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The Rookery

The Rookery Game Cover
97%Game Brain Score
gameplay, humor
graphics
97% User Score Based on 65 reviews

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The Rookery Game Cover

About

The Rookery is a single player strategy game. It was developed by Glyder Games and was released on September 12, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

The Rookery offers all the army-building challenges and explosive potential of classic roguelikes with the timeless fun of chess. Your army will start meager but you will be offered many upgrades - will you go for a pawn-centric build, or try to get as many queens as possible? Will you go for the greedy options, preparing to destroy the final boss as long as you can sneak through the first act wit…

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The Rookery screenshot
The Rookery screenshot
The Rookery screenshot
The Rookery screenshot
The Rookery screenshot
The Rookery screenshot
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97%
Audience ScoreBased on 65 reviews
gameplay3 positive mentions
graphics3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique twist on chess with engaging roguelike mechanics, making it fun and addictive.
  • It has a clear tutorial and detailed tooltips, making it accessible even for those who are not skilled at chess.
  • The AI is competent and the game features a variety of builds and strategies, providing depth and replayability.
  • The user interface could be more refined, and there is a need for enhanced variety in items and bosses.
  • Some players have noted issues with balancing, particularly regarding relics and certain bosses being imbalanced.
  • Runs can feel short, and there is a desire for an endless mode or more content to extend gameplay.
  • graphics
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics are described as basic and consistent with the screenshots, lacking in detailed animations and coherent visuals for actions like teleportation and explosions. However, the user interface is functional and user-friendly, allowing for easy navigation without a keyboard.

    • “It's as graphically basic as the screenshots make it look, but the UI is functional enough and easily handled without keyboard use.”
    • “It could use a tad more animations or more coherent visuals for things like teleportation and explosions.”
    • “It could use a tad more animations or more coherent visuals for things like teleportation and explosions.”
  • gameplay
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is a unique blend of chess and shogi mechanics, featuring innovative boss battles and a variety of combo-building options that cater to both skilled players and newcomers. The "ascension level" system provides a handicap that enhances enjoyment, making it accessible for those less experienced in chess while still offering depth for enthusiasts. Overall, it delivers a surprising and engaging experience for chess fans.

    • “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.”
    • “It's a combination of a few things that work surprisingly well together: chess with shogi mechanics, bosses with drawback chess rulesets, and a decent fairy-stockfish.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is likened to the popular stockfish vs chatgpt meme, where players experience a comedic sense of chaos as they manipulate pieces in absurd ways, such as transforming queens and summoning knights. This playful and whimsical approach to gameplay adds a lighthearted element that resonates with fans of the meme.

    • “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.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability, a common feature of roguelikes, encouraging players to engage with it multiple times.

    • “As with many roguelikes, this game has a lot of replayability.”
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Rookery is a strategy game.

The Rookery is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

The Rookery was released on September 12, 2024.

The Rookery was developed by Glyder Games.

The Rookery has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its graphics.

The Rookery is a single player game.

Similar games include Slice & Dice, Circadian Dice, Drop Duchy, SpellRogue, Slay The Spire and others.