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.
| 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 |
Gameplay
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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
editReally 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
editStephen 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
editReferences
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
