Tsunagari Chess School

About

Tsunagari Chess School is a single player casual simulation game with horror, romance, mystery and thriller themes. It was developed by Mintkuru and was released on November 3, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

A psychological horror game taking place in a Japanese chess school. Get to know the girls, go on dates, and prepare for the worst.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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71%

Audience ScoreBased on 103 reviews

story12 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game features an amazing combat system that adds a unique twist to the visual novel genre.
The plot and characters are interesting, with some unexpected twists that keep players engaged.
The art style is visually appealing, enhancing the overall experience of the game.

The game is misleadingly titled, as it has very little to do with chess, which disappointed many players.
The pacing of the story is rushed, making it difficult for players to form attachments to the characters.
The combat system can be frustrating and feels unnecessary, detracting from the visual novel experience.

story
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
75%
6%
The story has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it feels rushed and lacks depth, often moving at a breakneck pace that prevents meaningful character development and engagement. While some appreciate the intriguing concepts and potential for a compelling narrative, others criticize the reliance on tropes and the illusion of choice, which diminishes player agency. Overall, the game is seen as needing significant improvements in storytelling and pacing to fully realize its potential.
- “The art and storyline are beautifully put together to create such a wonderful game.”
- “This game is absolutely a fresh new experience; the design and story feel thoughtfully crafted, looking forward to uncover all the secrets and romance my babe Misaki.”
- “The story didn't go where I expected it to, and the change-up was fresh enough for me to want to clear it multiple times in one stream.”
- “From the Steam reviews and social media, I was expecting a story with metareality themes like Doki Doki Literature Club, but in my opinion, the story was way too short and the pacing was too fast. I finished it with enough time to get a refund.”
- “The story both feels rushed and far too reliant on tropes, but is also incredibly dragged down by tedious menu changes in order to progress between each scene.”
- “Where it really falls flat is the story—there isn't enough backstory for any of the characters so that you can get attached to them in the game, and it feels rushed.”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
62%
23%
The gameplay is a blend of visual novel elements, exploration, and simplistic RPG mechanics, though it lacks depth in chess-related gameplay despite its thematic presence. While some players appreciate the attempt to innovate, others feel that the gameplay could benefit from more meaningful choices and inspiration from other titles in the genre. Overall, the mechanics are functional but somewhat rough, with a focus on dialogue and basic interactions rather than complex gameplay.
- “I love the characters, the gameplay elements from visual novel to exploring to RPG fights, and the story keeps you hooked!”
- “The fighting mechanic is very simple, and as long as you pay attention, it shouldn't cause you any problems.”
- “Mechanically, the novel is sound, but still a bit rough.”
- “Overall, you the player enter a new school that teaches chess (basic stuff really, no real chess gameplay here).”
- “That said, don’t let the word 'chess' in the title mislead you; it's not a central focus of the gameplay, but more of a thematic element.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
37%
27%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its chill and enjoyable quality, while others criticize it for being reminiscent of the "Doki Doki Literature Club" (DDLC) soundtrack, suggesting a lack of originality. While the atmosphere and character designs are appreciated, many feel that the overall execution, including the music, does not reach the same heights as DDLC. Despite these criticisms, some players find the music fitting for the game's context and enjoyable overall.
- “I played for some time now, the atmosphere and characters are great, I am loving the music and the beautiful art!”
- “The premise is interesting to say the least, but the execution is a bit above average. For the price that it is currently, it is definitely worthwhile as it has nice music and art as well.”
- “Instead what we get is just a shameless clone with music that feels like it almost plagiarizes the OST of DDLC in some tracks.”
- “The thing is that DDLC, at least the base game, was free, and just the base game (excluding DDLC+) is still far superior to this game in writing, artwork, and music.”
- “The music is appropriate, the characters are drawn well enough, and I really liked the initial setup with the chess school.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
29%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the art style and character designs, while others find it amateurish and reminiscent of free-to-play visual novels. Overall, the visuals are described as decent to good, with pleasant backgrounds and character designs, but lacking in exceptional quality. The music complements the visuals well, contributing to a generally enjoyable aesthetic experience.
- “I loved the art style and the gameplay took me 3 hours.”
