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WizardChess

WizardChess Game Cover
78%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:gameplay, music
Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, optimization
78% User Score Based on 74 reviews

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PCMac OSXboxWindows
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WizardChess Game Cover

About WizardChess

WizardChess is a single player tactical role playing game with fantasy and comedy themes. It was developed by Two PM and was released on December 14, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

WizardChess is Deckbuilding Chess. The roguelike gameplay includes procedurally generated maps, randomized encounters, individual unit modifiers and permadeath. It is designed to challenge the player strategically through short runs (20-30 minutes) with gameplay that is simply to pick up, but near impossible to master!

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WizardChess screenshot
WizardChess screenshot
WizardChess screenshot
WizardChess screenshot
WizardChess screenshot
WizardChess screenshot
WizardChess screenshot
WizardChess screenshot
WizardChess screenshot
WizardChess screenshot
WizardChess screenshot
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Reviews

78%Audience ScoreBased on 74 reviews
gameplay9 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • Distinctive and charming art style with whimsical, playful visuals and humorous personality.
  • Engaging and deep tactical gameplay blending chess-inspired mechanics with roguelite elements and unit variety.
  • Outstanding jazzy, lighthearted soundtrack that adds to the game's unique atmosphere.
  • Steep and often unclear learning curve with poorly explained mechanics, hidden information, and lack of sufficient tutorials or in-game guidance.
  • Frustrating game design choices including forced random units, inability to reject rewards, balance issues, and cumbersome UI/controls.
  • Technical problems such as bugs, crashes, no mid-run save option, inconsistent AI behavior, and feeling unfinished due to long Early Access with limited updates.

  • gameplay

    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    39% positive mentions, 48% neutral mentions, 13% negative mentions

    The gameplay in *wizardchess* offers a unique blend of tactical, roguelite, and chess-like mechanics with a whimsical aesthetic, providing an ambitious and deep strategic experience. However, it suffers from unclear mechanics, insufficient tutorials, and a somewhat overwhelming complexity that can lead to frustration and trial-and-error, especially in its early access state. While it shows notable potential and fun progression systems, the game currently feels incomplete and could benefit from added polish, clearer explanations, and more content.

    • “Instead of memorized openings and predictable outcomes, the game thrives on unpredictability, blending tactical decision-making with roguelite progression and a surprising amount of mechanical variety.”
    • “Definitely a fun strategy roguelite with chess-lite mechanics.”
    • “Ea review: wizard chess is a quirky turn-based tactical with plenty of variety and some interesting mechanics and roguelike elements.”
    • “The combination of multiple systems—unit variety, procedural generation, and progression mechanics—can feel overwhelming, particularly in the early stages.”
    • “Lots of mechanics aren't really explained well so there's way, way more trial-and-error than there should be.”
    • “The tutorial is just some snarky dialogue that does explain the movement mechanic but not really combat, so the three numbers under each unit are not explained. I assume one is attack, one is health, and the third is like magic or something, but as I try to figure it out I don't have time to tease out what the tutorial doesn't cover because the entire game is timed, which I did not expect.”

  • music

    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    80% positive mentions, 13% neutral mentions, 7% negative mentions

    The music is widely praised for its jazzy, lighthearted, and charming style, adding a unique and enjoyable atmosphere that complements the game's quirky and deep gameplay. While some found it repetitive over time, many consider the soundtrack excellent and memorable, enhancing the overall experience.

    • “The music is an unexpected jazzy sort of lighthearted theme that I found I rather enjoyed, certainly not like anything else in the same area.”
    • “Oh, and the soundtrack is insanely good, I can't get these songs out of my head!”
    • “The music is excellent, I love the art style and the sense of humor the whole game has.”
    • “The music got a little old for me pretty fast, so I just switched to my own tunes.”

  • graphics

    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    50% positive mentions, 20% neutral mentions, 30% negative mentions

    The graphics feature a whimsical, surreal, and simplified art style that lends a playful and expressive tone, contrasting with the game's challenging mechanics. While many appreciate the unique aesthetic and character it brings, some feel the visuals are low quality or unpleasant, perceiving the style as either intentionally charming or a cover for poor graphics. Overall, the art style polarizes players but contributes significantly to the game's distinct atmosphere.

    • “The art style is so silly and expressive in the best way; I love how everything is simplified to its bare essentials.”
    • “The art and soundtrack have so much character, creating an appearance of a silly game with the aesthetic but offering pretty deep gameplay.”
    • “This very poor quality visual style is a method that lazy devs often use to disguise their lack of talent or interest in doing the graphics properly, trying to pass it off as deliberate 'art' or 'we made it look bad on purpose,' which is something gamers shouldn't have to put up with.”
    • “Don't be fooled by the art style and humor!”
    • “Its whimsical and slightly surreal aesthetic gives the world a playful tone, contrasting with the difficulty of the gameplay.”

  • humor

    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The humor in the game is often described as cute and funny, complementing its art style and music well. However, some users find the gameplay odd despite the lighthearted tone. Overall, the humor adds charm but may contrast with the game's deeper mechanics.

    • “Cute and funny with deep gameplay and great music.”
    • “The music is excellent, I love the art style and the sense of humor the whole game has.”
    • “I like the look of the game and the humor but gameplay itself is strange.”

  • replayability

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game offers substantial replayability due to its unpredictability, which keeps each playthrough fresh. However, this same unpredictability can sometimes cause frustration by undermining carefully planned strategies.

    • “While this unpredictability contributes to the game’s replayability, it can also lead to frustration when carefully planned strategies are disrupted by unfavorable circumstances.”
    • “Despite these challenges, the game’s replay value is substantial.”

  • grinding

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    Grinding in the game is often seen as tedious, requiring players to deal a specific amount of damage to enemies repeatedly, which can detract from the overall experience.

    • “Feels a bit tedious that you have to deal a specific amount of damage to pieces to kill them.”
    • “It's regularly tedious.”

  • optimization

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 100% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The game emphasizes creative problem-solving over strict optimization, encouraging players to experiment with different strategies and adapt to changing conditions for an engaging experience.

  • emotional

    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    The emotional aspect is marked by a tense and hostile dynamic, where users feel targeted and misunderstood by the developer, leading to frustration and emotional distress. Cyberbullying and misinformation contribute to a charged atmosphere rather than genuine emotional engagement with the game.

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Frequently Asked Questions

WizardChess is a tactical role playing game with fantasy and comedy themes. Common tags for WizardChess include grid-based movement, turn-based, indie, roguelite, magic and others.

WizardChess is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Xbox.

WizardChess was released on December 14, 2024.

WizardChess was developed by Two PM.

WizardChess has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked WizardChess for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

WizardChess is a single player game.

Similar games include Shogun Showdown, Dice & Fold, TRIALS OF FIRE, Into the Breach, The Dungeon Beneath and others.