Checkmate Showdown

Game
    Review

Checkmate Showdown (2023) is a strategic fighting game where you move your pieces on a chess board and then use them in fights to try and take off enemy pieces. You use fists, kicks, and weapons to defeat opponents in combat, and the winning piece gets to stay on the board. It stands out for the combination of classic chess play with all the strategy and practice involved with fast-paced, precise and exacting combat.

Play is split into two distinct sections: turn-based chess and then fights. The chess portion is identical to normal chess; you move your pieces on the grid with the intent of taking your opponent's king. If you or your opponent attempt to take a piece, you then move to the fighting section, where you must use different weapons, kicks and punches to knock out your opponent in fast-paced melee combat. Each piece has different abilities and varying strengths; leveraging any advantage you have against the enemy is essential, and deciding which piece to attack with is important too.

The winning piece of each fight gets to stay on the board while the loser is taken off. Unlike chess, you need to consider this before attacking an opponent's piece as you risk losing your own piece. The attacker has an advantage in that they can use their powerful moves immediately in combat while the defender has to wait for it to charge up.

The result is a game where patience and strategy are balanced with fast-paced fighting prowess to create a unique and unusual yet still engaging and fun experience for chess and fighting game players alike.

Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Checkmate Showdown 5 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 4 weeks ago.