Pawnbarian
Review

Pawnbarian (2021) is a puzzle game where you attack enemies in a dungeon based on chess moves. You build a deck of different pieces and use them in battles

You play as a warrior on a 5-by-5 chessboard that represents a level in a dungeon, filled with various enemies that attack in turn-based fashion - bloodthirsty Capybears, imposing Golems, and eldritch Blightsacks. Each dungeon is 7 levels deep and you use the same deck and health bar through all 7 levels.

Play involves selecting a card, which have traditional chess piece symbols on them, and then moving your figure in the pattern allowed by that type of piece (diagonally for a Bishop, L-shape for a Knight, etc). Your aim is to land on all the enemies to capture them while avoiding or shielding yourself from their attacks. The game tells you how much damage each square will get at the end of your move so you need to be strategic about where you end up as well as who you attack, as they have a wide variety of special abilities.

As you complete each encounter and progress to the next floor, you can either purchase additional health or upgrade the cards with additional powers with the gold you find in the dungeon. You can choose from six characters, each with a different deck and core mechanic. There are also three themed dungeons to tackle that require a unique approach.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Pawnbarian 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Angela Hickman Newnham and updated 5 months ago.