I have always had a soft spot for tactical games. There’s a certain nostalgia in turn-based strategy, and when a game really nails it, it somehow manages to remain fresh yet familiar. Sure, the foundational rules of tactics games don’t dramatically change from one to the next, but they usually throw in just enough unique mechanics to set themselves apart. Today, I want to delve into WizardChess. It’s not chess, not in the traditional sense anyway, but I’ll elaborate as we go along. While I’m definitely getting a kick out of it, there are a few aspects that puzzle me, starting with its name.
WizardChess shares only a passing resemblance to chess. Yes, the in-game units move and attack in ways somewhat reminiscent of chess pieces, but that’s about as far as the comparison goes. The game’s mechanics are its own animal altogether. Although it’s a strategy game at its core, its unique flow and ruleset differentiate it so much from chess that anyone expecting a classic chess experience might feel a bit baffled or, worse yet, frustrated.
When you start playing WizardChess, you find yourself plunged into a dungeon filled with various encounters, culminating in a showdown with the tutorial boss over multiple rounds. I have to admit, the tutorial did feel a bit drawn-out, but in hindsight, it was necessary to really get a grip on the game’s rules. However, one grievance I have is that the tutorial doesn’t save progress. Imagine having to abandon your current run and losing all your progress—yes, it happened to me, and I decided to jump straight into a different mode instead. That might not have been the wisest decision as it turned out.
The tutorial in WizardChess is all about taking your time. You deploy your units using cards collected along the way and can ponder your moves at leisure. Moving just a single unit per round might sound simple, but maneuvering everything into position while the enemies are on the move presents quite the challenge. Some units have special abilities that you can activate at the cost of movement, so it’s all about balance. Once familiar with the system, I found the pace enjoyable, despite having to restart due to unsaved progress.
Arcade Mode, however, flips the script entirely. Here, you start out with a fixed set of units already on the board, and the clock is ticking as you aim to defeat as many foes as possible before the boss enters the fray. Between rounds, there’s a chance to visit a shop, where you can purchase new cards or upgrade existing ones. Yet, coins are scarce, making it hard to quickly enhance your forces to the level needed for smooth progression. This necessitates a quicker pace, which muddles the strategic depth usually found in turn-based games. Even when playing at a brisk pace, you won’t complete many rounds, magnifying the impact of your choices in the shop.
The shop in WizardChess is an interesting concept because it’s more than just purchasing new units. You can choose to enhance the attack or defense of your current units instead. My advice? Build your team early on before diving into upgrades. Units can also be imbued with elemental traits, influencing their behavior. Fire instills aggression, while water encourages defense, adding a layer of strategic depth by affecting how your units function when you’re not in direct control.
As for Arcade Mode’s bosses, let’s just say they proved quite the challenge, and not in a "mightiness" kind of way. Each time I faced them, I felt woefully unprepared, and my units were quickly downed, leaving my hero—a non-attacking support character—to face the music. Given that Arcade Mode feels central to WizardChess, these encounters quickly grew frustrating.
It seems WizardChess would benefit from a proper campaign mode. The tutorial introduces characters but doesn’t flesh them out due to its run-based, non-saveable nature. This lack of continuous storyline is a shame since what writing there is piqued my interest. It’s clear that the game aims for shorter sessions, focusing on how far you can advance in a single run instead of over time, which could be fun in small doses but potentially lacks long-term engagement.
Controlling WizardChess is straightforward, mostly relying on point-and-click. Although units move akin to chess, real-time strategy makes their navigation a bit clunky, especially when terrain is factored in. The limited movement in a time-sensitive environment conflicts somewhat with the game’s format, creating friction you wouldn’t expect from a fast-paced setting.
Overall, WizardChess feels like an atypical experience. I probably need more time with it to fully understand its intricacies, so some of my reservations might stem from my own play style. The blending of chess elements with real-time strategy is intriguing, yet the combination might be stirring more complications than intended. Removing one element might refine the experience, but as it stands, WizardChess might struggle to achieve harmony across its gameplay.
WizardChess has potential, and I do appreciate the developers’ efforts to innovate. While not everything seems to align smoothly, there’s some serious creative ambition here. If the game clicks with you, it could offer a lot of entertainment. For me, though, there’s something mechanically off that might lead me to seek a different strategy fix in the future.
Overall Rating: Look and feel: 7/10, Challenge: 7/10, Gameplay: 5/10, Story: 5/10, Replayability: 7/10. Final Score: 6.2/10
The core game concept is fun, albeit with a few narrative and gameplay mismatches. WizardChess shows promise and might captivate a dedicated following. However, its overall appeal might be limited for the average strategy enthusiast.
