenshots suggest, but the UI is functional enough and can be easily navigated without a keyboard.”
- “The game could benefit from a tad more animations or more coherent visuals for effects like teleportation and explosions.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is highly praised for its fantastic quality, contributing to a polished and cohesive overall production. Users appreciate the responsive user interface that complements the exceptional audio experience.
- “The music is fantastic, the UI is responsive, cohesive, and polished, and overall, the production quality is top-notch.”