Chess Lore: Pixel Chess RPG

Chess Lore is a story-driven chess RPG in retro pixel art: an offline chess adventure where every battle is a real game of chess.

Your grandfather's board is still set up in his room. Nobody has had the heart to put the pieces away. Next to it, he left you a letter:

"Eight villages, and in each one a player stronger than the last. Go. Not to win — to see how far you get."

So you go.

A pixel-art valley to explore
Eight towns, joined by mountain paths, dry riverbeds and a lake you cross by boat: a village of white stone, a monastery where the monks set chess problems, a quarry town, a city of villas and fountains, an arena that fills up for the big tournament. Talk to everyone. The baker kneads his dough at two in the morning, a fisherwoman casts from the reeds at dawn, and day turns to night while you play. Some things only come out after dark.

Chess opponents with a personality
Nearly a hundred rivals, and each one plays chess like a person: their own openings and their own temper, solid or reckless, bookish or wild. The weaker ones hang pieces and miss tactics; the masters punish every slip. It's chess against the computer that feels like chess against someone. Read the player, then the board.

"Two hours I've been sitting here and I've played eleven people. Twelve, if you count the one who got up after six moves." — Tedis, at his board in Rivalta

Chess with powers
Rivals bring powers to the table: fog that hides half the board, a nail that freezes the piece you just moved, a watch rigged to run twice as fast. The strongest have tricks all their own, and a few stop being entirely human once the game begins. You carry your grandfather's lantern, which shows you the best move when you need it, and the fiorini you win buy powers of your own.

Three chess tournaments
A school tournament played table by table. A regional in a packed arena, with a bracket on the wall and an announcer on stage. And the great round-robin by the lake, where the strongest player in the valley waits at the last table.

Learn chess as you play
Never played chess before? The village teacher starts you from the very first move, and your grandfather's notebook keeps the rules and his best advice. Already strong? Tell the game how strong you are, and every rival is tuned around you.
After each game, an analysis shows your accuracy, your best moves and your mistakes. Between games: chess puzzles from the monks, an exam from the village elders, a puzzle of the day on the noticeboard, and lessons on chess openings, tactics and endgames.

Things to find
49 trophies. Three seals to earn against your rivals. 32 lost chess pieces hidden around the valley. Constellations to trace in the night sky. Piece sets, boards and frames for the fiorini you earn.

A premium chess game
• Buy once and the whole story is yours: no ads, no subscription, no account
• Fiorini are earned by playing; optional fiorini packs and two gold cosmetic sets are there if you want them
• Offline chess, anywhere: no connection needed, and your save stays on your device
• 27 languages
• Original soundtrack and cozy retro pixel art

Your grandfather's game is still on the table. Go and see how far you get.

Recent changes:
• The full first chapter: cross the lake and play on to the final tournament.
• New things to do: fishing, stone skipping, a rowing race, treasure maps and errands.
• Famous puzzles now play out all the way to checkmate.
• You can now play without a clock.
• New languages: Danish, Finnish and Croatian (30 in all).
• Fixes and polish.