Turning chess into a roguelike via design first principles
3 hours ago
- #game-design
- #chess
- #roguelike
- Below the Crown, a roguelike chess dungeon-crawler by Misfits Attic, launches version 1.0 with a 35% discount on Steam until May 5th.
- The game received an IGF Honorable Mention for Excellence in Design and has high positive reviews on Steam, with 100% recent and 96% overall positive ratings.
- Designer Tim Keenan uses an iterative, objective process to integrate game features, cutting those that don't fit elegantly, leading to innovative mechanics.
- The mashup combines chess's turn-based, grid-based combat with roguelikes' procedural generation, removing memorization and complex stats for accessibility.
- Player controls a wizard with multiple actions per turn, summoning pieces and casting spells, while facing new pieces like the Prince and Archer Queen.
- Unique elements include custom board tiles (e.g., hazards, power-ups), a rune system for progression and difficulty, and daily challenges for competitive play.