- “The art style is decent to good, the backgrounds are good, and some character designs look better than others. Overall, they are decent, and the music is chill and good.”
- “The artwork (character design, backgrounds) is good and pleasant to look at, but nothing exceptional.”
- “The visuals appear to be edited AI, but I could be wrong.”
- “I'm conflicted on this one; on the surface, I appreciate the short playtime and the art style, but on the other hand, the dialogue and the story are something I didn't enjoy very much after the first hour.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating and tedious, particularly due to the cumbersome combat mechanics and repetitive menu navigation that detracts from the overall experience. Many feel that the combat minigame should be skippable to alleviate the monotony, and there are hopes for improvements from the developers.
- “The combat starts frustrating and then becomes a tedious chore after you figure it out.”
- “The story feels rushed and far too reliant on tropes, but is also incredibly dragged down by tedious menu changes in order to progress between each scene.”
- “The combat minigame is tedious and ought to be skippable, which the developer mentioned changing in the future in the game’s forum.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is generally viewed as decent, with some character designs standing out while others are more average. The dialogues contribute positively to the experience, feeling natural rather than artificial, though the overall depth of character development may not be exceptional.
- “The character development is engaging, with dialogues that feel natural and immersive, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “The character designs are varied and interesting, contributing to a rich narrative that keeps players invested.”
- “The interactions between characters are well-written, allowing for meaningful growth and evolution throughout the story.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game's stability requires significant improvement, with some feeling as though they were more engaged in play-testing or troubleshooting rather than enjoying a seamless gaming experience.
- “It felt like I was play-testing or troubleshooting the game instead of having a fully immersive gaming experience.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy any part of it.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs that disrupted gameplay, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
Players find the game highly replayable due to the presence of multiple endings, encouraging them to return for different experiences.
- “I will definitely be going back to stream it again to explore the other endings; it is highly replayable.”
- “The game offers so many different choices that I can't wait to play through it again.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh and exciting, making me eager to dive back in for more.”
- “But I will be going back to stream it again to get the other endings; it is replayable.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its unexpected and abrupt twists, though some players find the overall plot to be quite generic.
- “The humor in this game is brilliantly absurd, making even the darkest moments feel lighthearted.”
- “I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and unexpected comedic moments throughout the game.”
- “The quirky characters and their hilarious interactions kept me entertained from start to finish.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the captivating music, beautiful art, and well-developed characters that enhance the overall experience.
- “I have been playing for some time now, and the atmosphere and characters are great. I am loving the music and the beautiful art!”
- “The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of the world.”
- “Every detail contributes to a captivating atmosphere that keeps you engaged and wanting to explore more.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game's technical performance is generally solid, but players express a desire for a feature that allows them to skip or fast forward through previously seen dialogue.
- “The game runs smoothly, but I wish there was a 'skip' or 'fast forward' button for dialogue that you've already seen.”
- “The optimization is impressive, allowing for seamless gameplay even in high-action scenes.”
- “I appreciate how well the game performs on lower-end systems without sacrificing visual quality.”
- “The game runs fine, but I wish there was a 'skip' or 'fast forward' button for dialogue that you've already seen.”
- “The optimization is lacking; the frame rate drops significantly during intense scenes.”
- “Loading times are excessively long, which disrupts the overall flow of the game.”

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Tsunagari Chess School
$4.99
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6h Median play time

6h Average play time

6-6h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Tsunagari Chess School is a casual simulation game with horror, romance, mystery and thriller themes.

Tsunagari Chess School is available on PC and Windows.

On average players spend around 6 hours playing Tsunagari Chess School.

Tsunagari Chess School was released on November 3, 2024.

Tsunagari Chess School was developed by Mintkuru.

Tsunagari Chess School has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Tsunagari Chess School is a single player game.

Similar games include Belladonna, How To Date A Magical Girl!, Heartbound, The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-, No, I'm not a Human and others.

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