Our king is in another castle!

February 19, 2021 9:48 AM

Chessformer (by Robert Alvarez) is a puzzle game that combines 2D platforming with chess. Can you maneuver your pieces through the level to capture the enemy king? (Runs in the browser; works on mobile and desktop.)
posted by mbrubeck (24 comments total)

This is fun but I'm stuck on level 8. Are some of the platforms supposed to be moving? The rook is stuck at the bottom otherwise.
posted by ardgedee at 10:11 AM on February 19, 2021

You can move through the “thin” platforms from below.
posted by mbrubeck at 10:14 AM on February 19, 2021

you made it past 7 - what am I not seeing about these two knights’ potential interaction...?
posted by progosk at 10:15 AM on February 19, 2021

Pressing the reset button to go back to the starting position might help if you are stuck on 7.
posted by mbrubeck at 10:17 AM on February 19, 2021

> You can move through the “thin” platforms from below.

Ahah! I hadn't tried that. Thanks!
posted by ardgedee at 10:17 AM on February 19, 2021

This is so satisfying. Just what I needed this morning. thank you!
posted by travelingthyme at 10:19 AM on February 19, 2021

Pressing the reset button to go back to the starting position might help if you are stuck on 7.

I understand about one of them using the cube, but once they double up on the first wall and that gives one the leg-up to the block, I don’t see any chance for progress...
posted by progosk at 10:21 AM on February 19, 2021

Level 7 hint

You can repeat the same technique to get from the second wall to the next block.

posted by mbrubeck at 10:28 AM on February 19, 2021

12 is my bugbear. It was a good run.
posted by glonous keming at 10:29 AM on February 19, 2021 [3 favorites]

yeah. how do i kill that pawn
posted by 20 year lurk at 10:31 AM on February 19, 2021

Previously. Very previously, like dead-link previously. Roguebasin has links to the current site.
posted by polytope subirb enby-of-piano-dice at 10:58 AM on February 19, 2021

Made it to 17 (I think?), the one with two bishops, a rook and a queen and I got stuck. Then I accidentally clicked on a bookmark on the toolbar and lost all my progress
posted by tivalasvegas at 11:03 AM on February 19, 2021

On level 4 I was a bit disappointed you couldn't castle to jump the gap before remembering you don't have to use the king to win (also that you can't castle after moving the castling pieces. D'oh.). It is a little weird using a king to capture another king though.

tivalasvegas: "Made it to 17 (I think?), the one with two bishops, a rook and a queen and I got stuck. Then I accidentally clicked on a bookmark on the toolbar and lost all my progress"

If you to back to the game page, there should be a level select with the ones you've beaten unlocked.
posted by Rhaomi at 11:06 AM on February 19, 2021

wait... writing that comment actually made me realize what I did wrong.

going back in now
posted by tivalasvegas at 11:06 AM on February 19, 2021

I made it to 15 until I scratched my head. Then I realized it was introducing a new chess rule to the dynamic. Really clever puzzle game, this.
posted by pmbuko at 11:45 AM on February 19, 2021

This was neat—worked my way through all the levels in about half an hour. Nice relaxing music choice too. It's kind of a pity that there weren't non-king enemy pieces in any of the levels, to give the pawns more to do, but I suppose for all non-pawn pieces it wouldn't have made a big difference. Hm, except maybe as something to fall onto but then later pass through?
posted by one for the books at 11:55 AM on February 19, 2021

VICTORY. About 90 minutes, I think.
posted by tivalasvegas at 12:05 PM on February 19, 2021

I finally solved all levels - toughest one for me was 19 - and I'm left wanting more.
This game really hit my sweet spot - a good puzzle mechanic that doesn't require hair-trigger timing or fine motor control.
I'd love recommendations for other similar games.
posted by cheshyre at 2:09 PM on February 19, 2021

I've always been told to play chess so that my pieces support one another, but I've never had to take that literally before.

This was fun. Just the right mix of familiarity and novelty.
posted by Avelwood at 9:42 PM on February 19, 2021 [1 favorite]

Good fun. Thank for the post.
posted by bcd at 10:17 PM on February 19, 2021

This was great! The final level was the hardest for me, both in practical terms and in terms of just looking really dauntingly impossible on first glance, so it was a very satisfying finale.

> This game really hit my sweet spot - a good puzzle mechanic that doesn't require hair-trigger timing or fine motor control. I'd love recommendations for other similar games.

Baba Is You springs to mind (previously).
posted by Syllepsis at 11:07 PM on February 19, 2021 [1 favorite]

Well I spent way to much time on #24, and still can't figure it out. Looking for a hint.
At least one of these propositions is incorrect:

A. The key and the locked door are easily dealt with using a knight
B. There are no secret passages or hyperspace-type moves, and no queens or pawns
C. The rooks are useless, except as stepping stones. They can't end a turn above the bottom row.
D. The win must be delivered by my king. Only other way would be knights from the 7th rank, and there's no way to do that
E. The king has to get from the left side to the right side and then up to the upper right.
F. In order for the king to get to the upper right, all 4 minor pieces (plus the rook) must be on the right side.
G. I need both knights on the left in order for both bishops to go to the right side
H. I need at least one piece in addition to the rook on the right to get a knight across to the right side
I. I cannot get all 4 minor pieces on the right side

Which one(s) are incorrect?
posted by MtDewd at 1:37 PM on February 21, 2021 [1 favorite]

So did I. the incorrect ones were, IIRC:

H and I

posted by polytope subirb enby-of-piano-dice at 1:40 PM on February 21, 2021 [1 favorite]

Well that was a good hint. Thanks.
posted by MtDewd at 1:47 PM on February 21, 2021 [1 favorite]