The Rookery
- September 12, 2024
- Glyder Games
Get on Steam"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.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game combines chess mechanics with roguelike elements, providing a unique and fun experience for both chess enthusiasts and casual players.
- It features a variety of gameplay styles and strategies, allowing for creative builds and enjoyable replayability.
- The tutorial and tooltips are clear and helpful, making it accessible for players with varying levels of chess knowledge.
- There are issues with balancing, particularly with boss difficulty and some mechanics feeling imbalanced compared to others.
- The game can have long start-up times and technical issues on certain platforms, such as Linux.
- Runs can feel short, and players have expressed a desire for an endless mode or more variety in gameplay to fully appreciate their builds.
- gameplay3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The gameplay is accessible and varied, catering to both chess enthusiasts and casual players through an "ascension level" system that balances difficulty. It creatively combines elements of chess and shogi, introduces unique boss mechanics, and features engaging combo-building, making for a surprisingly enjoyable experience.
“Even if you struggle with chess (like me), the 'ascension level' system, which acts as a handicap, allows you to enjoy the crazy combo-building mechanics.”
“It's a combination of several elements that work surprisingly well together: chess with shogi mechanics, bosses with unique chess rulesets, and a solid fairy-stockfish.”
“The gameplay is simple, offering much variety to all chess fanatics.”
“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.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
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 stunning, with vibrant colors and detailed environments that truly immerse you in the game world.”
“The character designs are impressive, showcasing a high level of detail and creativity that enhances the overall experience.”
“The animations are smooth and fluid, adding a dynamic quality to the gameplay that makes every action feel impactful.”
“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 and more coherent visuals for elements like teleportation and explosions.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is likened to the chaotic and absurd scenarios found in memes, particularly the stockfish vs chatgpt meme, where players experience a sense of playful mischief as they manipulate the game in unexpected ways, akin to a whimsical AI wreaking havoc on the chessboard.
“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.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, characteristic of many roguelikes, encouraging players to engage in multiple playthroughs.
“As with many roguelikes, this game has a lot of replayability.”
