Really Bad Chess
| Really Bad Chess | |
|---|---|
 iOS icon | |
| Developer(s) | Zach Gage |
| Publisher(s) | iOS Zach Gage Android Noodlecake Studios |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | iOS
|
| Genre(s) | Chess |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Really Bad Chess (stylized as really bad chess) is a mobile video game developed by Zach Gage. It was released on October 13, 2016, for iOS, with a version for Android released in May 2017.[1] The game is based on the original game of chess but contains rearranged boards.
Gameplay[edit]
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Really Bad Chess is played using a normal chess board, but with each player given one king and 15 other pieces selected at random based on the player's skill level.[2] The pieces, moves, and goal are identical to the original game.[3] Because of the rearranged pieces, players cannot use typical chess opening moves.[4] Unlike in standard chess, in Really Bad Chess there are no draws: a stalemated player loses the game, and no draws can be claimed for reasons such as threefold repetition. As such, the game does not end when only the kings remain.
Development[edit]
Really Bad Chess was developed by Zach Gage, the developer behind the 2015 solitaire mobile game Sage Solitaire.[5][6][7] The game was released on October 13, 2016, for iOS devices.[5] Some players have reported stability issues when playing the game.[8] A port for Android, produced by Noodlecake Studios, was released in May 2017.[1]
In 2023, Really Bad Chess is integrated within the games portal Puzzmo, developed by Gage and Orta Therox, as a daily puzzle.[9]
Reception[edit]
Stephen Totilo of video game news site Kotaku recommended the game to those with an iPhone because though he doesn't "care for chess", he enjoyed playing it.[10] Rob Funnell of mobile gaming site TouchArcade awarded the game a 5/5 rating and said the game turns the "mundane task of learning chess into an extremely enjoyable experience".[2]
Reviewers thought the game would be good for helping newer and more inexperienced chess players learn how the game works. Funnell believed Really Bad Chess was a good way for new players and chess veterans to learn how to understand chess, and eventually become better at the game through learning how to "read the board".[2] Prior to release, Emma Kidwell of Kill Screen said the game "should be great for beginners to learn about the joy of landing a checkmate without having to study openings".[3]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Really Bad Chess". Google Play. Noodlecake Studios Inc. 18 May 2017. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ a b c Funnell, Rob (14 October 2016). "'Really Bad Chess' Review - Rook No Further". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ a b Kidwell, Emma (7 October 2016). "Really Bad Chess is bad in all the right ways - Kill Screen". Kill Screen. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ Dotson, Carter (3 October 2016). "Zach Gage's 'Really Bad Chess' Will Shake up Chess on October 13th". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ a b Nelson, Jared (12 October 2016). "Out Now: 'Really Bad Chess', 'Flappy Golf 2', 'Moveless Chess', 'Crap! I'm Broke: Out of Pocket', 'Ding Dong Delivery', 'Mushroom Wars 2', 'Dustoff Heli Rescue 2' and More". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ Matulef, Jeffrey (3 October 2016). "Sage Solitaire and SpellTower dev is making a game called Really Bad Chess". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ Webster, Andrew (27 August 2015). "Solitaire gets a much-needed makeover in this new mobile game". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ Werner, Jillian (14 October 2016). "Really Bad Chess Review: Really Close". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- ^ Alessandro Fillari (2023-10-19). "Acclaimed puzzle designer known for weird games gives Wordle some competition: "I have been working on this project, in secret, for almost 2 years"". gamesradar. Archived from the original on 2023-10-24. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ Totilo, Stephen (14 October 2016). "Free Game Recommendation: Really Bad Chess (iOS)". Kotaku. Gizmodo Media Group. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
- Further reading
- https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/13/13262994/really-bad-chess-zach-gage-iphone-ipad
- http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/gaming/2016/10/really_bad_chess_proves_that_games_don_t_need_to_be_fair.html
