Chess is the kind of game that's only fun if you're good at it. If someone challenges you to a chess game, it's probably because they're sure they'll win. People at the top of the game are rightly praised for their ability to strategize and plan ahead — watching two Grand Masters can be a tense and thrilling experience, provided that we mere mortals can keep up with the action.
For everyone else, chess can be tedious at best and infuriating at worst. Thankfully, modern game design has made some improvements. These video games might horrify chess purists, but they make the experience much more enjoyable for the rest of us.
7 Battle Chess (1988)
Battle Chess has seen a number of iterations through the years, and it's the simplest possible upgrade to chess. By simply adding troop animations to turn the chessboard into a medieval battlefield, Interplay's classic title brings the normally abstract battlefield to life.
There are no changes to gameplay in Battle Chess, so if you're looking to escape the core chess experience you'll need to look elsewhere, but at least the visuals will provide more drama than simply "knight takes bishop." Battle Chess also has a sequel that gives the same treatment to xiangqi, commonly referred to as "Chinese chess" in the West.
6 Really Bad Chess (2017)
This free mobile title is a standard chess game, except that the pieces on both sides of the board are fully randomized. Each player still has a single King that needs protecting, but other than that all bets are off. It's completely unpredictable, and the board changes daily.
Naturally, some setups will be easier than others, and all of them will make players approach chess differently. Even something as simple as replacing both starting Knights with Rooks completely changes the game, and that's one of the most basic possible changes. Really Bad Chess injects pure chaos into the most orderly game around.
5 Chessboard Kingdoms (2019)
If you ever wished chess felt more like an actual medieval battlefield, Chessboard Kingdoms could be just what you're looking for. Your soldiers move in accordance to the rules of chess, but also have the ability to construct towers, cast spells, and perform other feats common to fantasy strategy games.
While it's probably the game that's furthest-removed from true chess on this list, that might be a good thing if you're looking for something different. Chessboard Kingdoms uses a capture-the-flag mechanic in place of the usual checkmate, making it even more of a breath of fresh air. It even allows for a multiplayer mode with more than two players, potentially adding a diplomatic element as alliances shift.
4 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel (2020)
When someone is planning far ahead of those around them, we say that they're playing five-dimensional chess. If you're proud of your strategic skills, put them to the ultimate test in 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel.
If you regret a previous move, you can send a piece back in time to change the board state. Doing so creates an alternate timeline, requiring you to manage both the original progression and all alternate board states created by your temporal meddling. You can even send pieces across these parallel dimensions, creating endless multiverse mayhem.
All it takes is getting a single King — in any timeline — stuck in checkmate to lose, so you'll need to pay close attention to every possible dimension. If the Multiverse is real, this game is probably how the Time Variance Authority finds recruits.
3 Pawnbarian (2021)
This indie swords-and-sorcery roguelike pits the Pawnbarian against a dungeon full of vicious monsters. Using cards from your deck to imitate the movements of classic chess pieces, your sole slayer will crush all who stand in their way. Cards can be upgraded, allowing you to push enemy pieces around or deal area damage as well.
The Pawnbarian is much hardier than the average chess piece, and can survive several capture attempts before being brought down. There are even multiple Pawnbarians to play as, each with their own abilities and play style!
2 Chessaria: The Tactical Adventure (2018)
Chess puzzles are a nice alternative to playing against other people, Chessaria: The Tactical Adventure takes the concept of chess puzzles into a fantasy RPG setting with excellent results. Making use of battlefield terrain, you'll need to lead your army of elves or orcs to victory.
Chessaria even has quests and boss fights. With over a hundred levels and multiplayer options, It should keep chess fanatics and fantasy gamers alike busy for hours on end.
1 Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate (2022)
The Black King's subjects have all defected to his nemesis, so he takes up his Royal Shotgun in a quest to reclaim his kingdom. Like Pawnbarian, you only get one piece as you make your way through board after board of foes. In Shotgun King, however, your slow-moving monarch is packing heat.
Blasting Bishops and perforating Pawns, both you and your foes will get upgrades with each board you complete. Checkmate is still a very real danger, especially with no other pieces to defend you, so watch your placement as you hop from square to square between shots. Who knows, maybe the desperate situations this game can box you into can improve your actual chess game!