Usurper

About

Usurper is a single player and multiplayer tactical turn-based strategy game. It was developed by Rogue Brain Studios and was released on September 9, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Push your King forward to play your cards on the front lines. Stockpile your Power to afford expensive and powerful units like the Queen and Cannon. Draft new cards, upgrade your Ruler, and choose powerful gambits to create game-breaking synergies. Build your deck YOUR way and master 4 unique Factions to become the ultimate champion. One well-placed unit is the difference between victory…

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81%

Audience ScoreBased on 36 reviews

gameplay3 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Unique and creative chess roguelike with interesting mechanics and many new piece types, including shogi-inspired units.
Deep strategic gameplay that combines deck-building and chess knowledge, offering rewarding and engaging play.
High replayability with multiple factions and a challenging campaign mode, plus PvP support.

Game speed and animations are very slow even at maximum settings, leading to a sluggish and frustrating user experience.
AI behavior is inconsistent and sometimes overly difficult, with balancing issues that can make some units overpowered.
Presentation is bland with uninspired visuals and poor music, lacking personality and polish in the UI and overall aesthetic.

music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
43%
43%
Users overwhelmingly criticize the music, describing it as bland, slow, and resembling generic stock library tracks, leading many to mute it entirely. While sound effects receive some praise, the music is seen as detracting from the overall experience and lacking character.
- “The overall aesthetic of the game is just exceedingly bland, the music sounds like it's from a stock library and the visual design is incredibly boring and generic.”
- “Soooo slow ... and the music is atrocious.”
- “Sound effects are good, music is bad, so I play with music turned off.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay offers a brilliant and unique twist on traditional chess, combining roguelite elements with innovative mechanics like piece reserves and a power system. It provides a fresh strategic experience that is both fun and engaging once familiarized. Overall, it presents an excellent and novel chess variant.
- “Brilliant chess roguelite with unique gameplay along with wacky pieces.”
- “The game's unique but simple mechanics, such as dropping pieces with reserves and a power system, create a compelling layer of strategy.”
- “The game mechanics alone make for an excellent chess variant, and the roguelike elements take things a step further.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Replayability is generally high, especially due to its chess roguelike mechanics and PvP support, though some users feel there may be limited content after extended play.
- “Overall, I would definitely recommend it as a solid chess roguelike with high replayability and PvP support.”
- “High replayability.”
- “The replayability factor is somewhat low compared to its contemporaries; while I'm still getting fun out of it 30 hours in, I'm already feeling like there isn't much more to see.”
graphics
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the graphics to be bland and generic, lacking distinctiveness or creativity. They believe improved visuals could significantly enhance the game's appeal and engagement.
- “I feel like this sort of lazy/generic presentation of the game could really benefit from better visuals to draw more interest.”
- “The overall aesthetic of the game is just exceedingly bland, the music sounds like it's from a stock library and the visual design is incredibly boring and generic.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding in the game excessively slow and frustrating, requiring many lengthy matches to gain advantages and level up, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “I have to grind excessively to gain advantages, and level 5 isn't enough when the grinding takes 5-8 games, each lasting 10 minutes, and the time increases as you complete each stage of the campaign.”
- “Grinding feels slower than actually playing chess online, despite the game running at over 6000 fps; it seems to grind to a halt.”